[John_D]

This week in Toulouse : Sun Jan 24, 2010 10:39 am  

I have it on very good authority that a meeting in Toulouse this week will see discussions open about the three Aude clubs - ASC, FCL and Limoux - combining forces to launch a new club for an assault on the English leagues. I'd certainly prefer that to the Stade Francais project.

Re: This week in Toulouse : Sun Jan 24, 2010 3:22 pm  

This was in the news three years ago. I reckon that as long as TO is in the running it won't happen. A bid could be made thew following round, the model would be close to the UTC bid, so we could expect big things, though the question of player pool will be raised. I can see that another heartland club would be overlooked in favour of Paris expansion though.

[John_D]

Re: This week in Toulouse : Sun Jan 24, 2010 3:44 pm  

belgianxiii wrote:

I can see that another heartland club would be overlooked in favour of Paris expansion though.

Larrat seems determined to do Stade Francais' bidding. That way madness lies, I reckon

Re: This week in Toulouse : Sun Jan 24, 2010 4:28 pm  

Would this new Aude club be based in Carcassonne?

John_D wrote:

Larrat seems determined to do Stade Francais' bidding. That way madness lies, I reckon

Why?

[John_D]

Re: This week in Toulouse : Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:59 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Would this new Aude club be based in Carcassonne?

You would think so. Bigger place for a start and the only one of the three stadia that would stand any chance to be upgraded to Super League standard.

Catalancs wrote:

Why?

Can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm always suspicious of rugby union clubs, especially ones in Paris.

Re: This week in Toulouse : Sun Jan 24, 2010 6:16 pm  

John_D wrote:

You would think so. Bigger place for a start and the only one of the three stadia that would stand any chance to be upgraded to Super League standard.

What kind of time frame are we looking at?

John_D wrote:

Can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm always suspicious of rugby union clubs, especially ones in Paris.

I don't see what rugby league could lose as long as RFL funds aren't used. Or am I just being naive?

[John_D]

Re: This week in Toulouse : Sun Jan 24, 2010 6:18 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

What kind of time frame are we looking at?

That, I don't know.

Catalancs wrote:

I don't see what rugby league could lose as long as RFL funds aren't used. Or am I just being naive?

I hope you aren't, but I just cannot see that this is pure altruism on the part of the quinzistes.

Re: This week in Toulouse : Sun Jan 24, 2010 6:20 pm  

John_D wrote:

That, I don't know.

I hope you aren't, but I just cannot see that this is pure altruism on the part of the quinzistes.

That's the thing that keeps nagging away at the back of my head. Then I think what has apparently happened here in Catalonia and it does make you worry.

Re: This week in Toulouse : Mon Jan 25, 2010 10:08 am  

I think Paris should be put in a box and left there for the forseeable future. you would imagine TO would be mighty p****d off should they be overlooked again.

Re: This week in Toulouse : Mon Jan 25, 2010 10:30 am  

John_D wrote:

I hope you aren't, but I just cannot see that this is pure altruism on the part of the quinzistes.

No business is based on pure altruism. But you cant trust that the SF chairman has a genuine interest in RL, stated publicly since 2007 when he said that he has nice memories of his childhood in Marseille where he was watching RL with his parents.
Now they want to build a 20k seats stadium and to have an RL team. It does look like a serious project, and you can trust these people to make it work. Based on past record, they have better credentials to build up a top professional sport club than any other potential applicant.