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Posted

Apologies for trying to steer this thread back on topic.  

An interesting bit of reading for those who are unaware, is to do with Italian club Saluzzo Roosters.  Located just outside Turin, they spent a few seasons playing in an amateur division south-east France.  I followed them closely and I remember they started off as the whipping boys, but in the second season started getting a few wins.  As I remember, they fulfilled all their fixtures, which that alone is a huge success in my opinion.  They were averaging 5-6 hours (one-way) for their away games, which is just phenomenal for an amateur team.  Eventually the inevitable occurred and they withdrew after (I think) their second season and returned to playing local RU in Italy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saluzzo_Roosters

I think if we ever got an equally determined (and well-financed) team near a major hub like Milan, then they could have a fighting chance at, say Elite 2 level.  Milan-Toulouse have regular direct flights, unlike Turin.  Also Italy is a place where they would not need to rely on foreign players to prop them up.

Not likely to happen any time soon, but Italy is probably in the best position to join an established competition, more so than any other mainland Euro nation.  But they do need to get a local competition started before anything like this is even considered.


Posted
2 minutes ago, langpark said:

Apologies for trying to steer this thread back on topic.  

An interesting bit of reading for those who are unaware, is to do with Italian club Saluzzo Roosters.  Located just outside Turin, they spent a few seasons playing in an amateur division south-east France.  I followed them closely and I remember they started off as the whipping boys, but in the second season started getting a few wins.  As I remember, they fulfilled all their fixtures, which that alone is a huge success in my opinion.  They were averaging 5-6 hours (one-way) for their away games, which is just phenomenal for an amateur team.  Eventually the inevitable occurred and they withdrew after (I think) their second season and returned to playing local RU in Italy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saluzzo_Roosters

I think if we ever got an equally determined (and well-financed) team near a major hub like Milan, then they could have a fighting chance at, say Elite 2 level.  Milan-Toulouse have regular direct flights, unlike Turin.  Also Italy is a place where they would not need to rely on foreign players to prop them up.

Not likely to happen any time soon, but Italy is probably in the best position to join an established competition, more so than any other mainland Euro nation.  But they do need to get a local competition started before anything like this is even considered.

This is a useful corrective to the flights of fancy we can all fall prey to.

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett)

Posted
6 hours ago, JM2010 said:

To answer the original question. I don’t think there is a plan

That seems to be the RL way. Virtually all of RL's income is generated by and spent within two pro comps. So little is left to plan and then execute expansion strategies for Europe. 

My blog: https://rugbyl.blogspot.co.nz/

It takes wisdom to know when a discussion has run its course.

It takes reasonableness to end that discussion. 

 

Posted
3 hours ago, RayCee said:

That seems to be the RL way. Virtually all of RL's income is generated by and spent within two pro comps. So little is left to plan and then execute expansion strategies for Europe. 

I wouldn't deem it the 'RL way', but rather the reality of the situation. Most of the money generated in England and Australia rightly goes to the players and the people involved in organising and producing the matches. 

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