The RFL has made efforts to expand with several new "non-heartland" clubs created and entering the semi-pro Championship 1 soon.

Let us assume that these clubs are able to make their way up the Championship ladders in the next few years.

I am thinking of a Super League that looked like this in say 2018:

[i:1zdqq0n5Wigan
St Helens
Warrington
Widnes
Leeds
Bradford
Huddersfield
Wakefield
Hull FC
Hull KR

London Broncos
London Skolars
Hemel Hempstead
Gloucester
Sheffield
South Wales
North Wales

Catalans
Toulouse
Avignon[/i game."

It could be divided into two conferences: M62 and non-M62. Each team plays members of its own conference twice (home and away) for a total of 18 games, and also each member of the other conference once (home and away alternate each other year) for a total of 10 games. That makes 28 games, assuming that we scrap the Magical Weekend.

Assume that these clubs, which already exist, were all financially viable by 2018, each with more than 5,000 fans and plenty of juniors (a big assumption, I know, but not totally impossible to conceive). Then wouldn't our game get more positive attention from the media, and attract more national corporate sponsors? Wouldn't it change the health of the game completely?

Is this going to be a monthly thread?

It's just another regurgitation of the last one trying to promote French expansion when there's no evidence to suggest that it will or is financially viable.

Oh look, another pie

Did you notice that I mentioned the hope for promoting six (6) [size=120British [/sizeclubs that are not yet in Super League?

Can we just file this thread alongside the other batsh[ii[/it looney tunes threads like why SL clubs aren't signing Folau and a 2-tier SL?

I doubt anyone will say this wouldn't be good. BUT please get into the real world and be realistic.

Some one needs to explain what expansion means, i always thought when you expanded it started from the heart land and went out words, but it seams like the RFL think it means going out as far away from the heart land teams, & having nothing in-between, so thats not expanding, there is one team that has worked on the pitch due to so called expansion but when they come to England they don't bring any support, it is a long distance and not feasible to think that the French fans would come to away games, but we go to the Catalan games once a year in big numbers, so it could be argued that the Catalans might follow there team to at least one game on English soil, so why is the magic game not pushed in a big way, in RU there is always plenty of French come over to watch the cup games, so why don't the French come over to Manchester in decent numbers for the Magic weekend, you can be guaranteed when the French come to town the attendance is the lowest of the season, or on a par with London

so why have 5 none english clubs in before Salford the club that started the game in france!!!!!!!!!!1

You meant to write:




In which case a reasonable question. Good observation.

I assumed that Salford is competing with Widnes for the 10th M62 slot.

Widnes seems to be in better financial condition than Salford, though this could change in a few years. And unless Widnes improves its performance on the playing field, as London has done, it might be have trouble retaining its licence in 2018. So Salford definitely has a case for being in SL. However we need to keep the number of M62 SL clubs at 10, so that they don't exceed half the total after expansion has been completed. That is why the RFL would have to drop Widnes to make way for Salford.

Seriously pal...either up your meds or stop posting

If "expansion" "works" there would be people across the north of England setting their hair on fire at the loss of one of the defining characteristics of Rugby League.

The inherent insularity and half-imagined nostalgia for a misremembered past that is at the heart of almost every heartlands RL fan (even those on the progressive wing) makes the prospect of our game being over-run by heathen with funny estuary accents quite appalling. One or two is nice, quaint, entertaining (whatever happened to that nice Junior Paul?). It tickles our fancy that our sport is moving onwards and upwards and outwards a little. Half a country's worth of them though, filtering through the system, overturning the heroes of the Pennine League? Spiv chairmen waving their flash southern cash at our local heroes to move to their flash southern clubs? Good grief.

Shut It you norvun Monkey

if expansion really worked, there would be one RL team in 12 of the largest counties in England, plus a couple or three French teams and maybe an Irish/Scottish team and if this is the kind of blueprint we are working towards, most of the heartland teams would have to play lower grade RL.
But seriously........................

Why have 2 London teams when we can't even get 3,000 people to watch one now?

That is the point.
Equally there isnt going to be a SL team in 8 or 10 counties of the country anytime soon.
If there was a magic wand and money was no object, it would be interesting to hear what fans of the game would like to see.
Do we want RL to be a National sport or, are we happy with a northern based regional sport, with an odd team playing elsewhere.

I think it would be good if every club in England, followed by Wales and then France won the Euro Lottery as sole winner. This would help RL expand, also finding the end of the rainbow and each CEO becoming proficient in the art of alchemy.

To create a local derby and thereby increase local (i.e. London) interest.

It works in every other sport and in the NRL. Brisbane vs North Queensland or Gold Coast will almost sell out Suncorp. Brisbane vs Penrith, Cronulla, or Newcastle won't.

So we could hopefully get the numbers up a lot for each of two London clubs with proper promotion in those twice a season contests. Their rivaly should also spin off higher attendances in other games. Plus you would have the possibility (with intelligent scheduling) of one game being played in London every weekend, which we don't have now, and which could help us retain new fans in London.

Richard Lewis had argued for the goal of two London clubs some time ago. The real problem is finding the financial backing and a suitable stadium.

2 x 0 = 0

Also, calling London "local" is as stupid as your opening post. Are you aware of how big London actually is?

For your kind of expansion to work the RFL need to assist "potential" clubs like Sheffield. They won the Championship GF and no-one from the RFL gave a shoite. They'll still get naff all attendances after their "success". There isn't the money or the will from central to make any of your pipe dream a reality.

If "ifs" and "ands" were pots and pans.....................

this post has no point at all it is in a nutshell rubbish

You have summed it up nicely in a large nutshell.

That is why there is no point in me answering all the dissenting posts from the insular northern Englanders.

If expansion works, it will be played in a parallel universe.

I love the fact that some space cadets are still talking about expansion when those in the real world are hoping to avoid further contraction!

Expansion isn't even on the agenda such is the state of the game and won't be until the UK and especially France regain International credibility and the game attracts more money. The problem is we don't have the cash to make that happen so it's catch 22. I mean 3 French teams, come on. Now please give it a rest.

It might be for the best if you are going to adopt that tone.

Put simply - we do not have the cash for 14 SL sides 20 is an insane proposition.

Secondly you are being hugely overoptimistic for sides like Hemel. They won't be getting out of CC1 for many years. Look at how long Gateshead and Skolars have been in that division. Do either of them look like getting near SL?

North Wales and South Wales are no closer either.

Now if you said 2080, we might have humoured you, as we really are talking about that length of time.

I agree that more London sides are needed but this isn't going to happen at SL level. Broncos struggle to get by as it is and there isn't any money or interest in a 2nd side.

With Hemel joining CC1, there will be a Skolars vs Stags derby which could be interesting. If we had enough sides for a CC1 North and a CC1 Midlands & South then we could start to build up professional RL outside the heartlands with lots of local rivalries and away fans. But it ain't going to happen at SL without it happening semi-pro level first.

Can't believe nobody has thought of that before. It would instantly create thousands of RL fans in the London area and hey-presto, we could all say yes - expansion does work.