they weren't ing fast tracked, that's for sure!

To improve internationally France needs more players playing in a FT set up. NZ has 100+ players in SL/NRL, France has ?15. Another team will add more depth and more opportunity.
If the Warriors were the only team in the NRL with NZ players and 1/3rd of their squad where Australians do you think the Kiwis would be as strong as they are?

Have you read what you just posted?



NZ Warriors are the only game in town in regards of pro RL. So, rather than whine, bitch and complain about unfairness and lack of "pathways", Kiwis get on a plane and get themselves picked, predominantly in the Holden, but more and more in the reserve and senior grades. Catalans are the only game in town in France.......yet we don't have hoards of French talent on show in SL?????
How would Toulouse being in SL change the situation in France? If France is such a ing hotbed of RL talent, then why aren't French players scattered about SL and the NRL? Why is it that Catalans are mid table with 60,000,000 people?
French RL doesn't need another SL team...it needs a proper domestic professional competition.

In my opinion if that's permitted in these "it's gotta be positive" days.

Where's this Wellington franchise?

You'd only have a point if Super League was meant to be an English league.

But it's not. It's a European league. It was designed as a European league. If we want expansion in Europe, we can't expect European teams to go through a British semi-pro league system. It would be near logistically impossible to get through. How many decent players are going to join Toulouse part time whilst working part time?

So are you saying that an additional full time pro club wouldn't help the French national game ??
Whilst it wouldn't project France to the top of the world rankings, it would certainly help.

You know the hours you have spent on here arguing that London in SL is necessary to provide a pathway for young players in the south lest they be lost to union. Stop looking for a reaction and apply those same arguments to Toulouse.

HTH

A Toulouse team thats competative could ultimately lead to a proper French League. A Catalan v Toulouse game would generate alot of interest, and two teams of French RL would generate alot more interest than 1. Its obvious really

Lol, like the high quality nzrl comp?

Maybe language barrier and lifestyle has something to do with French players not joining SL clubs in England, maybe poor scouting by SL clubs?

If I lived in NZ I would be trying my hardest to move to Australia as well, no wonder Australian clubs are full of kiwis!

French int RL will not gain any ground with 15-20 players in a ft club. Arguable with 30-40 but at least it's an improvement.

Ideally in the future the Europe game will be strong enough to have three French teams and two welsh teams in a sixteen club ESL but that appears many moons away, if ever.

Population of NZ? 6000 people and 20000000 sheep? Can hardly compare it to France. We need more French players in English SL clubs + Toulouse in SL.

Perpignan can't represent the whole of France.

as an aside: the population of New Zealand is about 4.5 million people.
Which makes its impact in both rugby codes quite something.

Not much else to do in NZ is there? Isn't that why a lot of Kiwis are playing at Aussie clubs?

Quote ="LifeLongHKRFan"Not much else to do in NZ is there? Isn't that why a lot of Kiwis are playing at Aussie clubs?'" not much to do? im guessing you have never been? new zealanders are probably one of the most active and adventurous people going www.newzealand.com/uk/things-to-do/

Quote ="LifeLongHKRFan"Not much else to do in NZ is there? Isn't that why a lot of Kiwis are playing at Aussie clubs?'" not much to do? im guessing you have never been? new zealanders are probably one of the most active and adventurous people going www.newzealand.com/uk/things-to-do/

Quote ="number 6"not much to do? im guessing you have never been? new zealanders are probably one of the most active and adventurous people going www.newzealand.com/uk/things-to-do/'" Well considering my post was asking 2 questions, isn't it obvious that i haven't been? (another question as you can tell by the question mark at the end)

Quote ="number 6"not much to do? im guessing you have never been? new zealanders are probably one of the most active and adventurous people going www.newzealand.com/uk/things-to-do/'" Well considering my post was asking 2 questions, isn't it obvious that i haven't been? (another question as you can tell by the question mark at the end)

Why do you think Gutterfax spends so much time on here rambling on like a broken record?

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!