French clubs spreading the word

[Barley Mow]

5 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

This is an honest question, what kind of attendances do Avignon XIII recieve, is it well supported in the city? 

Sorry, that's not one I have the answer to.

The only info I can find for attendance in Avignon is for internationals, and that's obviously a completely different kettle of fish:

2010 France v Ireland - 14,522

2011 France v England - 16,866

2013 (World Cup) France v New Zealand - 17,518

2015 France v Scotland - 5,737

2016 France v England - 14,276

Maybe someone else can provide typical Elite 1 attendance info for Avignon.

[Harry Stottle]

Answer to above, but firstly they have to get on par with the Batleys, Leigh's, Fev's etc  or are you saying that they can play in their own domestic substandard league win their league and go into SL, where they will have to most probably change 100% of ther playing roster?

[Harry Stottle]

27 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

I am saying the second to grow the French League. Just like Fev Leigh and any team in Champ will change majority of squad on promotion. 

If French clubs know the amount needed to get to SL is low then it will be more attractive.  Gradually clubs will have to spend more to raise standards until parity or close to is achieved. 

Similar concept used for National League South and North and although one is a stronger league it works well. 

So no disrespect to the French players available but your suggestion would be quite close to 100% Antipodean and Brits, there are hardly enough quality French lads to make one SL team, Cats showed at Saints their vulnerabilities without their overseas player's, should Toulouse make SL they will be big in the foriegn markets accumulating, sorry but that will do not good for the infrastructure of the French Nationals, that does need and require a good dose of looking at, people say the game in France in well established after all it is 90 years old, quite agree and it should be better than it is, it is time the FFR got to grips with the game if they want it to improve, but some people over here put all the emphasis on that soley being down to the British game to improve the French infrastructure, that should not be the case.

P.S. are you genuinely located in Madrid?

[The Rocket]

1 hour ago, Barley Mow said:

Sorry, that's not one I have the answer to.

The only info I can find for attendance in Avignon is for internationals, and that's obviously a completely different kettle of fish:

2010 France v Ireland - 14,522

2011 France v England - 16,866

2013 (World Cup) France v New Zealand - 17,518

2015 France v Scotland - 5,737

2016 France v England - 14,276

Maybe someone else can provide typical Elite 1 attendance info for Avignon.

They`re fairly solid crowd figures and consistent, give them a home team one day, I think there`s cause for optimism there.

Especially if two other French teams can perform well in SL.

[wilsontown]

18 hours ago, The Future is League said:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/13/dominance-of-catalans-and-toulouse-driving-league-to-a-wider-audience

I'm glad someone posted this.

In the print edition of the Guardian, this article was unfortunately illustrated with an image of Stade Toulousain playing Lyon in a union game. I let the reader's editor know about this abomination, and they have fixed the online version of the article and will most likely run a correction as well.

You're welcome.

[barnyia]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

This is an honest question, what kind of attendances do Avignon XIII recieve, is it well supported in the city? 

200/300 

[Eddie]

6 hours ago, nadera78 said:

Avignon ticks all the boxes; a good size city, with name recognition, additional population centres very close by, strong history of RL in both the city and surrounding area, has had excellent crowds for internationals, and there are no rival pro sports teams in the city. Plus, if we're smart, we could use the 2025 RLWC as a vehicle to get the stadium rebuilt to a SL standard.

I think there’s a Ligue 2 team there, who play in the same stadium? 

[unapologetic pedant]

38 minutes ago, wilsontown said:

In the print edition of the Guardian, this article was unfortunately illustrated with an image of Stade Toulousain playing Lyon in a union game. I let the reader's editor know about this abomination, and they have fixed the online version of the article and will most likely run a correction as well.

It also grates a bit that the article is prefaced with the phrase "In a sport still defined by its northern England heartlands".

We`ve just had a rather large reminder, which even the London Guardian couldn`t have missed, that the defining powerbase of the sport of Rugby League is on the other side of the world from northern England.

Even in a piece ostensibly about growth in France, the writer still lapses into "Rugby league is a northern English game" platitudes.

[Scubby]

For those of us who remember the state of the French game back in the late 1990s/early 2000s - this is so exciting. I honestly thought the game there was going to wither to nothing. Kudos to those amazing treizistes there continuing to fight on for the love of the game.

[Chanter]

9 hours ago, nadera78 said:

Avignon ticks all the boxes; a good size city, with name recognition, additional population centres very close by, strong history of RL in both the city and surrounding area, has had excellent crowds for internationals, and there are no rival pro sports teams in the city. Plus, if we're smart, we could use the 2025 RLWC as a vehicle to get the stadium rebuilt to a SL standard.

I'd go as far as to add Montpellier to that too. They showed up in numbers in 2013

[The Future is League]

21 hours ago, Whippet13 said:

Well the SL clubs certainly think like that. The infamous Toronto report referred to bringing no "short or medium term strategic value" to SL. Putting aside the many and valid arguments both for and against TWP, that report ignored any reference to long term strategic value, good or bad, because SL simply doesnt think or plan that far ahead.

SL wont want Toulouse in SL because of the disruption / cost of going to France plus the cheeky buggers seem very well resourced so just might upset the applecart by not finishing last next season. I have no doubt the SL powerbrokers are already looking at ways to hamstring Toulouse should they go up.

Featherstone promoted will be their preference, a plucky and heroic little club, but in reality another lame duck to pick off every week to protect the cabal, just like Leigh this year with their disgraceful 50% central funding.

Wasn't the Toronto report written by Robert Elstone , or he was behind it, and what a waste of money he was. That money could have been better spent else where in the game, and all Elstone could recommend for the game in this country was selling the game of cheap to a private equity firm

[yipyee]

10 hours ago, JM2010 said:

Elite 1 would have to align with League 1 for there to be a pathway. They could then play off for a spot in the Championship. However, I'm not sure there are many Elite 1 clubs that could step up to compete in the Championship. 

 

Says who?

It could align to the championship and if as you say the french clubs are not good enough then theres no threat is there

[Niels]

6 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said:

It also grates a bit that the article is prefaced with the phrase "In a sport still defined by its northern England heartlands".

We`ve just had a rather large reminder, which even the London Guardian couldn`t have missed, that the defining powerbase of the sport of Rugby League is on the other side of the world from northern England.

Even in a piece ostensibly about growth in France, the writer still lapses into "Rugby league is a northern English game" platitudes.

I thought it was patronising in places also. Not sure why he mentioned about founder teams still being present, they are in football and union, Harlequins for example. 

The term "northern shackles" was unnecessary also. 

[JM2010]

27 minutes ago, yipyee said:

Says who?

It could align to the championship and if as you say the french clubs are not good enough then theres no threat is there

You're right it could. We both have opinions and ideas. We could both be wrong though

[yipyee]

55 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

You're right it could. We both have opinions and ideas. We could both be wrong though

The difference in opinion is where the french league would line up against the english system.

For me the french league is a little behind the championship by 10 actual years although Toulouse in SL would help them catch up as retiring players droping to semi pro and academy players not making SL are already starting to play in the frwnch top division. This ultimatley what seperates the champ from league 1

[The Frying Scotsman]

10 hours ago, Scubby said:

For those of us who remember the state of the French game back in the late 1990s/early 2000s - this is so exciting. I honestly thought the game there was going to wither to nothing. Kudos to those amazing treizistes there continuing to fight on for the love of the game.

Absolutely. Remember they were beaten by BARLA?

The full French national team, beaten by a bunch of guys who play for fun, and paid their own costs to tour. 

France were shambolic.

[kiggy]

On 14/08/2021 at 21:16, The Future is League said:

To be honest there are some involved in the game in this country that probably thinks that and we wonder why crowds and TV audience's are dropping. 

Quite, but lets hope it's just the supporters and not the higher-ups.

Bloke at the Fev v Toulouse match the other week made his way down the stands to where the TO team were just about to disappear off the pitch at the end of the match. He stood there shouting and pointing his finger "nobody wants you, nobody wants you, nobody wants you". 

[The Future is League]

1 hour ago, kiggy said:

Quite, but lets hope it's just the supporters and not the higher-ups.

Bloke at the Fev v Toulouse match the other week made his way down the stands to where the TO team were just about to disappear off the pitch at the end of the match. He stood there shouting and pointing his finger "nobody wants you, nobody wants you, nobody wants you". 

That was after his team got caned by Toulouse.

Fear and jealousy are terriible things and not doubt this sad indivdual will get ulcers

[wilsontown]

On 15/08/2021 at 14:50, wilsontown said:

I'm glad someone posted this.

In the print edition of the Guardian, this article was unfortunately illustrated with an image of Stade Toulousain playing Lyon in a union game. I let the reader's editor know about this abomination, and they have fixed the online version of the article and will most likely run a correction as well.

You're welcome.

Happily, they did run the correction in today's print edition.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/aug/20/corrections-and-clarifications

A small victory, but that Vichy lot get enough publicity without stealing ours.