any reason we need two "dally picks a town to expand into" threads?

so wrexham were never in the championship, and are now in SL.

indeed good crowds and good results on the field.

les cats were never in the championship either.

OK.

sorry the places ive mentioned are both cities.

one of them the most famous city in the world.

hardly towns.

think bigger.

No they weren't. And no they're not. However, Crusaders, the team that play in SL at Wrexham, were in the championship and appeared in the Grand Final. It's really not difficult.

Google doesn't even know who he is.Go on,put us out of our misery.For those who don't live and breathe RL 24/7 and have other things going on in life,who is Tas Bateri?

Try googling for Tas Baiteri instead. A man who has done a great deal to spread RL internationally.

There's been no further news in France on Stade Francais XIII since the original story months ago at the time they put in plans for the stadium upgrade. No reported progress on them entering a team in next year's LER championship, or anything.

Are Toulouse definitley entering a team into LER next season?

I agree.
Which is why my idea on page two re: the expansion clubs is the best idea. period.

In my opinion, having two clubs in the south of France in SL would be detrimental to the French game. The French Elite League would suffer further. Nobody in their right mind would want to fork out £300 or so twice per season to take in a Catalans game as well as Toulouse. Supporters are simply going to alternate their homage or choose their preferred destination and just visit there once per year. However, Paris has a totally different appeal. It can be accessed via road, rail and air without any real slog of a journey, while fares can be cheap. A bit like MM or Quins away, people would be encouraged to part with their money to watch their club in the capital due to the other attractions there. Of course, away support shouldn't be a criterion for any further French inclusions in SL, but it has to be acknowledged if we're to be realistic. If there is the potential for Stade to attract 5,000 locals to watch a rugby league franchise every week, then I think it would be a brilliant move for the game.

However, from what I've heard and understand, Stade's money men were not all too serious about forming a RL franchise and it was just one person's idea which was not pursued.

No they didn’t, that was the Celtic Crusaders. That’ll be a club playing out of bridgend, which no longer exists.

The Crusaders have merely taken over the Celtic Crusaders licence and have different owners, play in a different town 150 miles away from Bridgend, have a different team, a different coach and any link with the previous club is now tenuous, to say the least. I would guess that even the majority of their fans would be local to Wrexham, with Bridgend fans now being very much in the minority.




Perhaps, if no mind was paid to the salary cap, Stade Français could recruit a backline made up of top French RU players (they have the money), bring in some Aussie halfbacks, and fill the forwards with a mixture of Aussies, French and perhaps some British players.

If they were also willing to fund a feeder club/clubs and make a massive effort to bring through their own youngsters and fund themselves without TV money for the period of their first licecmce, with financial guarantees put in place, then they would be a goer I reckon.

That’s a massive ask though

I would love Widnes to stay down here for another three years. That would be great.

Sure...they would come flocking to see the teams from places such as...err...Castleford, Salford, Wrexham, Warrington etc..

I’m not saying that I would put Stade Français in, Rich. But it’s not hard to imagine the RFL going for that.

Perhaps both would be elevated to SL, Perhaps Stade Français could be given a 3 year advance notice for 2015, or maybe SL could be expanded to 15 clubs?

Whatever happens happens. It may well happen without any further participation from me though.

Why's that then?