I returned from NZ after just 3 years ( aged 17 ) in 1978 basically because it wasnt the most exciting place on the planet

However that has most certainly changed now, they have invented many pastimes of the ' Extreme ' variety over the years to keep themselves busy

I do know quite a few people who have visited Oz, and have had it on their no 1 place in the world to live if they ever left the UK, only to change their mind after visiting Aotearoa , it is most definatly " Sweet as " , and it is only by living there can you understand the importance of RU to the place

NZ is still boring unless your into outdoors stuff. Why do you think so many come over here. Europe's got everything.

So what do you propose given that 99.9 percent of RL clubs in Europe are in the UK ??? the names of 20 European cities in a hat and draw one out every 10 years to join the competition ???

Would be fantastic for the sport if that fixture became one of the most important and best attended matches in the RL calendar,i wouldn't mind going over and taking the game in myself

Just hope that if toulouse come in they are put in the top tier

I'd be quite happy for that to happen but if P&R is coming back then i dont see what difference it would make.
If you put them in the top tier they might get relegated and have to work ther way back up again,if you put them in the second tier then they'l need to work to get in the top tier.
I think the most vital ingredient for Toulouse is that they come in a professional outfit.

Toulouse registered a "Toulouse for SL" propaganda attendance of 14,858 last season for the Catalan V Hull KR fixture.

Initially i think SL2 would make more sense. No point handing them whollopings all year if they want their support to grow

You mean the Championship ? , they tried that before

I'm making a big assumption that 8x8x8 will come in. If they were to come into SL as it stands now, they'd need alot of help and dispensation from the RFL to get a competative squad ready. Losing 25 or so games a season wont get their support building!

Yes, because that's exactly what I'm saying...

Seriously, why do so many people on this forum choose to make up their own strawman argument to argue against?

Anyway, back to the point...

It doesn't matter how many clubs there are in the UK (or should that just be the north of England?) compared to Europe. It doesn't mean they should all enter the same way through the same linear ladder system.

Entry requirements for SL should be completely different for clubs outside the British professional system. If it was practical to have professional French clubs in the British system, they'd already be in it. There's plenty of pro French clubs as stands that draw bigger crowds than plenty of British ones. They're not in the British league because it's not logistical. It would waste thousands (if not millions) of Euros.

To suggest that French clubs should come through the British system to get into a European league is basically suggesting French clubs shouldn't be in a European league because they'd never be able to get through the British system due to the huge handicap they'd face in travel, expenses and player recruitment at that level. Who the hell would want to work part time AND play rugby in a different country every two weeks when they can do that in their own country without having to travel?

Completely short sighted.

I'm going to back Gutterfax on one of his points here. He does have a point that NZ RL also only have one fulltime pro outfit and his Norman Tebbit arguement that NZ players get on their bikes and go to find work in Oz may hold some water.

However, how many of those players in Australia have actually come through a NZ system?? Or is it just that their parents moved, had kids in Australia and so there is more crossover through parental legacy than through players actually getting on their bikes so to speak.

There does seem more cross over of populations down under even given the distances involved.

Super League will require the bottom 3 to be relegated in 2014 in order to accommodate Toulouse in 2015. Is this likely to be ratified any time soon?

Some super league clubs woudnt scout if the kids were playing in their own back yard (which is literally the case sometimes). In fact a worrying majority don't scout beyond a couple of amateur clubs. Those that do put the time and effort to find potential have the pick of the bunch therefore so don't need to cast the net out wider. Result is, a first class team is required in a particular area for those kids to be found, meaning clubs like London and Catalans (and Toulouse potentially) are all the more important.

How quickly do you think you'd here stories of kids in London being picked up by super league clubs, if every club in Yorkshire were fighting over the best youngsters?