RUGBY LEAGUE in France has a new leader following the appointment of Dominique Baloup as President of the French Federation XIII.
The 65-year-old former Toulouse Olympique and French international has taken the reins following the resignation of former President Luc Lacoste through ill health.
Lacoste resigned as President in June after the collapse of plans for a Rugby League World Cup in France in 2025.
Previously, Baloup was General Secretary of the FFRXIII, but he was voted in as leader with an 86% margin by Federation members at a Steering Committee at Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan, on Saturday.
In an interview with regional newspaper L’Indépendant, Baloup said, “I have worked closely with Luc Lacoste for some time now and I am keen to continue much of the hard work he has put in.
“We need to professionalise the domestic Championship (Elite 1) within three to four years and we have laid the foundations for this.
“We must put the Federation back into a collective dynamism because salvation will only come from the collective interest.
“There are huge issues between sponsors and the media coverage of our sport. We have much work to do.
“On the international front, we have a dense schedule ahead of us with four meetings for the France team.
“We are going to Serbia (September 24), then we will play Scotland at the end of October. We want to face the Koalas (the best Australians in France) at the end of December in Lyon and another match is being set up.
“We will host England next June, probably at Stade Brutus, and we hope to face Samoa in the autumn of 2024 during their tour of England.
“We have scheduled 27 sporting events, between international matches and all finals.”
Baloup revealed a pioneering new venue for the French Cup competition and plans to celebrate a significant milestone for the game in France, adding: “On April 6 in Marseille, the semi-finals of the Coupe de France will take place.
“We will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the birth of Rugby League (April 6, 1934) throughout the year.
“We have so much to look forward to and TV broadcasters are showing great interest.
“Rugby League is a sport of the future. I strongly believe in it and we must not miss this new train that is passing by.”
