I've done a lot of research into this, and have a degree in French, so here's my twopennorth on this.

The Nazis never made a specific request for RL to be banned. Professional sport was banned by the Vichy regime- but this meant sport in its pro form, not all sports which had pro setups. Association football was not banned, but its professionalism was suppressed.

Two people are behind the banning of RL. The first is Jean Ybanegaray, who was a minister in Petain's government. He was from French RL's heartlands but was a devotee of pelota, which he believed was the best sport going. He was the one who organised the ban.

But the inspiration is the second figure, the writer Robert Brasillach. He was RU-obsessed and hated RL with a passion. He used his connections with the regime (he ran its unoffical paper, 'Je suis partout') to have RL suppressed as a 'threat to the morals of French youth'.

My point therefore is this: the French RU authorities have suggested for years that the Nazis were behind the ban. But in reality, influential RU figures provoked it all, and happily confiscated money and assets from RL setups and never paid it back.

Vichy was full of opportunists who used the Nazis as a smokescreen for their own activities and conveniently buried these activities under the war crimes of the Nazis after the war. And the French RU establishment was no better.

French RL was in fact banned on 15th October 1940 by the Vichy regime, at a time when RL's heartlands were not under German occupation. Vichy and its RU friends acted alone.

Back on topic....
Yes.....RL was generally rolled over by RU in vichy France....but the OP's point was that there are still Nazi's around who are suppressing Leagues growth at the moment.......






Given that these Nazis would be about 80yrs old + and if they were alive still.....they would be German or Italian and have little or know interest in any sport. Furthermore......most of the Vichy collaberators were "dealt with" at the end of the occupation of France.
Remnant Nazis......PMSL.....really Damo-Leeds....you are a card

I did enjoy the numerous facists salutes that were made in the general direction of the RFU offices at Twickenham, when the cup final was held there a couple of years ago.

Quote gutterfax="gutterfax" Remnant Nazis......PMSL.....really Damo-Leeds....you are a card '" Just before this thread is re-directed to the sin bin, it should be made clear that there are no remnant Nazis in France: news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politi ... 0774?f=rss

Quote gutterfax="gutterfax" Remnant Nazis......PMSL.....really Damo-Leeds....you are a card '" Just before this thread is re-directed to the sin bin, it should be made clear that there are no remnant Nazis in France: news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politi ... 0774?f=rss

I think that Urmston Wire gives the best argument on why Remnant Nazi’s wouldn’t be interested in suppressing rugby league as The Nazis never made a specific request for RL to be banned.

But I still can’t take his word for it as history can so easily be manipulated to suit the agendas of the ruling class or shall I say Remnant Nazi’s.

However I respect Urmston Wire’s opinions as he seemed to of researched this era a lot at some point in his life and he clearly demonstrates this in his post. Something that can’t be said about me whose put a very random one and two together that I though would create a good debate.

All I’m doing is asking questions.



The Nazi’s would have children and grandchildren by now to help them. However I’m with Urmston Wire theory at the moment that Vichy & Co used the Nazi War crimes as a smoke screen for their own activities. However I’m also open to the fact that rugby league has been suppressed by something other than bad management. If these suspicions are wrong then their wrong.

Finally - for those who are requesting that this is redirected to the sinbin you’re wrong as this is a rugby league topic. I’m trying to learn what happened during that time in France in regards to rugby league and pondering what’s happening now and over history.

No you're an idiot

I had to pick up my FREE tickets to that game from their offices

.......sorry damo-leeds...there were no pictures of Hitler in reception

hang on Damo-Leeds....you may be on to something. The guy I picked the tickets up from looked like either of these guys.....
Herr Flick
Clive Woodward

Like UW, this is an area I have some knowledge in.

To be honest, the truth of the matter lies not too far away from the OP.

Not by remnant Nazis. But by people whose modern ideas don't differ at all with those resident in Vichy.

there was a fair competition between union and RL in france

in the space of 6 years RL took on the established code and had effectively beaten it

most of the leading french union were going broke, the RL game showed growth everywhere from revenues, clubs, juniors and media

because RU couldnt compete on the field with RL in a fair contest they ran to the vichy (nazi puppet) government for help

RL was banned. assets of RL clubs were stolen and given to RU clubs.

the worst thing was france was undergoing the deprivations of occupations.

rather than worry about the fate of their nation some RU people thought this was a good opportunity to eliminate RL.

nope

the FFR and french government should make reparations which in todays currency would be tens of millions