Challenge Cup 2019 : Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:37 pm  

Catalans Dragons are reportedly refusing to pay a deposit to play in the Challenge Cup this year, meaning the competition could be without its current holders, according to L’Indépendant.
The Dragons are understood to have followed Toulouse and Toronto Wolfpack’s example and questioned why they should pay the £495K equivalent fee required of non-English clubs.
The Rugby Football League’s reasoning for the fee is due to the loss of revenue as a result of any of the overseas teams’ progression in the competition. Catalans won the Cup last year in front of a crowd of just 50,672.

Re: Catalans Challenge Cup : Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:43 pm  

How embarrassing. Maybe London and Salford will follow the trend.

Re: Catalans Challenge Cup : Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:56 pm  

Good. So they should bloody refuse as well. It’s absolutely embarassing by the inept RFL.

If they can’t afford Wembley; don’t play there. To charge clubs such at Catalans, Toulouse and Toronto £700,000 to play in the Challenge Cup is completely incomprehensible.

Yet another reason why the RFL are completely and utterly destroying RL in Europe. The sooner they’re gone, the better IMHO.

SL clubs should all support Catalans, Toronto and Toulouse by refusing to participate. What if Salford, Huddersfield, Wakefield were to make the final and it not sell out? Would the RFL demand down payment from them in 2021?

Wembley not selling out is not the fault of the clubs; it’s the fault of the clueless at marketing and advertising RFL.

Re: Catalans Challenge Cup : Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:59 pm  

RFL are on a downward spiral and are dragging the whole game with them. Honestly think we would be better jumping ship and going in with the RFU. Not a merged code just get them to run the game. Reckon they could sell out the CC. Have to be played at Twickengam like.

Re: Catalans Challenge Cup : Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:01 pm  

Scandalous.
You can't market the sport you govern well enough to be able to fill Wembley, so you just make foreign clubs pay extortionate fees to enter the comp instead

Re: Catalans Challenge Cup : Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:10 pm  

Catalans plan to parade the Challenge Cup at the Nou Camp when they play Wigan .

The Catalonians must wonder why the current holders of the cup will not be defending it . Should they not pay the fee required by the RFL .

Re: Catalans Challenge Cup : Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:27 pm  

Another classic own goal by the sport, it wouldn't be a surprise if Toronto or Catalan sued The RFL for effectively precluding them from one of the oldest cup competition in the game and they ought to win.

We seem happy to take the "benefits" of having overseas clubs in "our" competition but we dont want any of the risk.

The situation would be equally difficult if two Championship clubs appeared in the Cup Final, therefore, perhaps they should all have to pay the levy as well ? (I'm not serious about them paying but, this demonstrates just how discriminatory the sport is being towards certain clubs).

Surely the answer is to have the semi finals and final far enough apart to allow the game to market one of only two major finals and get wembley sold out.

If not, we mat as well stage the game in a venue to match the "demand", maybe Doncaster or Leigh


This is wrong and humiliating

Re: Catalans Challenge Cup : Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:32 pm  

rollin thunder wrote:

RFL are on a downward spiral and are dragging the whole game with them. Honestly think we would be better jumping ship and going in with the RFU. Not a merged code just get them to run the game. Reckon they could sell out the CC. Have to be played at Twickengam like.

If you’d have said this a few years ago I’d be throwing a barrage of insults at you and the RFU for daring to suggest getting in bed with the ‘enemy’.

Now? I’m open to the suggestion. They’ve turned what is a bloody mind numbing sport into one of the most popular in the UK and Europe (arguably).

Then again I’d trust my local bin man to run the RFL better than Rimmer and Barwick.

Re: Catalans Challenge Cup : Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:33 pm  

I know its unlikely but do Normanton Knights, Wigan St pats etc get told the same if the get to Wembley

Re: Catalans Challenge Cup : Fri Jan 04, 2019 3:05 pm  

100% Warrior wrote:

Good. So they should bloody refuse as well. It’s absolutely embarassing by the inept RFL.

If they can’t afford Wembley; don’t play there. To charge clubs such at Catalans, Toulouse and Toronto £700,000 to play in the Challenge Cup is completely incomprehensible.

Yet another reason why the RFL are completely and utterly destroying RL in Europe. The sooner they’re gone, the better IMHO.

SL clubs should all support Catalans, Toronto and Toulouse by refusing to participate. What if Salford, Huddersfield, Wakefield were to make the final and it not sell out? Would the RFL demand down payment from them in 2021?

Wembley not selling out is not the fault of the clubs; it’s the fault of the clueless at marketing and advertising RFL.

I agree with most of what you say btw, one simple question what was Wigan's average attendance last season.