JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote:
The promotion and relegation system does not work. Championship clubs cannot make it to Super League against even a weak Super League team with a much higher salary cap.
Major corporate sponsors are not interested in funding a sport which has a tiny geographical profile, in this case along the M62 corridor.
The only way rugby league can become popular and get funds at the level of the NRL at least, is to drop P & R and institute franchising with a truly national and an international perspective.
The franchises should be awarded to clubs which have a 10,000 seater minimum stadium and an active junior competition. The best clubs to award franchises to, from the perspective of TV deals and national and international sponorship are:
Wigan
St Helens
Warrington
Leeds
Bradford
Hull FC
Calder United
London
Newcastle
Sheffield
Catalans
Toulouse
Toronto
Montreal
The competition should be renamed Atlantic Super League.
The Canadian teams will have to be stocked with Antipodean and English players at the beginning (as is now planned). Within ten years they should have a majority Canadian player roster thanks to development of Canadian juniors, as now exists with French players at Catalans, and should also exist with French players at Toulouse. The same methods should be used with new USA team ventures.
Future franchise additions to the initially 14 team competition should come from southern England, Wales, France, and the USA. If there is a sufficient player pool there should be no fear of increasing the number of teams over time up to 20, or even 24. If the number was to be 20 I would be looking at having one more team from Wales (Cardiff), one more from southern England, two more from France, and two more from USA. If the number was to increase to 24 then I would look at 4 more teams from the USA.
The days of parochialism are over. The game is atrophying in poverty under the Nigel Wood "P & R on the M62" administration.
Only a truly national and international franchise system will attract big corporate sponsors and get the lucrative TV deals that are enjoyed by rugby league in Australia, and by other sports in Europe and North America.
Swap Huddersfield for Bradford and I am with you all the way
