Well done Toulouse! Great for the game.

[bratman]

4 minutes ago, Jim from Oz said:

Absolutely stoked Toulouse won … now if only the moronic RFL didn't have their idiotic plans to change the SL structure AGAIN

Catalans and Toulouse should be permanently except from relegation … it's the only way to grow RL in France and make it the power it once was.

Anyone know what the crowd was for today's game?

I think it was about 9200.

[Whippet13]

6 minutes ago, Jim from Oz said:

Absolutely stoked Toulouse won … now if only the moronic RFL didn't have their idiotic plans to change the SL structure AGAIN

Catalans and Toulouse should be permanently except from relegation … it's the only way to grow RL in France and make it the power it once was.

Anyone know what the crowd was for today's game?

9235 I think they said in the post match

[Gooleboy]

Firstly well done to Toulouse, a deserved win tonight, and good luck for next season. This will be my last post on this Forum as I  have had enough of reading criticism of my Club Featherstone, our Supporters, and I know like every other Club we have our idiots, and my home town, who some on here make derogatory comments without knowing anything about the place. The hypocrisy at times is unbelievable. I hope you all get what you wish for, but just remember, everyone is entitled to an opinion even if you don't like it. Anyway, that's me done. Thanks 

[yipyee]

2 hours ago, Scubby said:

I think there will be a lot of neutral RL fans looking at a holiday week combo taking in both club home games.

Would SL have the foresight to double up some big SL clubs with away games at Catalans and then Toulouse the following week (or vice versa)? Fans could then have a pretty amazing week in France watching their club twice.

Would actually help the British clubs too, especially if a campus for travelling teams could be set up

[yipyee]

1 hour ago, Whippet13 said:

9235 I think they said in the post match

 Better thank the 3k some were predicting. An average of that alone next year would see them in the top 5 clubs for attendance

[dixiedean]

3 hours ago, Scubby said:

I think there will be a lot of neutral RL fans looking at a holiday week combo taking in both club home games.

Would SL have the foresight to double up some big SL clubs with away games at Catalans and then Toulouse the following week (or vice versa)? Fans could then have a pretty amazing week in France watching their club twice.

Aren't you aware that alternate home and away fixtures are a long-observed, inviolable RL tradition? 

You simply can never have anybody playing away twice. It is against the natural order.

[The Rocket]

52 minutes ago, yipyee said:

Would actually help the British clubs too, especially if a campus for travelling teams could be set up

Could open the door for another sponsorship deal with the Super League.

The NRL signed a deal with the Accor chain of hotels earlier this year, you know with the `NRL`s favoured Hotel chain` type thing. Accor has 1500 Hotels across 110 countries including France and looking to expand into Britain post-brexit. The NRL had been using their chain in Queensland during the bubble, Abdo came out and gave them a big wrap the other day in the press.

With two French teams and the potential of more Rugby League tourism into that country ( and your own ) certainly worth thinking about for the Super League to have a similar arrangement.

 

[PECETTO]

7 hours ago, Jim from Oz said:

Absolutely stoked Toulouse won … now if only the moronic RFL didn't have their idiotic plans to change the SL structure AGAIN

Catalans and Toulouse should be permanently except from relegation … it's the only way to grow RL in France and make it the power it once was.

Anyone know what the crowd was for today's game?

9200

[barnyia]

9 hours ago, Scubby said:

This gives a better indication of the noise and atmosphere at Toulouse than the Sky feed managed

 

All sports on french tv  have the the crowd noise turned down foe some reason, 

[Whippet13]

6 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

If Toulouse average 9000 next year they will become the 7th best supported team in the league miles in front of Salford Giants and Wakey. 

Suspect the Toulouse home game vs Catalan will sell out easily with 20,000 packed in and that the 3rd game at neutral Venue in France is going to show that any idea of going to 10 team league is lunacy. 

Next year we have Wigan vs Saints,  Hull vs KR and now Dragons vs Olympique. What a season we are in for. 

They are looking at playing the Catalans game at the Toulouse football ground as they dont think the RU stadium is big enough at (I think) 19000 capacity.

[Gerrumonside ref]

Well done Toulouse - sounds like they have big plans for an ambitious project.

Interested to hear that they benefit from a dual emphasis on rugby with the local union side - hopefully that can continue without either feeling slightly cannibalised for fans by the other?

Guessing that for most of the rugby fans in the city that the well established union team is the priority, so hope that we’re not overestimating average crowds based on what they’ll get for a one off big event.

Interesting times for sure - any prospect of a third French team entering our pyramid?

[pahars]

40 minutes ago, Whippet13 said:

They are looking at playing the Catalans game at the Toulouse football ground as they dont think the RU stadium is big enough at (I think) 19000 capacity.

Play it in the football ground in late spring/summer, have either elite 1/2 finals or Lord derby cup and junior final as games on beforehand. Have no other RL fixtures that day and make it French RL’s annual big day out. 

[FearTheVee]

8 hours ago, dixiedean said:

Aren't you aware that alternate home and away fixtures are a long-observed, inviolable RL tradition? 

You simply can never have anybody playing away twice. It is against the natural order.

I get your point here but better to have them separated for all sorts of reasons IMO, including cost for fans and clubs.

[yipyee]

3 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

30000 would make it the most attended game of the season and I pray a turning point for the games mentality towards French teams .

When that game happens the only question we will all have is how did it take us so long.

If anything the other clubs maybe fearful of their clout and look to legislate against them

[barnyia]

If the rfl are intelligent they should have toulouse and Catalan at home on alternate weekends, quite  a few will watch both teams. myself included, 

[Whippet13]

26 minutes ago, yipyee said:

If anything the other clubs maybe fearful of their clout and look to legislate against them

Indeed, the thought process at SL HQ will likely be something like: "Look at how much money these French guys might be getting from big crowds......do they really need all that £1.8m central funding?"

[graveyard johnny]

a breath of fresh air 

 

[Niels]

Does anyone know how many of the Catalans and Toulouse players would qualify for France?

Presumably all the Catalans French players would be selected. The Toulouse players looked fit also. Then there is Theo Farges, who I really like, and do Salford have a French player? Jouffret played at Batley, he was very good there but would he be good enough for France? 

I just wondered how close they are to having a competitive side in numbers and quality. 

 

[David Shepherd]

16 hours ago, welshmagpie said:

Anyone know if Toulouse are likely to go for Saturday as their home games in SL?

looking at getting across for a weekend. 

Pre Covid, they were usually on Saturdays

[bromleybulldog]

Have the Super League confirmed that Toulouse will get an equal share of the TV money next year? Just hoping they don't impose a reduction on them like they did to Leigh this year. Wouldn't put anything past them. Can just imagine them saying we need to pay a parachute payment to the relegated club, so you don't get the full whack......

 

Paranoid ,I know but......

[The Daddy]

Decent article in the Independent.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/sport/toulouse-super-league-leigh-french-catalans-dragons-b1936160.html%3famp

[idrewthehaggis]

On 10/10/2021 at 20:33, Dunbar said:

So I have started to persuade Mrs D that a week in the South of France is needed next year. 

Overnight ferry to La Rochelle then a drive down the West and South Coast of France to either Perpignan or Toulouse to catch one of the home games then a week bumming around the towns and beaches before the next game and then a nice trip home.

She likes the idea of the town's and beaches, just not 100% on the Rugby yet... I'll get there though.

We are thinking more flight than driving. Now if SRD were down there and it by coincidence Le Tour, passed then it might be too tempting to deny. 

That is it, future licensing should be based on attractiveness of town. Blackpool, erm, Paris, Lyon, Barca, even Skeggy.

[Dunbar]

24 minutes ago, idrewthehaggis said:

We are thinking more flight than driving. Now if SRD were down there and it by coincidence Le Tour, passed then it might be too tempting to deny. 

Flights are always the easiest option but I have just always fancied a proper touring holiday through France & possibly Northern Spain.  We could even pop over to see the wife's family in Italy and that may persuade her ( @Damien will be pleased that I have managed to drop my Italian wife into the conversation again!).

And a new car in the spring and so it all coming together perfectly thanks to Toulouse.

[HKR AWAY DAYS]

Firstly, chuffed to bits Toulouse are up. Going to be very exciting next season in that region.

I don't know of this has been covered in the past few days but does anyone know if Rugby League changed the requirement for teams to play at least 70% of their games to qualify for the Championship playoffs or were Toulouse exempt from this rule before the start of season?

I can't remember. Cheers.

[clogdance]

22 hours ago, Dallas Mead said:

That’s all.  Delighted as a fan of the sport, another big city in the top league is only a good thing to grow the game.

 

Happy days!

Do you know how many Toulouse fans were at the Bradford Bulls game last month where if they won would clinch top spot and a home tie in the semi final ? I will tell you, ZERO. Not one French supporter was in attendance. My brother-in-law attended the game and was amazed by this, although I wasn't.