France officially to bid to host 2025 Rugby League World Cup

[Eddie]

31 minutes ago, theswanmcr said:

I love World Cup planning!

I too think Marseille is too big. The difference with France compared to previous main hosts is that everyone knows they haven’t got a hope of making the semis or final. So those later games need to be a bit more realistic for me.

So yeah Toulouse for the opener is a great shout and the hosts biggest game. I’d think about taking the host’s second second game in Paris.

Can’t argue with your quarters really. Semis not sure but tricky to think of alternatives. For the final I’d head back to Toulouse (35k is fine).

 

Paris hasn’t got a team so why bother, unless they’re going to set one up. Might as well go to places where the game has a chance of making a foothold. 

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, Scubby said:

France has not hosted a major tournament in 50 years. If the RLWC 2021 is a success then 60k is bare minimum. It would be a government funded event with women's, men's, youth, wheelchair etc. We are not talk and the FFRXIII knock about or the NRL's p*ss poor 2017 effort.

It’s hosted football World Cup and Euros, and the next Union one is there iirc. There aren’t hundreds of thousands of RL fans in France desperately waiting for a World Cup, it’s a small town and village sport. Yes it can be a massive boost for the game there but I doubt we’ll sell out many games in the English WC where the game is 10x better supported, so there’s no reason to think they would in France. 

[ATLANTISMAN]

1 minute ago, Eddie said:

Paris hasn’t got a team so why bother, unless they’re going to set one up. Might as well go to places where the game has a chance of making a foothold. 

Totally agree (And off the record here) I was sitting next to a RLWC official at the France v PNG match in Paris in 2000

* Quote whats the attendance 

* 1800 odd

* OK so lets say 7800

 

To this day thats the official attendance for the game 

BTW to be fair the attendances at Carcassonne for the Tonga match and Albi for South Africa were SPOT ON:)

 

Paul

[GUBRATS]

The hardest part would be getting the French into a semi final

[theswanmcr]

8 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Paris hasn’t got a team so why bother, unless they’re going to set one up. Might as well go to places where the game has a chance of making a foothold. 

I know what you’re saying but with that logic you probably wouldn’t play a game at Arsenal this World Cup.

Guess it’s whether the benefits of possibly wider media coverage and status of having a game in the Capital (just like our upcoming version) outweighs possibility of low crowd etc. I can see pros and cons to both options.

[Scubby]

50 minutes ago, Eddie said:

It’s hosted football World Cup and Euros, and the next Union one is there iirc. There aren’t hundreds of thousands of RL fans in France desperately waiting for a World Cup, it’s a small town and village sport. Yes it can be a massive boost for the game there but I doubt we’ll sell out many games in the English WC where the game is 10x better supported, so there’s no reason to think they would in France. 

This is not a WC or Euros forum  We are talking RL here.

[Man of Kent]

I vote Marseille too. Better to aim for 60k and not quite fill it than sell out a c.30k ground IMO

[Scubby]

3 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

I vote Marseille too. Better to aim for 60k and not quite fill it than sell out a c.30k ground IMO

I know, people moan wanting the game to grow, but are pessimistic about attempts to grow the game.  

[gingerjon]

12 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Totally agree (And off the record here) I was sitting next to a RLWC official at the France v PNG match in Paris in 2000

* Quote whats the attendance 

* 1800 odd

* OK so lets say 7800

Don't know what you mean

[Henson Park Old Firm]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

Don't know what you mean

Covid?

[The Rocket]

 

On 16/07/2021 at 20:26, Damien said:

Bennett has always been a strong advocate of the international game and was instrumental in the starting of the Four Nations in an attempt to get regular internationals again.

As Broncos coach no one has seen as many players leave League once they felt they had achieved everything they could in our code. Sailor, Tuquiri, Hunt(via afl), Folau, Berrick Barnes, Bennett said he`d be back, he was wrong, Willie Carne, Ben Teo, all stars of our game. I`ve no doubt that plays a part in Bennetts drive to rejuvenate international League.

Bennett as a seven time premiership winner also has the advantage of having established his reputation, he has nothing to prove and he is also a wealthy man.

When I listen to Nathan Brown listing all the reasons why a World Cup this year would be particularly unfair on his team, I get annoyed but I realise I also see a bloke who has achieved nothing, will likely get the boot next year if he doesn`t get results and is probably qualified to do very little else, certainly not earn $ 500 000 as a head coach. He doesn`t give a rats about the WC, he`s thinking about his mortgage. I imagine this is probably what just about 80% of other coaches feel. Things are rarely black and white.

The irony of this is of course without a credible international scene Brown will continue to lose players of the calibre of Roger Tuivasa- Sheck. He`s going to miss him next year.

Failure to support and develop the international game is only going to lead more episodes like we witnessed this week of the unedifying spectacle of Andrew Numbnuts Johns publicly begging Kalyn Ponga to stay in Rugby League, which not only will achieve nothing but succeed in making the other code look more important. Johns would be better off spending his time haranguing the NRL about getting behind the WC.

Anyway you make your bed, you lie in it.

 

 

 

 

[jim_57]

The final debate is an interesting one. I do agree that Marseille is a probably a bit too big but they should probably be aiming higher than lower 30’s (Toulouse/Montpellier) if it is going to break even or make a profit. PSG stadium is the perfect size for me at 48k but they may not want it and Paris may not be the best fit for the final. 

Toulouse FC is a lock for one of the opener, semi(s) or final. Plus one or more pool games and/or quarter final at Ernest Wallon.

[Cumbrian Mackem]

27 minutes ago, jim_57 said:

The final debate is an interesting one. I do agree that Marseille is a probably a bit too big but they should probably be aiming higher than lower 30’s (Toulouse/Montpellier) if it is going to break even or make a profit. PSG stadium is the perfect size for me at 48k but they may not want it and Paris may not be the best fit for the final. 

Toulouse FC is a lock for one of the opener, semi(s) or final. Plus one or more pool games and/or quarter final at Ernest Wallon.

A game in Paris needs to include France so I would only use the “par des princes” for the opener and nothing else.

[The Rocket]

On this Day 21/7/1951.

1951    

The highly entertaining French touring side, inspired by the charismatic fullback Puig-Aubert, wins the Test series against Australia, with a 35-14 third Test victory. Huge crowds flock to watch the Frenchmen wherever they play. Over 67,000 people pack the SCG for the Test.

Imagine the inconvenience of having mid-season Tests.

 

 

 

 

 

[voteronniegibbs]

Let France host the next world cup, it'd be great for them to do it. Just don't invite Australia or New Zealand. 

[fighting irish]

8 hours ago, voteronniegibbs said:

Let France host the next world cup, it'd be great for them to do it. Just don't invite Australia or New Zealand. 

What I'd like to see, in the run up to the next one, is some significant growth, in the Americas, stimulated by their inclusion in  this one and an ongoing relationship, including Trans-Atlantic international matches, making their involvement in France 2025 a far more evenly matched affair. For everyone's benefit. 

[Scubby]

Why were participation agreements for 2021 not signed until a few months from the competition? The French government would want major guarantees on participation before parting with any central funds.

[Dave T]

2 hours ago, Scubby said:

Why were participation agreements for 2021 not signed until a few months from the competition? The French government would want major guarantees on participation before parting with any central funds.

I would assume the recent participation agreements were specifically driven by covid. 

I expect the standard IRL agreements are in place for standard year's. 

[londonrlfan]

Great news and long overdue! Hopefully they show some ambition and don't play it in tiny stadiums in villages in the South of France. 

Be great if Marseille, Montpellier, Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux and St Etienne could get games. 

[Damien]

13 hours ago, Dave T said:

I would assume the recent participation agreements were specifically driven by covid. 

I expect the standard IRL agreements are in place for standard year's. 

I have a feeling the NRL are going to try and change standard IRL anything going forward. It's been made quite clear that they want to run the international game and on their terms.

[The Future is League]

5 hours ago, Damien said:

I have a feeling the NRL are going to try and change standard IRL anything going forward. It's been made quite clear that they want to run the international game and on their terms.

My interest in the game is hanging by a thread with whats happened over the last 2 or 3 years or so. If the World cup doesn't go ahead and the NRL take over the running of the IRL I'm 90% certain that's me finished with it and i don't think i will be the only one

[Jim from Oz]

7 hours ago, The Future is League said:

My interest in the game is hanging by a thread with whats happened over the last 2 or 3 years or so. If the World cup doesn't go ahead and the NRL take over the running of the IRL I'm 90% certain that's me finished with it and i don't think i will be the only one

yep, I'll be another

[Methven Hornet]

On 25/07/2021 at 18:49, The Future is League said:

My interest in the game is hanging by a thread with whats happened over the last 2 or 3 years or so. If the World cup doesn't go ahead and the NRL take over the running of the IRL I'm 90% certain that's me finished with it and i don't think i will be the only one

That's just about my position as well. I had just about given up on the British game after the decision of Super League to expand to, er, Leigh (isn't that going well?) but if the RLWC doesn't go ahead that's me done.

A French world cup would be superb. We went to the FIFA Women's World Cup in France in 2019, and it was great travelling from city to city, staying in various b&bs. You just couldn't plan that with RL because you'd have no idea whether the tournament would go ahead.

[lucky 7]

On 30/07/2021 at 04:16, Methven Hornet said:

That's just about my position as well. I had just about given up on the British game after the decision of Super League to expand to, er, Leigh (isn't that going well?) but if the RLWC doesn't go ahead that's me done.

A French world cup would be superb. We went to the FIFA Women's World Cup in France in 2019, and it was great travelling from city to city, staying in various b&bs. You just couldn't plan that with RL because you'd have no idea whether the tournament would go ahead.

Sadly you are so right 

[JohnM]

Don't let the current WC political power struggle stop you watching games.   

 

Whatever, I'll still be watching Wigan and internationals (on TV or live if I can get to any games).

will watch this years World Cup on TV and possibly live depending on Covid progress

will definitely watch it if its in France 2025, though attendance may not be possible.