Just seen this on code13s twitter feed:-

[urlhttp://www.code13rugbyleague.com/2012/04/17/championship-clubs-set-to-play-euro-competition/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter[/url

Leigh centurions European Champions 2012 has a nice ring to it if you ask me!

Well, my reading of that would indicate that the "European Champions" will be determined by the winners of "Fev v ?????".....and the other games are a pointless exercise in determining which is the stronger competition!!!

Complete waste of time!!

I've no real objection to the concept of a "European Club Cup" competition (other than the costs to the travelling sides), but this ain't it - it's a "European Club Challenge" match (ala WCC)....and 3 other pointless fixtures!!

Absolutely spot on!

Just seems a pointless exercise in trying to half-heartedly compensate clubs for the loss of a home game this season. If it's all pay then I can't see us getting more than 500 on for it.

Unless the rfl put some cash behind it or a tv deal some sort to back it up I don't think it will catch on.
What incentive have fax and Sheffield got to pay to send a team over to France for some pointless fixture? Same with the French teams coming here.
Seems like a bit half baked idea to be honest.

Premier Sports will be showing one or two of the games, but as part of the existing TV deal so won't mean any extra cash. I believe there is some prize money but it would have to be something significant to make it really worthwhile.

daft idea! charge £5 a person and see if we can get a big attendence

Why bother? Can only seeing it costing more than its worth.

The Fax chairman at the beginging of the year said there was prize money availible. However, you only get it if the english sides win the majority of the games. So you might smash the side you are playing but if Fax, Sheffield and Fev lose you dont get a penny. Its something silly along them lines. Would you expect anything less from big Nige?

I would expect big Nige to mop up the buffet at every game.

No I wouldn't.
But surely we should get te choice whether to play in it or not? I mean we aren't exactly rolling in it are we?

ha ha, RFL = Clueless !
Is this Dick's parting shot ?

Brill - post of the week.

The RFL has revealed how the tournamnent will be won and Walt has it spot on. Fev can be crowned 'European Club Champions', but the rest of us are playing for 'national pride'.

We're actually in a contest between the Co-operative Championship and the French Elite Division. The winning league will be determined by the aggregate result of the matches. (i.e. if 3 Championship teams win, the Co-operative Championship wins!) If it's 2-2, points difference comes into it. There don't appear to be any bonus points at stake!

Should be massive crowds!

I hope the RFL are picking up the tab for this shambles.....or the club are prepared to tell them where to stick it, because this 'non event' won't even draw a crowd if you're giving the tickets away!!!

would teams 'risk' their players in the pointless event

I think we should give it a chance. In its infancy the Northern Rail Cup was a different format and was probably met with the same apathy. It took a few years to find a formula that worked.

Can't see Sheffield risking them in France, on the weekend before they play a Thursday match at Leigh!

At least the RFL are attempting to remedy the huge problems outside SL trying different things to generate some interest in the sports lower levels but equally (and its just my opinion) I think this shows how frighteningly out of touch they are with what the people who pay through the turnstiles are really interested in watching.

Well they might Alan if the prize money is a few thousand quid for the winners.

Lets wait and see wether this is a pointless competition. At the moment we haven't got all the facts.

A few of the facts that are emerging though, are a bit perplexing, and smack of the artificiality of the group stages of the NR Cup. The exercise was, in part , designed to give Championship teams more home games, to compensate for there being less Championship fixtures - hence Halifax and Sheffield having to trudge over to France. Why are Toulouse guaranteed a place, irrespective of whether they finish in the top four of the French league or not?

"We haven't got all the facts" - Neither have the RFL.

Allow me to answer this thread in one sentence.
If the French teams compete well/win it gives the RFL complete justification in handing Toulouse a franchise in 3 years, when an application from 'another equal standard league' comes in, bypassing the criteria they couldn't already meet and therefore leapfrogging existing teams in the queue.
There you have it.

Seems Dico thinks it is pointless too.

Not necessarily good sir, simply I think that's one of the driving factors behind. I'm not stating there may/may not be other benefits, I'm personally looking forward to the idea but can certainly understand the apprehension from certain quarters regarding player welfare and finances. But this is for Toulouse's sake, imho of course..

A nice concept, but fatally flawed by the basic 'Champion of Europe' premise.

Unless it's a meaningful contest for the other six clubs involved, why bother? The only way forward that comes to mind immediately is if this years 'Champion of Europe' plays the top team of the 'other' league the following year to give a rolling champion, or something? Unfortunately this removed the league that this years winning side plays in next year, defeating the object?


I see crowds in the hundreds in this format, it's a complete waste of time and effort.