The FFRX13 or whatever the governing body calls themselves have recently appointed 30 new development officers wit han aim to increase the playing numbers and popularity in SOUTHERN france.

While im for expansion, i can not see a Paris franchise till about 2015. Toulouse will be struggling in 2012, but i would like to see them in.

I've said this before, but I think it's worth repeating.

Rugby Union in Paris fifteen years ago was perceived as a sport for peasants from the South. Parisian rugby teams were watched by crowds numbering in the 100s. Max Guazzini turned Stade from a London Skolars sized outfit into one of the world's biggest RU clubs, in the space of a decade. If there is a *serious* bid from Stade to join SL (ie one with credible financial backing), it would be madness to turn them away.

theres barely enough players for one french super league team, where are they going to come from for a second team?

Why? No players, no fans and we saw what happened last time. Build on the strong foundations and that means Toulouse if we are to have another French team.

The odds of Stade forming an <i>treiziste</i> team and meeting the published licence criteria in time for 2012 are …?

..irrelevant as the rules are re-written to suit.

I reckon 2012 will be too early, 2015 might be adifferant story though, if 3 french teams make it to sl and can flourish (as les cats have done) with the backing of people like this we could see a fench fulltime league within 10 years, definatley something to consider.

There will be a lot of 30 year old Australian players rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of topping up their pension funds.

If that mattered, do you think this article would come about after a meeting with Richard Lewis? They clearly aren't entering the Championship next year.

Toulouse are more important than Paris to RL in France at this stage. Any talk of including Paris has to be AFTER Toulouse in my and most other people's opinions it would seem.

probably irrelevant Not wishing to come over all albert, but there's already more amateur RL activity in Paris/Ile de France than in say Wales, or Salford. They would have the best stadium in SL. The RU side is the richest in the world. Less than 10% of their *playing* budget would max out on our salary cap - they are not going to struggle to put together a competitive squad if it's a serious bid.

A full house 80k at the Stade de France, for a double header of Superleague/Top14? Simply cannot see the RFL turning it down in favour of Toulouse, Salford, Celtic, Widnes, Wakefield...

Of course, it all depends on how seriously Stade are taking it. If it's just going to be a case of you can use our name and stadium, then it's a non-starter. But if they do put significant resources in - and planning on winning SL?

First of all, wouldn't a team be a good start? Get them in the LER with the aim to get them in the Championship ala Toulouse, in the not too distant future, then take it from there.

Richard Lewis (owner of the Super League)



Never trust an on-line translation engine.