If the french tv and toulouse do come aboard, i would like to see some of that extra money put towards the re-formation of the alliance league or u23s and clubs cant use that money for signing players but can only be invested in the junior and youth set ups, then we can do away with the dual registration fiasco

Where were all these 'toulouse fans' when they wre in the championship then? I visited twice with Fax and the attendance was 1000 maximum.

I do however think it would be good for rugby league if another French team were successful and well followed.

Don't kid yourselves about this 1 off crowd though!

And too add to that it wasn't even Toulouse that were playing.

Probably not interested in watching a bunch of small-time village teams, no offence.

Yeah, all those 20,000+ crowds Toulouse RU get in their 19k capacity stadium? At least get the facts right!

Toulouse is a big city with a lot of people. Perpignan also has an RU club if you didn't notice yet still sustains the Dragons easily despite being much smaller than Toulouse.

A Super League Toulouse club would draw 4-5,000 at the very least and possibly much more in future.

Most of the Toulouse Olympique fans hated being in the Championship. It just didn't work. Being in the Super League along with the Dragons? Different kettle of fish.

Having read through the posts I am starting to get angry, Who do people think they are wanting any team out of the league? who says we need to reduce the clubs in the top league? the answer you will find is the self interested chairmen at the top 6 or 7 clubs thats who. I would love Toulouse in super league I would also like to see halifax, Sheffield, Doncaster, & anyone else who wants to come in. But I dont want self interested club chairmen dictating who that will be. The league should keep expanding (& yes the TV revenue would decrease as it is spread thin) I would require each club to play 26 games a season (or less) we do not have to play every club home & away the play offs deal with that problem. American football is the model to follow. The only problem in my argument is most clubs we have now can't afford to compete & there is little sign of a rush of sponsors or TV interest.

The majority of French semi-pro players we have now are not of professional standard. An the existing semi-pro French clubs are struggling financially. That is why there can be no "step up" of existing French clubs and players to a professional league. The basic ingredients do not exist.

You won't attract high quality professional French or foreign players with such a low salary cap. (especially not converts from French rugby union). And commercial and ticket sales won't make it up.



I am not pushing for a 3rd or 4th French team for 2015 because there is not the player base or funding to justify it in 2015. However if the Toulouse emergence in SL is a success, in particular if it starts churning out lots of good juniors, and attracting a few RU converts, then there will be a basis for a 3rd or 4th team in the not too distant future. But this will be a far cry from the 10 teams (minimum) necessary for a French professional league.




I don't understand how having a 2nd French team restricts the English player base. Currently there is not enough English talent to justify 13 English SL teams and that is one reason why the top clubs want a cutback in the number of English SL clubs -- to ensure that the existing English talent is concentrated in fewer clubs, especially in an era of repatriation of imports and migration of top English players to the NRL.

Spot on with both points.

You of all people

I've said this a few times in the past, but I would scrap Magic Weekend, add in an extra club but make each team play one game on the road in a nearby town with no real RL tradition but potential to get people interested: Warrington going to Stoke, FC or KR to Grimsby, Saints or Wigan to Preston, something like that.

Much like yourself then? Do you actually watch live games? Out of interest do you follow a club?

Actually Toulouse has 6-8 times the population of Hull. It further reinforces your valid point.

With the lure of some additional TV revenues, they are starting to look hard to refuse for 2015.
Its strange how we complain on here about the extra trip to France, bearing in mind that the Catalans fans can only manage the odd away day.
At least they would be able to make the Catalan/Toulouse fixture and there is no doubt that an additional French team in SL would help their national team, which in turn should give England some stronger, local opposition.
Looks like a win/win ?

Toulouse pop 440,209, Hull 256,406. Hardly 6-8 times but see your point Jean or is it John.