French Pro League Crops Up Again

[Eddie]

4 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Best just give up altogether, then.

Nobody’s giving up, but a clickbait news article has (in true TRL style) got people putting pins in big cities on maps with zero reasoning behind it. If people on this forum wanted to help grow rugby league in France they’d get together and sponsor a club; which is more use than idly saying there should be a club in Marseille or that they’d overlook two of the biggest clubs in France who also produce many Elite 1 players because they’re from small towns. 

[gingerjon]

20 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Best just give up altogether, then.

You didn’t read the last paragraph 

[Tommygilf]

36 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

you could start to have a conversation about multi million dollar super investment.

It would take this to get to that.

[Tommygilf]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

Why would the NRL put a penny into the French game, let alone £10m a year. They’re not even interested in the World Cup or ashes series, and it would have zero benefit for them. 

Why do City Football Group own often random clubs all over the world?

[HawkMan]

On 25/09/2025 at 20:58, Tommygilf said:

Why do City Football Group own often random clubs all over the world?

Because its football not RL. City's clubs include New York City and there's big money in the MLS, it's actually 5th or 6th placed league for TV monies incoming.

Admittedly Melbourne City is a not for profit club for City, but they also own Montevideo City Torque in Uruguay an obvious hotbed of football.

But also City use these clubs to loan out players they've bought with an eye to the future,  that's the basis for the multi club ownership model.

None of this applies to The NRL looking to use the French RL set up for their own good.  The standard is too low to be of use for upcoming NRL talent and there's no money in it. It'll have to be a philanthropic venture which is unlikely to materialise.

 

Edited September 26 by HawkMan

[Briacbzh]

From a rational standpoint, what would be the point for the NRL to go head-to-head with the only other rugby competition that has the economic strength (the Top 14) to sink millions into a Super League that is currently very weak financially?

If anything, it would make far more sense to target the North American market, where MLR is struggling to take off and where there have already been genuine attendance successes in the past, such as in Toronto—or even to invest in countries where rugby union is in a weaker position compared to rugby league. There’s a clear opening in Greece, a clear opening in Serbia. But there isn’t space in France.

Go ask LOU and OL fans to support the “Lyon Broncos”—it makes no sense, and it ignores how fan culture works in France. Here, you support the club from your village, the place you live, your region—it’s a matter of identity. So much so that French people who support foreign clubs (a phenomenon mostly seen in football and basketball) are often mocked or insulted. Supporting a foreign club—or a club with no identity—is almost seen as a sin.

Trying to create eight RB Leipzigs/MK Dons in a country where the last attempt at that model was Matra Racing in football back in the 1980s (and it went bankrupt) is absolutely the wrong approach. They’re trying the same thing with American football, and nobody cares.

On top of that, having a foreign owner is not well regarded either, because it shows a disconnect from the local roots. One of the reasons football is currently losing popularity in France is precisely because of multi-ownership and the fact that most Ligue 1 clubs are owned by foreign funds or English clubs, with fully globalized squads. And this is exactly where rugby union is gaining ground: with locally based owners and an emphasis on homegrown players, thanks to strong quotas for French-trained talent in each team.

That’s the path rugby league can follow to grow: by doubling down on authenticity and essentially saying, “We really are the guys from here.” But for that to work, you have to avoid ending up with the Lyon Broncos against the Marseille Crawfish, in an empty stadium, with 18 Australians on the field

[The Daddy]

5 hours ago, Eddie said:

Ok bin off the second and third biggest French clubs and make up some new ones that will never happen then. 

They are in no way the second and third biggest French clubs and in a sport that's so small in France that's really irrelevant anyway.

The point is, what are they doing now at the level they are currently at that captures people's imagination both in and outside of their catchment areas? 

[The Daddy]

2 minutes ago, Briacbzh said:

From a rational standpoint, what would be the point for the NRL to go head-to-head with the only other rugby competition that has the economic strength (the Top 14) to sink millions into a Super League that is currently very weak financially?

If anything, it would make far more sense to target the North American market, where MLR is struggling to take off and where there have already been genuine attendance successes in the past, such as in Toronto—or even to invest in countries where rugby union is in a weaker position compared to rugby league. There’s a clear opening in Greece, a clear opening in Serbia. But there isn’t space in France.

Go ask LOU and OL fans to support the “Lyon Broncos”—it makes no sense, and it ignores how fan culture works in France. Here, you support the club from your village, the place you live, your region—it’s a matter of identity. So much so that French people who support foreign clubs (a phenomenon mostly seen in football and basketball) are often mocked or insulted. Supporting a foreign club—or a club with no identity—is almost seen as a sin.

Trying to create eight RB Leipzigs/MK Dons in a country where the last attempt at that model was Matra Racing in football back in the 1980s (and it went bankrupt) is absolutely the wrong approach. They’re trying the same thing with American football, and nobody cares.

On top of that, having a foreign owner is not well regarded either, because it shows a disconnect from the local roots. One of the reasons football is currently losing popularity in France is precisely because of multi-ownership and the fact that most Ligue 1 clubs are owned by foreign funds or English clubs, with fully globalized squads. And this is exactly where rugby union is gaining ground: with locally based owners and an emphasis on homegrown players, thanks to strong quotas for French-trained talent in each team.

That’s the path rugby league can follow to grow: by doubling down on authenticity and essentially saying, “We really are the guys from here.” But for that to work, you have to avoid ending up with the Lyon Broncos against the Marseille Crawfish, in an empty stadium, with 18 Australians on the field

You're right, let's just give up and do nothing 

[Briacbzh]

35 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

You're right, let's just give up and do nothing 

Sorry, I admit it must have been quite difficult to read the last paragraph. It's better to fantasize about the Camels of Strasbourg and the Mermaids of Lille rather than take an interest in the clubs that already exist.

[The Daddy]

24 minutes ago, Briacbzh said:

Sorry, I admit it must have been quite difficult to read the last paragraph. It's better to fantasize about the Camels of Strasbourg and the Mermaids of Lille rather than take an interest in the clubs that already exist.

It is and that's why a pro club is essential. 

If you think the future of French RL is watching a live game on Facebook via someone's cheap mobile phone then you have no idea. 

[fcl]

20 hours ago, The Daddy said:

Limoux and Lezignan have no catchment area, no audience and if they are so historic what exactly are they doing now to promote their 'historic' clubs? 

When I checked their 'websites' I wasn't impressed at all. 

This is a big problem in RL especially France, people want clubs to be a big part of the sport's future just on their names alone but not on the added value they bring. 

History & identity

Lézignan XIII was founded in 1903 and even reached the French Championship final (today’s Top 14) in 1919.

Limoux XIII has also been part of the rugby league fabric for decades.
These are not museum pieces — they are institutions.

Modern palmarès
Since the mid-2000s, the two clubs have dominated French Elite 1 :

Lézignan: four titles in five years (2007–2011), again champions in 2018 and 2021, plus several Cups.

Limoux: champions in 2016 and 2022, plus multiple Lord Derby Cups.
So their “historic” tag is not nostalgia — they are still winning now.

Catchment areas (real numbers)

Limoux: 27,000 people in its communauté de communes.

Lézignan: 33,000 people in its communauté de communes.

Just 15 minutes away lies Narbonne (133,000 in its agglomeration), an additional potential pool of players and fans.
Their influence zones are far greater than their town sizes, bigger in proportion than many English clubs (Featherstone, Castleford, Batley).

Players produced
They have produced key internationals. Both clubs consistently feed the Dragons Catalans and the French national team — few English Championship clubs can claim the same.

Economic & structural model
Unlike English clubs tied to a single owner, the French model relies on local authorities and a strong network of small businesses. Lézignan has grown economically in recent decades, sustaining budgets comparable to mid-table Championship clubs. This makes them more resilient long-term.

Community & structures
What Paris, Lyon or Marseille lack, towns like Limoux and Lézignan have in abundance:

clubs rooted in their community, volunteers, local facilities, and an identity people live daily.
That’s why they remain solid bases for rugby league, even with a smaller population.

The fusion question
The experiment Aude Cathare XIII already showed the limits. Fusions are impossible without collectivités’ approval. Departments have no money; the future lies in communautés d’agglomération, not in unrealistic mergers.

In short: Limoux and Lézignan are not only “historic names.” They are winners in the modern era, supply internationals, have strong catchments and infrastructures, and operate within a system that makes them more stable than many English clubs. They bring real added value to rugby league.

The day a local baron like Beaumont has less money, loses interest, or even passes away – what happens to the club? Too many sides are built entirely on one man’s wallet. If he goes, the whole structure risks collapsing overnight. In France, clubs like Lézignan or Limoux don’t rely on a single benefactor but on local councils, communities and a network of businesses, which makes them far more resilient in the long run.

[The Daddy]

2 hours ago, fcl said:

History & identity

Lézignan XIII was founded in 1903 and even reached the French Championship final (today’s Top 14) in 1919.

Limoux XIII has also been part of the rugby league fabric for decades.
These are not museum pieces — they are institutions.

Modern palmarès
Since the mid-2000s, the two clubs have dominated French Elite 1 :

Lézignan: four titles in five years (2007–2011), again champions in 2018 and 2021, plus several Cups.

Limoux: champions in 2016 and 2022, plus multiple Lord Derby Cups.
So their “historic” tag is not nostalgia — they are still winning now.

Catchment areas (real numbers)

Limoux: 27,000 people in its communauté de communes.

Lézignan: 33,000 people in its communauté de communes.

Just 15 minutes away lies Narbonne (133,000 in its agglomeration), an additional potential pool of players and fans.
Their influence zones are far greater than their town sizes, bigger in proportion than many English clubs (Featherstone, Castleford, Batley).

Players produced
They have produced key internationals. Both clubs consistently feed the Dragons Catalans and the French national team — few English Championship clubs can claim the same.

Economic & structural model
Unlike English clubs tied to a single owner, the French model relies on local authorities and a strong network of small businesses. Lézignan has grown economically in recent decades, sustaining budgets comparable to mid-table Championship clubs. This makes them more resilient long-term.

Community & structures
What Paris, Lyon or Marseille lack, towns like Limoux and Lézignan have in abundance:

clubs rooted in their community, volunteers, local facilities, and an identity people live daily.
That’s why they remain solid bases for rugby league, even with a smaller population.

The fusion question
The experiment Aude Cathare XIII already showed the limits. Fusions are impossible without collectivités’ approval. Departments have no money; the future lies in communautés d’agglomération, not in unrealistic mergers.

In short: Limoux and Lézignan are not only “historic names.” They are winners in the modern era, supply internationals, have strong catchments and infrastructures, and operate within a system that makes them more stable than many English clubs. They bring real added value to rugby league.

The day a local baron like Beaumont has less money, loses interest, or even passes away – what happens to the club? Too many sides are built entirely on one man’s wallet. If he goes, the whole structure risks collapsing overnight. In France, clubs like Lézignan or Limoux don’t rely on a single benefactor but on local councils, communities and a network of businesses, which makes them far more resilient in the long run.

So Limoux sit in catchment areas of 27,000 and Lezignan 33,000 and you think that's gonna be enough to take RL forward in France? 

The only thing we can go on is their current impact, if we're going on this it's not good. Both clubs give the impression of being unambitious and just wanting to plod along like a Sunday league team, poor websites and no highlights packages of their games. 

The question then would be is, would these two clubs even want to be in a pro league, based on how they're currently operating?

[barnyia]

You're a bit harsh, the two teams show tjeir games live, show highlights and are pretty good with social media, they're up there with carcassonne and albi in this department 

[The Daddy]

Start out with an 8 team league. A mixture of the some of the current clubs that sit in high population/regional centres and big cities. Some of those big cities either have current clubs or historic clubs that would need to be resurrected. 

I would go with the following 8 clubs to start with and then build out from there. Best case scenario is that Toulouse and Catalan join in time to make it a 10 team comp

Albi Tigers 

Aquitaine Leopards 

Sporting Olympique Avignon 

AS Carcassonne 

Paris Chatillon 

Marseille Avenir

Lyon Villerbaune Rhone 

Montpellier Diables Rouges

Edited September 26 by The Daddy

[Click]

17 minutes ago, barnyia said:

You're a bit harsh, the two teams show tjeir games live, show highlights and are pretty good with social media, they're up there with carcassonne and albi in this department 

Yeah, but you're forgetting that if you make up a mythical professional league it's easy to say that the current non-professional clubs aren't good enough for it.

[Briacbzh]

Marseille Avenir vs Aquitaine Léopards...mais bordel, it's time to stop the copium

 

[The Daddy]

19 minutes ago, Click said:

Yeah, but you're forgetting that if you make up a mythical professional league it's easy to say that the current non-professional clubs aren't good enough for it.

You mean the mythical pro league that the Federation are actively trying to organise and speaking to stakeholders about getting funding for?

[barnyia]

Mr balouop has had a dream, the players will need to be paid very well, as some player i coached are insurance guys, accountants,  so earning easily 2500/3000 a month with work and 1200 minimum for the part time rugby, 

I can't see these players in their mid 20s playing for 1500 a month full time and losing their jobs, 

[fcl]

4 hours ago, The Daddy said:

Start out with an 8 team league. A mixture of the some of the current clubs that sit in high population/regional centres and big cities. Some of those big cities either have current clubs or historic clubs that would need to be resurrected. 

I would go with the following 8 clubs to start with and then build out from there. Best case scenario is that Toulouse and Catalan join in time to make it a 10 team comp

Albi Tigers 

Aquitaine Leopards 

Sporting Olympique Avignon 

AS Carcassonne 

Paris Chatillon 

Marseille Avenir

Lyon Villerbaune Rhone 

Montpellier Diables Rouges

Paris Chatillon, Marseille Avenir, Lyon Villerbaune Rhone, Montpellier Diables Rouges

You really have to know nothing about French rugby league to talk about these clubs as the future of the game.

These big cities simply don’t have the structures, the volunteers, or the support from local institutions needed to realistically build anything.

If you want to talk about real development opportunities: Pamiers (Ariège) and Salon (Bouches-du-Rhône) are the two clubs with the most potential. They are two solid towns without major sporting competition, and they already have existing structures.

For years we’ve been hearing about utopian projects: one moment it’s regional franchises, the next it’s teams linked to professional football clubs, then it’s a World Cup hosted in medium-sized towns where nothing exists… Every time, French rugby league fans get their hopes up, and every time, nothing actually happens.

The truth is, a small sport like ours has to work painstakingly to expand its base — winning new players and licenses village by village, year after year, investing in schools, and so on.

We live in the myth of the magic wand — the idea of some outside investor suddenly coming to save us.

[The Daddy]

3 hours ago, fcl said:

Paris Chatillon, Marseille Avenir, Lyon Villerbaune Rhone, Montpellier Diables Rouges

You really have to know nothing about French rugby league to talk about these clubs as the future of the game.

These big cities simply don’t have the structures, the volunteers, or the support from local institutions needed to realistically build anything.

If you want to talk about real development opportunities: Pamiers (Ariège) and Salon (Bouches-du-Rhône) are the two clubs with the most potential. They are two solid towns without major sporting competition, and they already have existing structures.

For years we’ve been hearing about utopian projects: one moment it’s regional franchises, the next it’s teams linked to professional football clubs, then it’s a World Cup hosted in medium-sized towns where nothing exists… Every time, French rugby league fans get their hopes up, and every time, nothing actually happens.

The truth is, a small sport like ours has to work painstakingly to expand its base — winning new players and licenses village by village, year after year, investing in schools, and so on.

We live in the myth of the magic wand — the idea of some outside investor suddenly coming to save us.

Well talk to the Federation then because Dominique Baloup has clearly stated from the words of his own mouth that he wants a mix of current clubs with France’s big cities, that's not fiction, myth or magic. This is exactly what he is petioning for and the list I created is based on these aims and intentions. 

No investor is going to come into the sport to invest in villages with tiny catchment areas, what you're suggesting is more fairytale than what I listed. 

Edited September 26 by The Daddy

[Eddie]

23 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Why do City Football Group own often random clubs all over the world?

Because they think they’ll make money from it, and they benefit from loaning players between the clubs etc. 

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, The Daddy said:

Well talk to the Federation then because Dominique Baloup has cleared stated from the words of his own mouth that he wants a mix of current clubs with France’s big cities, that's not fiction, myth or magic.

They were also running a men's, women's, youth and wheelchair World Cup this year.

[Eddie]

21 hours ago, The Daddy said:

They are in no way the second and third biggest French clubs and in a sport that's so small in France that's really irrelevant anyway.

The point is, what are they doing now at the level they are currently at that captures people's imagination both in and outside of their catchment areas? 

Who’s bigger than them other than Carcassonne? And don’t say Albi because they aren’t. 

[Eddie]

This thread is telling, the people who live in France and know their French rugby league being derided for their knowledge by people who know nothing about it. 
 

How about St Etienne though, a working class mining area where they like their sport and there’s no pro union club to compete with. You could have St Etienne Verts playing in the Geoffrey Guichard, the fixtures against Marseille and Lyon would sell out no bother. 

[Henson Park Old Firm]

Every year this topic comes up.. so most likely it won't happen. Interestingly for the first time the NRL has been named and maybe involved. 

I guess we will wait and see (put don't hold your breath)