Can new leadership at the French Rugby League use the success of Catalans Dragons to raise the profile of the sport across the whole of France?

[Rugby League World]

Treiziste Diary: Can new leadership at the French Rugby League use the success of Catalans Dragons to raise the profile of the sport across the whole of France?

https://www.totalrl.com/can-new-leadership-at-the-french-rugby-league-use-the-success-of-catalans-dragons-to-raise-the-profile-of-the-sport-across-the-whole-of-france/

This article was due to appear in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 487 (August 2023) but due to a publishing error, the previous month’s column was repeated in its place. The RLW Editorial Team would like to apologise to our Treiziste Diarist Pierre Carcau, and to all our readers, for the inconvenience caused. We hope you enjoy the latest Treiziste Diary, presented here free of charge, on TotalRL.com this month instead.

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[Harry Stottle]

Does the whole of France appreciate RL, in fact does the whole Sud de France appreciate RL.

That has always been my concern why it can't attract a TV deal.

[tim2]

Long question for a two letter answer.

[ATLANTISMAN]

Cloud Cuckko Land 

What FRL needs is for federation to concentrate on the traditional areas and support to clubs and places where the game was once strong.

Having teams like Villefrance Carpentras and Salon back in Elite 1 would be a start.

Internationals can be taken to new areas and if someone then starts a new club then it's a win win.

Its amazing already the talent that is generated from some clubs especially in Provence who have provided the majority of the Dragons French players.

Paul

[Havenlad80]

Can the current successful period of the Catalan dragons not be viewed as somewhat hollow due to the number of non-French born players in the matchday 17 and overall squad?

There wasn’t one French born player in the starting backline for the dragons in last night’s victory against Warrington as well as none of their 30 points being scored by a French born player.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Does the whole of France appreciate RL, in fact does the whole Sud de France appreciate RL.

That has always been my concern why it can't attract a TV deal.

An additional concern of mine is the abysmal pulling out of their best players from the France squad for the mid season. International

If the French national team doesn't get stronger and we don't get more paying SKY customers what's the point? Better to give the spot to London 

[Havenlad80]

2 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

An additional concern of mine is the abysmal pulling out of their best players from the France squad for the mid season. International

If the French national team doesn't get stronger and we don't get more paying SKY customers what's the point? Better to give the spot to London 

Exactly.

I was fully behind the inclusion of the dragons into super league as well as Toulouse for that matter into the UK RL league structure in the hope that it would result in the development of increased numbers of super league quality French born players thus increasing the talent pool for the French RL national team.

unfortunately this doesn’t appear to be happening on both accounts leaving me to question the purpose of the dragons in super league.

[gingerjon]

27 minutes ago, Havenlad80 said:

Can the current successful period of the Catalan dragons not be viewed as somewhat hollow due to the number of non-French born players in the matchday 17 and overall squad?

There wasn’t one French born player in the starting backline for the dragons in last night’s victory against Warrington as well as none of their 30 points being scored by a French born player.

They're a club who exist to win rugby league matches.

So the winning of rugby league matches is the important bit.

[Havenlad80]

50 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

They're a club who exist to win rugby league matches.

So the winning of rugby league matches is the important bit.

I totally understand that but for me if they(Catalan) aren’t having a positive effect on  producing French born super league quality players and increasing the talent pool for the French national side then let them exist to win RL matches in the French elite 1 competition and not super league.

As a previous poster said we might as well give their place in super league to the London broncos or another expansion side like Sheffield or Newcastle.

Edited August 5, 2023 by Havenlad80

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

42 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

They're a club who exist to win rugby league matches.

So the winning of rugby league matches is the important bit.

Fully professional rugby league matches in Europe depends heavily on British RL fans paying SKY for the TV deal

The amount SKY are prepared to pay depends on how many British subscribers pay them for it 

If not enough British RL fans pay then you may have to change your statement above to ....

"They're a club who exist to win semi professional rugby league matches"

....or worse 

Edited August 5, 2023 by Bedfordshire Bronco

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Fully professional rugby league matches in Europe depends heavily on British RL fans paying SKY for the TV deal

The amount SKY are prepared to pay depends on how many British subscribers pay them for it 

If not enough British RL fans pay then you may have to change your statement above to ....

"They're a club who exist to win semi professional rugby league matches"

....or worse 

If the TV deal goes down it won't be because of the existence of Catalans, however much you want to clumsily draw that line.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

10 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

If the TV deal goes down it won't be because of the existence of Catalans, however much you want to clumsily draw that line.

Clumsily?

I made it as clear as anyone making the counter point 

 

 

[gingerjon]

2 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Clumsily?

I made it as clear as anyone making the counter point 

 

 

The line is clumsy because the argument is unsound and wrong. The TV deal won't be going down because of the presence of one of the more interesting teams in Super League. British rugby league collapsing into a semi professional stupor won't be the fault of Catalans.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

12 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

The line is clumsy because the argument is unsound and wrong. 

I hear this offered a lot as a counter argument 

Is there any actual evidence from SKY or others on this? 

 

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

Is the French side better now than it was when the Dragons started up - yes.  But Dragons and Toulouse alone cant compete with English RL simply by depth of numbers and you cant blame them for prioritising their own success as part of a longer term project rather than losing players to injury in one off mid season internationals.

As @ATLANTISMAN says the FFR13 people need to get a wider net to increase the depth of numbers in terms of players, spectators and of course not forgetting exposure for the clubs and towns.

[ATLANTISMAN]

2 hours ago, Havenlad80 said:

Can the current successful period of the Catalan dragons not be viewed as somewhat hollow due to the number of non-French born players in the matchday 17 and overall squad?

There wasn’t one French born player in the starting backline for the dragons in last night’s victory against Warrington as well as none of their 30 points being scored by a French born player.

9 in the 17 and Arthur Morgue was out.

[ATLANTISMAN]

1 hour ago, Havenlad80 said:

I totally understand that but for me if they(Catalan) aren’t having a positive effect on  producing French born super league quality players and increasing the talent pool for the French national side then let them exist to win RL matches in the French elite 1 competition and not super league.

As a previous poster said we might as well give their place in super league to the London broncos or another expansion side like Sheffield or Newcastle.

No Dragons in SL the club would fold in a day.

Elite is a small semi pro league 

[Eddie]

3 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Fully professional rugby league matches in Europe depends heavily on British RL fans paying SKY for the TV deal

The amount SKY are prepared to pay depends on how many British subscribers pay them for it 

If not enough British RL fans pay then you may have to change your statement above to ....

"They're a club who exist to win semi professional rugby league matches"

....or worse 

I know that’s a well used argument, and it may be true, but how many Salford (not picking on them specifically, could have used Huddersfield or Wakey or other teams also) actually subscribe to Sky because of RL? There may be a handful but I doubt they make it worthwhile for Sky. Meanwhile lots of people (including myself) who pay for Sky for the RL are more likely to watch a Catalans game than a Wakey one if its on. 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

30 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I know that’s a well used argument, and it may be true, but how many Salford (not picking on them specifically, could have used Huddersfield or Wakey or other teams also) actually subscribe to Sky because of RL? There may be a handful but I doubt they make it worthwhile for Sky. Meanwhile lots of people (including myself) who pay for Sky for the RL are more likely to watch a Catalans game than a Wakey one if its on. 

And that's fair enough .....I actually don't know what the overall effect on subscribers is by having Catalan 

And I don't think anyone does know the effect of swapping Catalan for say Bradford in SL on SKY RL subscribers 

I'd love to see some evidence 

[Eddie]

1 minute ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

And that's fair enough .....I actually don't know what the overall effect on subscribers is by having Catalan 

And I don't think anyone does know the effect of swapping Catalan for say Bradford in SL on SKY RL subscribers 

I'd love to see some evidence 

Agreed, we‘ll never know, but let’s not let that stop us pontificating on an Internet forum as if we do. 

[OriginalMrC]

In response to the original question. A world cup in France would have done wonders but cancellation means that Catalans success is unlikely to make much difference. A second French team with a long term vision is needed 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

17 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Agreed, we‘ll never know, but let’s not let that stop us pontificating on an Internet forum as if we do. 

And if's great we can mostly go to and fro amongst ourselves without much aggro ,,,,,

....just a shame when the odd person gets a little insulting when someone holds a different opinion to them (I won't name anyone) 

[Omott91]

9 hours ago, Havenlad80 said:

Exactly.

I was fully behind the inclusion of the dragons into super league as well as Toulouse for that matter into the UK RL league structure in the hope that it would result in the development of increased numbers of super league quality French born players thus increasing the talent pool for the French RL national team.

unfortunately this doesn’t appear to be happening on both accounts leaving me to question the purpose of the dragons in super league.

Do you also question the purpose of Wakefield with their terrible ground and attendances?

[rlno1]

12 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Does the whole of France appreciate RL, in fact does the whole Sud de France appreciate RL.

That has always been my concern why it can't attract a TV deal.

No, they have other sports that interest them.

[Havenlad80]

13 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

9 in the 17 and Arthur Morgue was out.

So 1 French born player in the starting backline.