Toulouse struggling

[Eddie]

Not sure how reliable La Depeche is as a source, but this is worrying though not at all surprising. If they do go up I hope they’re not expected to pay everyone else’s travel costs next year. 
 

https://www.totalrl.com/toulouse-olympique-reportedly-close-to-bankruptcy/?fbclid=IwAR01bQNesCeTirEGuRFVWwAB_RAKi7dOt4l_BryYfbMGLLcbAiw4k2s5ygo

[ATLANTISMAN]

Being made to pay for visiting teams is ridiculous.

One SL club even suggested to myself recently that the Dragons should be kicked out and that France should have its own SL.

I am convinced that the only way forward  is for the NRL to step in and start NRL Europe even Phil Gould has suggested this.

P and R could stay with a vibrant chanpionship.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Since I first mentioned this Depeche story on another thread a few in-the-know people (well, more in-the-know than me), including a couple of reliable French forum regulars, have suggested that Depeche were not an especially worthwhile source on RL (the writer is a prolific tweeter but hasn't tweeted about RL once this year) so it's probably worth taking it with more than a pinch of salt.

Matt Shaw's article this evening seems to suggest too that there probably isn't really a crisis there
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/toulouse-olympique-financial-fears-addressed-27702638

[kiggy]

38 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Since I first mentioned this Depeche story on another thread a few in-the-know people (well, more in-the-know than me), including a couple of reliable French forum regulars, have suggested that Depeche were not an especially worthwhile source on RL (the writer is a prolific tweeter but hasn't tweeted about RL once this year) so it's probably worth taking it with more than a pinch of salt.

Matt Shaw's article this evening seems to suggest too that there probably isn't really a crisis there
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/toulouse-olympique-financial-fears-addressed-27702638

2 pinches of salt.... at least.

There will be announcement soon as to the future president. It's taken an infuriatingly amount of time to get things sorted, but sorted they are.

 

 

[Leyther_Matt]

1 hour ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Being made to pay for visiting teams is ridiculous.

One SL club even suggested to myself recently that the Dragons should be kicked out and that France should have its own SL.

I am convinced that the only way forward  is for the NRL to step in and start NRL Europe even Phil Gould has suggested this.

P and R could stay with a vibrant chanpionship.

I genuinely think that should be the eventual end goal as it ultimately means we have too many strong teams on each side of the Channel for just one division, and I seem to recall such a plan was outlined at Catalans’ initial inclusion. We could then have more of a RU-style European Cup approach and introduce a bit more novelty to the Anglo-French games. Sadly we’re probably a good few decades away from even dreaming that. 

[kiggy]

1 hour ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Being made to pay for visiting teams is ridiculous.

One SL club even suggested to myself recently that the Dragons should be kicked out and that France should have its own SL.

I am convinced that the only way forward  is for the NRL to step in and start NRL Europe even Phil Gould has suggested this.

P and R could stay with a vibrant chanpionship.

If France go the route of having their own professional league then they need a production company to pick up the TV rights. If they want to promote the game then national TV coverage is the minimum.

[ATLANTISMAN]

Just now, kiggy said:

If France go the route of having their own professional league then they need a production company to pick up the TV rights. If they want to promote the game then national TV coverage is the minimum.

It will never happen in a million years it is what it is and very enjoyable at that.

[kiggy]

3 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

It will never happen in a million years it is what it is and very enjoyable at that.

Plenty of niche sports above RL in France unfortunately 

[sam4731]

1 hour ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Being made to pay for visiting teams is ridiculous.

One SL club even suggested to myself recently that the Dragons should be kicked out and that France should have its own SL.

I am convinced that the only way forward  is for the NRL to step in and start NRL Europe even Phil Gould has suggested this.

P and R could stay with a vibrant chanpionship.

No, no, no, please no. One organisation cannot dominate and organise a whole sport. French rugby league needs to be governed by French rugby league, not a self interested organisation 10,000 miles away.

[Impartial Observer]

8 minutes ago, kiggy said:

Plenty of niche sports above RL in France unfortunately 

Union is one of them

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Since I first mentioned this Depeche story on another thread a few in-the-know people (well, more in-the-know than me), including a couple of reliable French forum regulars, have suggested that Depeche were not an especially worthwhile source on RL (the writer is a prolific tweeter but hasn't tweeted about RL once this year) so it's probably worth taking it with more than a pinch of salt.

Matt Shaw's article this evening seems to suggest too that there probably isn't really a crisis there
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/toulouse-olympique-financial-fears-addressed-27702638

Steve Brady is saying it’s just scurrilous gossip.

 

[kiggy]

13 minutes ago, Pen-Y-Bont Crusader said:

Steve Brady is saying it’s just scurrilous gossip.

 

He's not wrong.

[Damien]

1 hour ago, Pen-Y-Bont Crusader said:

Steve Brady is saying it’s just scurrilous gossip.

 

Without knowing the author of the article I know who it is straight aways by this description alone.

[bobbruce]

5 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Being made to pay for visiting teams is ridiculous.

One SL club even suggested to myself recently that the Dragons should be kicked out and that France should have its own SL.

I am convinced that the only way forward  is for the NRL to step in and start NRL Europe even Phil Gould has suggested this.

P and R could stay with a vibrant chanpionship.

Phil Gould the voice of reason.

[Harry Stottle]

11 hours ago, kiggy said:

If France go the route of having their own professional league then they need a production company to pick up the TV rights. If they want to promote the game then national TV coverage is the minimum.

Honest question Kiggy, is there the appetite from a sufficient number of viewers for a TV company to make it worthwhile to invest in and make a profit from?

[kiggy]

9 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Honest question Kiggy, is there the appetite from a sufficient number of viewers for a TV company to make it worthwhile to invest in and make a profit from?

At the moment, probably not. However, the biggies, like Canal+ or BeIN show a variety of sports of which some are not mainstream. So adding another one in the mix is a start. I find it odd that people are willing to sit for 5 hours to watch a cycle race. Or e.g. we have friends who are quite happy to watch a biathlon competition for a couple of hours. If you want to promote a sport you have to start somewhere. Look how successful wheelchair rugby has become!

[Harry Stottle]

22 minutes ago, kiggy said:

At the moment, probably not. However, the biggies, like Canal+ or BeIN show a variety of sports of which some are not mainstream. So adding another one in the mix is a start. I find it odd that people are willing to sit for 5 hours to watch a cycle race. Or e.g. we have friends who are quite happy to watch a biathlon competition for a couple of hours. If you want to promote a sport you have to start somewhere. Look how successful wheelchair rugby has 

Perhaps the FFR should let the TV companies broadcast it for a negligible fee, in the hope that it could become popular enough with armchair fans to make it worthwhile to pay for it. 

Without a TV contract the game in France will never go anywhere, just as in the UK, without it the game would be really struggling to survive in it's present format over here.

[ATLANTISMAN]

24 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Perhaps the FFR should let the TV companies broadcast it for a negligible fee, in the hope that it could become popular enough with armchair fans to make it worthwhile to pay for it. 

Without a TV contract the game in France will never go anywhere, just as in the UK, without it the game would be really struggling to survive in it's present format over here.

Been all though this many times Harry (History of the last 25 years below dates approx)

1997/98 Eurosport was fantastic NO MONEY but they paid for production costs (Eurosport was massive in France then)

1998/2003 (Approx) Pathe Sport NO money but again they paid for production costs meant that clubs received money though sponsorship perimeter advertising etc

2004/2005 Sport + NO money production costs paid for from outside :((((

2006 until today various channels for Dragons matches and FFR finals internationals etc NO money and mainly production costs paid for by Dragons and FFR 13

 

The game is far to small to ever have a major TV company paying a fee for it IMHO for what its worth best way forward is a streaming channel and go down the subscriptions route on a global basis to help fund it.

 

It is what it is and to be honest very enjoyable at that, FFR needs to support the main clubs get a couple of old ones back in the Elite 1 (My suggestions Carpentras and Salon) and then use the International team to spread the word.

 

P 

 

 

 

Edited September 13 by ATLANTISMAN

[Henson Park Old Firm]

1 hour ago, kiggy said:

At the moment, probably not. However, the biggies, like Canal+ or BeIN show a variety of sports of which some are not mainstream. So adding another one in the mix is a start. I find it odd that people are willing to sit for 5 hours to watch a cycle race. Or e.g. we have friends who are quite happy to watch a biathlon competition for a couple of hours. If you want to promote a sport you have to start somewhere. Look how successful wheelchair rugby has become!

Cycle racing is the equivalent of French Cricket

[gazza77]

A quick turnaround in the story here, bankruptcy to idle gossip in 16 hours.

 

 

 

[muckymunksy]

Kick them out

The M62 is where its at. 

[Griff]

10 hours ago, Henson Park Old Firm said:

Cycle racing is the equivalent of French Cricket

It's folk riding bikes.

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

On 12/09/2023 at 18:50, Eddie said:

Not sure how reliable La Depeche is as a source, but this is worrying though not at all surprising. If they do go up I hope they’re not expected to pay everyone else’s travel costs next year. 
 

https://www.totalrl.com/toulouse-olympique-reportedly-close-to-bankruptcy/?fbclid=IwAR01bQNesCeTirEGuRFVWwAB_RAKi7dOt4l_BryYfbMGLLcbAiw4k2s5ygo

 

It's all twaddle, based on translated second hand conjecture. Amazingly as this might seem to all of us I know, Toulouse aren't profitable and rely on outside financial injections. Shocking revelation, heads must roll.

Let's be honest, that's almost a qualification criteria for Super League...!! 

[The Daddy]

10 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Been all though this many times Harry (History of the last 25 years below dates approx)

1997/98 Eurosport was fantastic NO MONEY but they paid for production costs (Eurosport was massive in France then)

1998/2003 (Approx) Pathe Sport NO money but again they paid for production costs meant that clubs received money though sponsorship perimeter advertising etc

2004/2005 Sport + NO money production costs paid for from outside :((((

2006 until today various channels for Dragons matches and FFR finals internationals etc NO money and mainly production costs paid for by Dragons and FFR 13

 

The game is far to small to ever have a major TV company paying a fee for it IMHO for what its worth best way forward is a streaming channel and go down the subscriptions route on a global basis to help fund it.

 

It is what it is and to be honest very enjoyable at that, FFR needs to support the main clubs get a couple of old ones back in the Elite 1 (My suggestions Carpentras and Salon) and then use the International team to spread the word.

 

P 

 

 

 

I think the FFRXIII and the RL community in France need to accept for now that they are unlikely to get coverage on French TV without paying for it and there's nothing wrong with that. 

The WWE started out paying for Cable TV coverage and they are now one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world. They had to start somewhere, now French RL must start from somewhere. It's not all doom and gloom you just need to think outside the box. 

[yipyee]

On 12/09/2023 at 20:34, Leyther_Matt said:

I genuinely think that should be the eventual end goal as it ultimately means we have too many strong teams on each side of the Channel for just one division, and I seem to recall such a plan was outlined at Catalans’ initial inclusion. We could then have more of a RU-style European Cup approach and introduce a bit more novelty to the Anglo-French games. Sadly we’re probably a good few decades away from even dreaming that. 

I disagree and think there should be more european teams and less English in the super league, the championship can be for England, the superleague should be European.

How many top clubs can the heartlands realistically support in terms of support and player production?

Salford could be one but are not and leigh are a one season wonder.

That leaves Saints, Wigan,  Warrington this side of the pennines, Leeds, one Hull team and Huddersfield/ Bradford the other side.

Catalan, Toulouse and 2 targeted clubs in new areas, one being Manchester, the other Wakefield District.