French clubs to quit Heineken Cup

zAbbo

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/6269979.stm

BBC wrote:

The Heineken Cup has again been plunged into crisis after French clubs issued a statement saying they would boycott next year's competition.

The clubs in France's Top 14 league are concerned at the impact of the European competition on their domestic schedule.

The French season is under pressure because of the 2007 World Cup and clubs are keen to free up several weekends.

"French clubs will not be participating in next season's tournament," said a League Nationale de Rugby statement.

Are they serious ? or just bargaining

Steffano2002

Was about to post this. You beat me to it.

They are serious. H-Cup isn't good for French rugby and for the Top 14. I'm in favour personally (even though I will miss the good old H-Cup action!).

CJhaughey

Let em go I say, They will quickly find out the same as Les-Rosbifs that European glory is worth much more than a simple domestic league.

Diamondmaker

The fr teams palying twice as many game s as we do are not happy with the fact that we have such a huge edge in this comp...a deffo fact I have eluded ( way more than ) recently.
Let them go and the comp will be devalued but so will their own leagyue in a way prob that out weighs the remainders loss...but still rather tghem in than out.
They have been the most consisitnwet country in HERC ever ( I am guesstimating here ) so their loss has got to have a real effect to us all.
positive in linester and Munster wininng for next 3 years and bnneagative in the whol;e scheme of things.
still pissed here... thought that 50c a miunte on line better value than losing my shirt here in vegas!!

Grrr wsas not build on winners and the place is bigger tha n ever!:D

sweetie

dude! use a spell checker!

zAbbo

Jaysis Diamondmaker, did you even read that, normally I'm not a grammar nazi, but **** me - install Firefox which has a built in spell check.

Anyway, the Frenchies only want out for a year

An Tarbh

I wouldn't be so dismissive of the French here, it's easy for us to say with our maximum of 29 club games per season that the HEC should be their priority, there's far more history to the French championship than the HEC.

We can survive for one season without the French, it won't be the end of the world, it does feel like a slap in the face, but imagine saying to the likes of Albi or Montauban, listen guys Paris, Biarritz, Perpignan and Toulouse won't be playing you this season so they can compete in the HEC, it just wouldn't be a starter. The league takes precedence in France so we just have to live with that, easier said than done considering the setup we have in the ML.

We had this in 99, we can just adopt the same format with the English in for the French and hopefully this will be the kick up the arse that the English need to sort the problems between Premier Rugby and the RFU.

GreenHell

If my domestic league was picking up 25 million euro a year compared to the feck all that the HEC generates I know which one I'd pick..

youcancallmeal

Diamondmaker > What?

Anyway I'm no expert but surely this would be a terrible thing for Irish provinces(Well maybe not Connaught). With no decent sides to play against on a regular basis they will they have to be content with hammering rubbish Welsh and Scottish sides in the ML?

thirdmantackle

they will have to get more Welsh, English and Scottish sides in to fill the void.. Italians as well!!

It may mean less games, or maybe provincial players having to play with their clubs now and again to get game time?? might not be a bad thing either

An Tarbh

they don't need to do any of those things, simply use the format they used in 99 and we're all set. This is only for one season afterall.

smashey

I hope something can be done to persuade the French back. The HC is a great competition and will only be weakened by their absence.

An Tarbh

The LNR are firmly laying the blame at the RFU's door, they haven't sorted their dispute with Premier rugby and the French are claiming that until the participation of the English clubs is guaranteed then they won't be signing up to the revised version of the Paris accord, will be interesting if the gun being held to the RFU's and Premier Rugby's head actually makes a difference.

It seems that the whole issue over fixture pile up is merely a side issue and that they were willing to weaken the Top 14 for this season to accomodate the HEC should the English meet their side of the bargain, since that hasn't happened we now have the boycott.

Sort it out RFU and Premier Rugby!!!

Trojan

Man, that pisses me off.



(yes, I'm desperate with Photoshop, but I'm annoyed enough to attempt it).

Erin Go Brath

Blanco loves stirring it up. Last year he was saying France should pull out of the HEC because it was really just an anglo-french duopoly. Munster winning it poured cold water on that theory.

Nukem

I say let them go - they will come crawling. The Hcup is a severe cash flow at the gate. Com'on like, reckon join the HC and the Challenge Cup and see how long it takes them to restructure there home league and come back crawling.

Pah - fooking sore losers (just happens to coincide with them have the worst 6 french teams ever in the HC)

An Tarbh

and is it any wonder given the amount of matches the players are expected to play?

Nukem

An Tarbh wrote:

and is it any wonder given the amount of matches the players are expected to play?

Read the post prior to mine - never bothered them when they were winning

An Tarbh

No and it's only because of the world cup taking 2 months out of their season but no reduction in the number of games that has sparked the complaints. They're not going to reduce the league for next season so something has to give, they make more revenue from the Top 14 than they do from Europe so it's the logical choice.

Is it any wonder the French and English teams don't look as good as they should do given the cumulative effect that playing so many matches has on them, there's such a thing as diminishing returns.

Redundo

It's a blow for the credibility of the HEC, but if it is just for one season then it'll survive it. I would like to see the Cup keep its current format, just include enough Challenge Cup teams to make up the full complement.

An Tarbh

I think it would damage the credibility of the competition even further if the teams from the Challenge Cup were included, they'll only weaken the competition even further, I know it'd only be for a year but with that in mind there's no reason why 16 teams with 4 pools can't be used.

Redundo

I don't think it would weaken the competition any more then reducing the number of competing teams. Plus it would spread a bit of wealth around the lower ranked sides and keep the number of matches (and therefore the gates) higher for the heavyhitters.

zAbbo

Won't make much difference to the tournament anyway, Biarritz look like the only French team who are bothered with it, the rest of been distinctly sub-standard.

An Tarbh

Redundo wrote:

I don't think it would weaken the competition any more then reducing the number of competing teams. Plus it would spread a bit of wealth around the lower ranked sides and keep the number of matches (and therefore the gates) higher for the heavyhitters.

Of course it would weaken the competition, you'd have teams playing in it that in ordinary circumstances wouldn't be there cause they're not good enough. It's not as if the likes of Connacht are being locked out, they have their avenues of qualification but aren't up to the mark, but by giving them the French places rather than going back to the 99 format significantly reduces the quality of the competition moreso.

Redundo

If the French aren't going to participate then the competition is devalued no matter what format is chosen. My point is that having a full complement of competing teams, even if it includes teams of lesser quality, is better then a reduced field.

And at least those lesser teams will get a cash injection to help them bridge the gap to the top flight.

limklad

Does any one know how much money the French teams earn from Munster playing in France? Those games would be sold out. So it would definitely hurt their budget. It teams who don't get the matches that draw supporters like munster are looking elsewhere for more money. Look at borgoin. They moved to geneva so they could get a windfall.
It will hurt the French clubs more.
Saying that, the types of games we get from the french forces us to improve our rugby.
For years we could not beat the French until recent years. If we don’t have big hard matches we get soft in our approach. They will certainly be missed, that I have no doubt. They do have an unfair advantage. They have more matches to play in the year.
Will it hurt our provincial teams finance?

Steffano2002

CJhaughey wrote:

Let em go I say, They will quickly find out the same as Les-Rosbifs that European glory is worth much more than a simple domestic league.

Absolutely incorrect when it comes to rugby in France. The majority of players and supporters in France will tell you that winning the Bouclier de Brennus is much more important than winning the H-Cup!

The Bouclier de Brennus is a must-have. The H-Cup is a nice-to-have.

Steffano2002

An Tarbh wrote:

I wouldn't be so dismissive of the French here, it's easy for us to say with our maximum of 29 club games per season that the HEC should be their priority, there's far more history to the French championship than the HEC.

We can survive for one season without the French, it won't be the end of the world, it does feel like a slap in the face, but imagine saying to the likes of Albi or Montauban, listen guys Paris, Biarritz, Perpignan and Toulouse won't be playing you this season so they can compete in the HEC, it just wouldn't be a starter. The league takes precedence in France so we just have to live with that, easier said than done considering the setup we have in the ML.

We had this in 99, we can just adopt the same format with the English in for the French and hopefully this will be the kick up the arse that the English need to sort the problems between Premier Rugby and the RFU.

Now THAT, I agree with. That is a very good post An Tarbh! You know what you are talking about!

Steffano2002

Nukem wrote:

I say let them go - they will come crawling. The Hcup is a severe cash flow at the gate. Com'on like, reckon join the HC and the Challenge Cup and see how long it takes them to restructure there home league and come back crawling.

Pah - fooking sore losers (just happens to coincide with them have the worst 6 french teams ever in the HC)

Munster should come play in the Top 14 for a year. That would put things into perspective in your narrow little mind

Sangre

Damn cheese eating surrender-monkies!

Steffano2002

Very true that!

Nukem

Steffano2002 wrote:

Munster should come play in the Top 14 for a year. That would put things into perspective in your narrow little mind

Oh! - some is taking this very personally:rolleyes:

7mountpleasant

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6292629.stm
Maybe all is not lost?

RuggieBear

Steffano2002 wrote:

Munster should come play in the Top 14 for a year. That would put things into perspective in your narrow little mind

steffano behave

Steffano2002

When Nukem said "Pah - fooking sore losers (just happens to coincide with them have the worst 6 french teams ever in the HC)" you didn't tell him to behave... Was worse than what I said!

Steffano2002

7mountpleasant wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6292629.stm
Maybe all is not lost?

Indeed! Perhaps some good news soon?

RuggieBear

Steffano2002 wrote:

When Nukem said "Pah - fooking sore losers (just happens to coincide with them have the worst 6 french teams ever in the HC)" you didn't tell him to behave... Was worse than what I said!

attack post not poster.

Chucky the tree

Nukem wrote:

Pah - fooking sore losers (just happens to coincide with them have the worst 6 french teams ever in the HC)

I'll gurantee the French will have a team in the final and the Irish will have none. I wouldnt even be suprised if Stade made it an all french final aswell.

An Tarbh

I wouldn't write off Munster, they'll certainly have a point to prove in the Llanelli match and will likely do so.

Then there's the semi, if it's Leicester it'll be at the Walkers stadium where they don't have a good record and again Munster will feel they have a point to prove. If it's Paris there's plenty of motivation for Munster as well.

jancav

Chucky the tree wrote:

I'll gurantee the French will have a team in the final and the Irish will have none. I wouldnt even be suprised if Stade made it an all french final aswell.

an all French final at Twickers?? Won't be able to give away the tickets........