SYLVAIN HOULES has claimed that if Toulouse Olympique had not won the 2025 Championship Grand Final, they would not have been admitted to Super League for 2026.
The French club surprisingly beat York Knights on the latter’s own patch in the final game of the season in 2025, but the majority of the focus had been off the field, waiting to see which Championship sides would be given the nod to make the jump to the top flight.
Bradford Bulls had replaced Salford Red Devils in the top 12, whilst the remaining two clubs were chosen by an independent panel chaired by Lord Johnathan Caine.
With three contenders – London Broncos, Toulouse and York – vying for two spots, it was anyone’s guess who would be chosen.
And Houles believes that Toulouse would have been cut off had they not been successful in York.
“If if we had not won the Grand Final then we wouldn’t be here, we would have been in the Championship,” Houles told League Express.
“I wasn’t confident we would get in, it was just a feeling more than anything.
“There were other teams that were pushing; we had Bradford, London and York who were all rising.
“I don’t think they value us, the Super League. That was my feeling.
“Sometimes I feel that hostility. We do feel a little bit uninvited, we are a club outside of it when you see everything around the TV rights, money etc.
“Compare that to the NRL when a team from PNG or Perth comes in, they get many millions but we have to pay for everything.”
Has there been any success on a French TV deal?
“There has been movement but I don’t know if I can say.
“I think it will be positive news which will be a good thing.”