Quote Fully="Fully"What about the existing player base already playing for French teams? Can they not make the step up to a fully professional environment?
A TV deal doesn't pay for it all you're right (although I'm not sure how much NRL clubs receive relative to their cap), however, that's the whole point of commercial and ticket sales too. You could even have your own Magic Weekend in Paris or similar, which may attract British speccies too. And you make the salary cap at an affordable level so the equivalent of £1m in the UK..'"
The majority of French semi-pro players we have now are not of professional standard. An the existing semi-pro French clubs are struggling financially. That is why there can be no "step up" of existing French clubs and players to a professional league. The basic ingredients do not exist.
You won't attract high quality professional French or foreign players with such a low salary cap. (especially not converts from French rugby union). And commercial and ticket sales won't make it up.
Quote Fully="Fully"Surely if you're also pushing for a 3rd and 4th team in Super League there must be something there to justify their inclusion, otherwise your above points just don't stack up and will not work for SL either..'"
I am not pushing for a 3rd or 4th French team for 2015 because there is not the player base or funding to justify it in 2015. However if the Toulouse emergence in SL is a success, in particular if it starts churning out lots of good juniors, and attracting a few RU converts, then there will be a basis for a 3rd or 4th team in the not too distant future. But this will be a far cry from the 10 teams (minimum) necessary for a French professional league.
Quote Fully="Fully"People have whinged about England not having a player base on here but the inclusion of another French team further risks penalising that and restricting that. Similarly, some people are moaning about the French team not having enough strength in depth..'"
I don't understand how having a 2nd French team restricts the English player base. Currently there is not enough English talent to justify 13 English SL teams and that is one reason why the top clubs want a cutback in the number of English SL clubs -- to ensure that the existing English talent is concentrated in fewer clubs, especially in an era of repatriation of imports and migration of top English players to the NRL.
Quote Fully="Fully"The only way to strengthen both is having two separate entities. Otherwise, you're going to end up dragging France up to a slightly better level and risk forcing England down to a slightly lower level with the Aussies even further ahead of the rest of us.
Sorry: but there's nothing IMO to justify a second French team in Super League from a commercial, spectator or wider game benefit point of view.'"
As I have already pointed out, the concept of a professional French league is not viable at this time, nor for the next 15 years, because there is not the player base or funding to create at least 10 professional teams.
Wait until we have 6 French teams in Super League, each with flourishing junior set ups, and we may be able to start thinking about a separate French professional league -- if the French and Australian big money men will get on board.
