Having spent a cracking few days in France watching my team Leigh Centurions emerge with an excellent 36-6 victory, it gave me a chance to look at the sporting scene in a city that people are dubbing the 4th of France.
I think the following sums up where the sport is in that city.
Toulouse FC attracts an average of 30,000 people to each game at their modern stadium, the club also has a TV channel that broadcasts on the local digital network from evening to morning. There is widespread coverage in the press, local news and radio.
Stade Toulouse RU are currently near the top of the Orange Top 14 Championship and rugby union is huge in the city. The club plays before average crowds of 19,000 at a good facility and boasts three boutiques that I am aware of in the city, one at the ground, one in the city centre, and one at the airport. Being in the city made me realise how big a sport rugby union is in the area, the papers and magazines were full of it and many cars carried Stade Toulouse badges, stickers etc. On the Saturday following Leigh's match an entire afternoon on Canal Plus Sport was dedicated to Union, they showed one game live and there were then highlights from every other game in the championship. Stade themselves played the night before, in direct competition with Olympique-Leigh and drew 19,000 for their game with Paris based Racing Metro.
Toulouse Olympique play in somewhat modest surroundings by comparison, a ground with two seater stands and space for standing at both ends, Arnaude Stadium serves a purpose and is a municipal owned ground with a capacity circa 4,000. The official crowd figure given was 1,225 but I would hotly dispute that and say there was anywhere between 600-850 on the ground. The following day La Depeche newspaper did carry a report on the game and there were several journalists and a radio commentary crew in attendance. Olympique have items on-sale from the ground and there is a shop but when I returned on Saturday this was closed so I didn't get chance to spend the Euros that were burning a hole in my pocket.
This just showed me how far Rugby League has to go in this big city. I do however expect things to be somewhat different next week when I travel to Carcassonne and Limoux.
Showing posts with label Toulouse Olympique. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toulouse Olympique. Show all posts
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Monday, 1 March 2010
RL Comment: Toulouse Storm
Forget Melbourne Storm, there seems to be another one brewing in the South of France.
Toulouse Olympique joined the Co-operative Championship last year on the premise that they must win their way through to the Championship Grand Final however press reports appeared in today's trade magazine "Rugby Leaguer & League Express" suggesting otherwise.
To shamelessly quote the story by Mike Rylance:
"English clubs wishing to be considered for a Super League License must either reach the final of the Championship or win the Northern Rail Cup (in which Toulouse do not compete), but the RFL has confirmed to 'League Express' that the French club doesn't have to satisfy the same criteria.
"Toulouse's Super League ambitions appeared to be contradicted when chairman Carlos Zalduendo stated that the club's ambitions for the season were simply to reach the play-offs."
The article goes on to say: "But now an RFL spokesman has revealed to 'League Express'" that appearing in the final was "no longer the case because Toulouse's situation was "more fluid" than other clubs and that the French club would be "judged by different criteria which don't apply to other clubs."
It continued "Zalduendo confirmed that the club had known from the start of their first season that their application would not be required to satisfy the same conditions.
"It was decided from the start." He said. "We joined the Championship so that people could judge our ability to receive and compete with English teams as well as produce our own young players. I think we have shown our credibility."
An e-mail came from Red Hall Media Manager John Ledger about half an hour ago refuting this.
The official release said:
"The RFL has confirmed that Toulouse Olympique do need to appear in the 2010 Co-operative Championship Grand Final to earn the right to apply for a Super League licence from the 2012 season onwards.
Contrary to some reports, the mechanism by which Toulouse can apply for a Super League licence remains unchanged from the position in 2008, when the last round of licensing was completed.
Should they reach the Grand Final, Toulouse Olympique will also have to address factors that are not relevant to UK-based Championship clubs, including how a second French club can add to Super League."
I think there is more to this than meets the eye and one thing is sure, the meeting between representatives of Championship and Championship One clubs later this week will be an interesting place to be.
It appears that the RFL "Spokesperson" that has been quoted has shot their mouth off although the comments of the Toulouse chairman are interesting. Perhaps the RFL should send out this release to the South of France and await the reaction. We already know from last season and the press release concerning the launch of the Co-operative Championships this season that Toulouse basically have a three year licence in the Championship, after all they can't be relegated.
Like the X-Files, the truth is out there.
I hope for a more even and fairer process. Am I just wishing for a pipe dream?
Toulouse Olympique joined the Co-operative Championship last year on the premise that they must win their way through to the Championship Grand Final however press reports appeared in today's trade magazine "Rugby Leaguer & League Express" suggesting otherwise.
To shamelessly quote the story by Mike Rylance:
"English clubs wishing to be considered for a Super League License must either reach the final of the Championship or win the Northern Rail Cup (in which Toulouse do not compete), but the RFL has confirmed to 'League Express' that the French club doesn't have to satisfy the same criteria.
"Toulouse's Super League ambitions appeared to be contradicted when chairman Carlos Zalduendo stated that the club's ambitions for the season were simply to reach the play-offs."
The article goes on to say: "But now an RFL spokesman has revealed to 'League Express'" that appearing in the final was "no longer the case because Toulouse's situation was "more fluid" than other clubs and that the French club would be "judged by different criteria which don't apply to other clubs."
It continued "Zalduendo confirmed that the club had known from the start of their first season that their application would not be required to satisfy the same conditions.
"It was decided from the start." He said. "We joined the Championship so that people could judge our ability to receive and compete with English teams as well as produce our own young players. I think we have shown our credibility."
An e-mail came from Red Hall Media Manager John Ledger about half an hour ago refuting this.
The official release said:
"The RFL has confirmed that Toulouse Olympique do need to appear in the 2010 Co-operative Championship Grand Final to earn the right to apply for a Super League licence from the 2012 season onwards.
Contrary to some reports, the mechanism by which Toulouse can apply for a Super League licence remains unchanged from the position in 2008, when the last round of licensing was completed.
Should they reach the Grand Final, Toulouse Olympique will also have to address factors that are not relevant to UK-based Championship clubs, including how a second French club can add to Super League."
I think there is more to this than meets the eye and one thing is sure, the meeting between representatives of Championship and Championship One clubs later this week will be an interesting place to be.
It appears that the RFL "Spokesperson" that has been quoted has shot their mouth off although the comments of the Toulouse chairman are interesting. Perhaps the RFL should send out this release to the South of France and await the reaction. We already know from last season and the press release concerning the launch of the Co-operative Championships this season that Toulouse basically have a three year licence in the Championship, after all they can't be relegated.
Like the X-Files, the truth is out there.
I hope for a more even and fairer process. Am I just wishing for a pipe dream?
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