Catalans

[Blind side johnny]

Catalans Dragons face huge financial challenge in 2025 with French club having to pay all Super League clubs’ and RFL officials’ expenses in eye-watering figure – Total Rugby League (totalrl.com)

[nadera78]

6 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Catalans Dragons face huge financial challenge in 2025 with French club having to pay all Super League clubs’ and RFL officials’ expenses in eye-watering figure – Total Rugby League (totalrl.com)

They're paying for the match officials as well? Wow.

[Just Browny]

I think they should pay away fans' expenses too.

[EastLondonMike]

I cant get my head around this. 

Do other SL clubs pay for the opposition to travel to them? Genuinely. I assume they don't.

Edited Tuesday at 11:26 by EastLondonMike

[roughyed8]

In that case every SL club should pay Catalans travel when they come to the UK!

[Dovster]

I have to presume that SL, RFL, IMG or whoever really would like Catalans to fail.

[Worzel]

They’ll be charging the Hull clubs a surcharge next because it’s further away and so costs more in petrol.

We are a tinpot, embarrassing sport that doesn’t deserve professional organisations like Catalans. The RFL is basically blackmailing the regional government in France to subsidise small town clubs in England. Genuinely makes me ashamed. 

[Damien]

I do think there is an element of punishing success here. If Catalans hadn't grown by every metric and hadn't posted financial like they do then I doubt this change would be happening.

[Damien]

Of course there is an argument to that if they are now in a position to contribute more they should. I don't agree with that, I think it's small time, and think there are better ways to be doing this is its truly needed. Again it just feels like punishing growth and success to me.

[GeordieSaint]

This is pretty offensive IMO. Catalan have grown but the majority of clubs haven’t, so “lets fleece them to save a few quid and spend it on overseas players.”

[StandOffHalf]

Would they be booted out if they just said ''Nah''?

[jacksy]

It's pathetic and embarrassing.

[The Future is League]

1 hour ago, Dovster said:

I have to presume that SL, RFL, IMG or whoever really would like Catalans to fail.

The RFL only want Rugby League played along the M62 corridor without any plans to expand.

[The Future is League]

2 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

Catalans Dragons face huge financial challenge in 2025 with French club having to pay all Super League clubs’ and RFL officials’ expenses in eye-watering figure – Total Rugby League (totalrl.com)

As every year passes the game goes backwards in this country.

South Wales have gone. The London Skolors have gone back to being a community club and the London Broncos will probably fold, and what is the RFL's answer this? Put in another team along the M62 corridor

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, Worzel said:

The RFL is basically blackmailing the regional government in France to subsidise small town clubs in England. Genuinely makes me ashamed. 

Who have you got in mind Worzel?

Edited Tuesday at 13:52 by Harry Stottle

[Agbrigg]

The solution to this is quite simple. Any SL club that can't afford the cost of Catalan travel should step down to the championship. 

[Eddie]

If I was Catalans I’d be seriously considering walking away, bang goes professional rugby league in France and another nail in the coffin of the parochial English game. 

[The Future is League]

1 minute ago, Eddie said:

If I was Catalans I’d be seriously considering walking away, bang goes professional rugby league in France and another nail in the coffin of the parochial English game. 

I'm not sure how much a home game in Super League is worth to clubs in money terms, but if the Catalans were to drop out, who would replace them and would they have the money to survive.

[Eddie]

4 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

I'm not sure how much a home game in Super League is worth to clubs in money terms, but if the Catalans were to drop out, who would replace them and would they have the money to survive.

If whoever it was is based more than 5 miles from a junction of the M62 they’d be expected to pay for travel and officials.

[Eddie]

6 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

I'm not sure how much a home game in Super League is worth to clubs in money terms, but if the Catalans were to drop out, who would replace them and would they have the money to survive.

There could be more loop fixtures  

[PECETTO]

3 hours ago, nadera78 said:

They're paying for the match officials as well? Wow.

Toulouse  also pays for all for many years. 250K / year 

[Harry Stottle]

Quote:-

When the decision was announced, Catalans’ owner Bernard Guasch responded by admitting the club “had to put something in the pot” because of a failure to realise any funds from television rights in France.

He added, “I understand this situation. We have to find a solution because it will handicap us financially, as it handicapped Toulouse during their year in the Super League.”

First question why should it cost more to pay for SL clubs to go there to France than to pay for Championship clubs to go, Toulouse have been paying the travel costs for a good number of years now.

Secondly, no one has mentioned that it could be more than just one trip for any unlucky SL club(s), with the normal home /away fixture, loop fixture, and it could also be plus a Challenge Cup tie and Play Off Fixture and that could be compounded if Toulouse make SL.

Thirdly, how much does everyone think like I do that this is pressure being put on Rohdri Lloydd and his team by SL clubs for the lack of obtaining a better TV contract, the clubs are now substantially down (800k per season) on what they were recieving just 3 years ago, this present contract finishes at the end of 2026 do they have any confidence that RL Com will when around the negotiating table with Sky get it increased then? Just a thought.

 

Edited Tuesday at 15:09 by Harry Stottle

[WN83]

Feels a bit like a punishment because UK Superleague fans are going to Perpignan for away games at the expense of going to other away games in this country. I look at my own club and we'll take 300-500 to Hull FC, yet 3 or 4 times that number will make the trip over to France/Spain.

They should ask the local council and bar owners in Lloret De Mar to stump up some cash instead! Catalans must be worth tens of thousands of pounds to the Queen Vic alone.

Edited Tuesday at 15:12 by WN83

[Dave T]

47 minutes ago, Eddie said:

If I was Catalans I’d be seriously considering walking away, bang goes professional rugby league in France and another nail in the coffin of the parochial English game. 

That's just a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

A place in SL is worth c£10m a year to Catalans. Not the other way round.

[Eddie]

3 minutes ago, Dave T said:

That's just a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

A place in SL is worth c£10m a year to Catalans. Not the other way round.

I understand your point, but they have unreasonable barrier after barrier put in front of them by the other clubs. This is meant to be the European Super League, yet the one club not from a thin strip of the north of England have to pay everyone else’s travel and now officials costs to get there. It’s not becoming of a professional sport. 

Edited Tuesday at 15:31 by Eddie