The head of the French Federaton of rugby league, Carlos Zalduendo, is overseeing negotiations with Al Jazeera TV's Bein Sport, to televise Super League games of Catalans and Toulouse if Toulouse is admitted to Super League in 2015. Apparently the RFL is following this closely and will be more inclined to admit Toulouse if a TV deal is agreed on.

Obviously, from the French public's, and commercial sponsors' points of view, Toulouse is much more important than Catalans, and having the two of them in SL will increase the value of any contract (Bein Sport currently shows Catalans home games in France). But having more French clubs in Super League will make a TV contract more valuable.

The questions that are raised by this prospects are: (1) how many French clubs can raise enough money, players and fans to perform successfully in Super League? (2) how many French clubs will the RFL want in Super League?

Any increase in French clubs entering Super League will have to be phased in over time. But leaving that aside how many French clubs would you like to see eventually permanently competing in Super League?

Personally I would like to see six, with one phased in every three years, starting with Toulouse in 2015 and Avignon in 2018. I believe that each new French SL club will excite interest among youth in its region, and attract as junior players many youths who otherwise might have chosen to play rugby union. It will also attract spectators and sponsors, who will want to see the visiting English clubs, as well as their rival French clubs, playing their own club.

This can only be for the good of the game's development in France and thus for the good of the international competitions.

Sounds reasonable enough to me

Toulouse-only if they can prove they're financial worth, which from what you're saying they will do.

Then, if Toulouse works i'd consider Avignon in maybe 2018.

What the OP has suggested is perfectly reasonable for any progressive forward thinking sporting competition , whether it will actually happen is a different matter though. As a sport in this country we
seem to be very timid when it comes to pushing our profile.

None

Be fair the addition of another French team will allow at least another two possibly three Frenchmen to sit on the bench whilst the imports do all the work. Should work wonders for the International game

Sky would not countenance that many French teams in SL seeing as they can't broadcast there. They weren't too happy at Catalans joining so I'd be amazed if they allowed it to happen.

I'd *like* to see 14 elite clubs playing elite Rugby, with enough funds distributed to a level below in order that at least one up/one down P&R happens each year. They can come from North Korea for all I care.

Please note, that's what I'd *like* to see - it doesn't mean I think it's remotely possible or makes sense as something to introduce in the near future.

1 and 1 from Italy 1 from Spain 1 from Germany and that will do I think

Who would London play at easter in their derby though if Toulouse got into SL?!

That is the point of getting a French TV contract so that the part of the individual clubs' funding that comes from the TV contract comes from French TV, not Sky. The more French clubs, the bigger the French TV contract should be.

By the way there will be some overlap of TV coverage. Some Catalans games in England are covered by Sky, such as we recently saw at Warrington. One would expect that to continue with more French clubs in SL. And Sky does a couple of games a year from France (next Monday's Leeds vs Catalans will be the first this year), which will also be covered by the French TV channel Bein Sport. So I suspect that the RFL is looking for some kind of division of financial contributions to French clubs from Sky and French TV in the future.

Sheffield, I hope. They need to be admitted to SL at the same time as Toulouse.

Somehow, I don't think the RFL will be letting that question influence its decision on Toulouse.

The Dragons experiment is showing expansion can work if there is a bit or interest in the game to start with.

Toulouse had a bit of a dodgy time in the Championship last time around so maybe there is more benefit in letting Avignon in that competition rather than chucking TO13 in at super league level.

How have you come to the conclusion that that would be a good idea?! Toulouse flopped in the Championship because their salary cap was less than that of the other French clubs, so they couldn't attract/keep the best players. French players had a choice if travelling to England every other week for less money in a harder competition, or play local for more money in an easier competition... all whilst remaining part time.

TOXIII in the Championship, in hindsight, was a terrible idea and should never be repeated.
The good thing to come out of it is that it's been tried, tested, and will never be suggested again from the likes of people who said it would be viable to relegate French clubs or promote them within the English system. This shows it wouldn't!