Deciding Catalans Dragons' future amid Super League uncertainty

[josie andrews]

The Dragons and Toulouse are set to be under scrutiny during the strategic review.

Let's cut to the chase here. There are a number of stakeholders within rugby league right now who hold the opinion that French rugby league clubs are not good for Super League.

Both Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique's long-term involvement in the RFL league structure is uncertain. It came as no surprise to discover that one of the big topics that will be looked at in the upcoming strategic review of the game is the value of the French clubs.

It's not unfair to say that the Dragons feel unwanted and are disenchanted by the attitude of some of their counterparts too. Steve McNamara's comments over the weekend were a fair indicator of that.

"This has been one of the biggest success stories of expansion and hopefully it will continue," he said.

"So whatever they were talking about at the meeting at Batley, we will see what the outcome of that is, but for me there is only one solution, and that is to strengthen this club and continue doing so regardless of what anybody else thinks."

To many, the idea of pushing Catalans out is unfathomable. This is a club that has regularly competed at the top end of Super League, won a Challenge Cup and boasts the highest-ever attendance for a regular league game.

They also provide Super League supporters with a unique away trip, one that has proven to be immensely popular now more than ever. Huge numbers travelled to Perpignan last year and that is set to remain the same this year.

So how have we gotten to this point? Ultimately, and unsurprisingly, it comes down to money. But first, let's provide a history lesson.

The background

If we rewind to Catalans' introduction to Super League in 2006, there were three main aspirations attached to it.

To enhance the international game and make France a strong opponent for the top nations in the game, notably England.

To enhance the sport's broadcast appeal and deliver strong revenue growth

To provide supporters with a new away day experience and create another event
It's almost 20 years on from that decision being made and essentially, two of those objectives have not been met. France are not legitimate contenders on the international scene. They haven't beaten England or Great Britain since 1990, long before the Dragons came to Super League. The last two games between the two have ended 64-0 and 40-8.

The plan that a French team would bring in significant broadcast revenue hasn't materialised either. While all of Catalans' games are being shown on L’Equipe TV in France and TV3 in Spain, those arrangements aren't bringing in significant investment.

But the Dragons have undoubtedly delivered when it comes to fan experience. Supporters across the competition are travelling in huge numbers to watch their teams across the Channel. A number of clubs had followings in excess of 1,000 last year and that's expected to continue next year. The fans love the trip and it's hard to blame them, Perpignan is a beautiful location and is an essential trip now for many rugby league supporters. To many, Catalans away is the first fixture they look for.

Even that is seen as an issue to some within the game. They believe the Dragons and Perpignan's tourism are benefitting from their involvement in Super League and the other clubs and their respective areas aren't in return. It's no secret that Catalans do not bring strong away support to games in the UK. Some also hold the view that people spending their money going to Perpignan has a negative impact on centralised events, such as Magic Weekend and the Challenge Cup Final.

That very much doesn't seem like Catalans' problem though!

The mitigation

Starting this year, the Dragons are now covering the travel costs of all Super League clubs and RFL officials for games in Perpignan this year. That's on top of their own expenses when they travel to the UK, as has always been the case.

That is an eye-watering bill that the Dragons are footing, thought to be somewhere in the region of £1 million, and is ultimately a significant saving for the RFL. Catalans, to their credit, have taken that on. The club's president, Bernard Guasch, admitted last year that the lack of money from French broadcast deals was a fair frustration.

While France hasn't achieved what had been hoped on the international scene, you cannot deny that the Dragons have been a good addition to Super League on the field. They have won the Challenge Cup, the League Leaders' Shield and reached two Super League Grand Finals. Let's face it, their on-field success outweighs the majority of their competitors.

They've done it with a healthy French contingent too. Nine members of their seventeen were French in the Challenge Cup Final win in 2018. They had five homegrown players in the 2021 and 2023 Grand Final teams. For context, Warrington had three homegrown players in their Wembley squad last year. Hull KR had one at Old Trafford.

A lot of people within the game are concerned about the player pool in this country. Replacing Catalans with another English team would make that worse. The Dragons' 2025 squad consists of only four English players and it simply would not be possible for a replacement team to do that. It would only make things more difficult in terms of recruitment short-term and long-term. There are as many Frenchmen playing for UK Super League clubs as there are English players in Les Dracs' squad, for what it's worth.

The other simple point is this. If you're going to scrutinise the French clubs and their value, it's only fair to do so to the rest. And while this is an uncomfortable truth many seem to want to avoid, if you are going to question Catalans' value, there would be plenty of questions asked of others up and down the league pyramid too.

The solution

The reality is that this conversation is only taking place because money is tight across the sport. The broadcast deal has dwindled and clubs are hemorrhaging money. If it wasn't for that, Catalans' future wouldn't be under the scrutiny that is is right now. They are a unique case and given that, the finances do need to add up and a solution is needed.

That isn't the fault of the Dragons or Toulouse but it's also fair to say that the sport needs them to do more to help out too, though they aren't alone in that regard which is why putting the microscope on them is harsh.

Many would be happy to let them remain in the league structure if they weren't taking central funding, but that's not a reasonable solution. It simply isn't financially viable. In this writer's belief, shutting the doors on them would be a disastrous decision too. You can say with absolute certainty that if the NRL do take control, the priority will be to make Catalans bigger, not to turn them away.

But, like everyone else, the Dragons and Toulouse need to bring more to the table too. The lack of a significant broadcast deal has to be rectified, that is fundamentally the big issue that is at play here and even the Dragons accept that. It's worth noting Super League secured a three-year partnership with Winegrowers Vignerons Catalans last year, a positive step forward.

But the other important point is that the sport as a whole needs to get its act together. The sport needs strong leadership to get TV deals up, stronger marketing to sell out Wembley and Magic Weekend. You can't blame the Dragons or Toulouse for that and if you want to, others are equally culpable.

If you were to cut Catalans' participation, then doing so from the Challenge Cup would seem the sensible course of action. The RFL's finances are so dependent on strong ticket sales at Wembley and it cannot be denied that the Dragons reaching the final is a disaster for the the governing body, a disaster to the tune of £300,000 and the rest. To reduce financial risks in that regard, having Catalans and Toulouse play in a French knockout competition would be a way to ensure there are benefits for the game in France too.

But the answer can't be to simply send them on their way. Nobody might entirely have the answers, but saying au revoir to the French is certainly not the solution.

https://www.alloutrugbyleague.co.uk/new ... ue-1077401

[Wiganer Ted]

The reduction in the SKY TV deal last time around is the killer.
Clubs cannot make up that shortfall.
Some SL clubs have abysmal home attendances, Huddersfield and Salford immediately come to mind. Their away following is often the butt of supporter's jokes. Wasn't it the Giants who brought 79 fans to Wigan?

The idea that Catalans and Toulouse are the real problem is mistaken. Catalans are massively financally viable unlike most English SL clubs.

Dropping both the French clubs would be a disaster and would alienate thousands of supporters who enjoy the trip over some for a couple of days others for a week or more.
Imagine if they were voted out and fans decided to boycott the clubs that did it. That would simply kill off some SL clubs.
They had better handle this with sensitivity but dropping Catalans and Toulouse from SL is most certainly not the answer.

[fozzie58]

This smacks of the Yorkshire buffoons wanting rid of those pesky frenchies and bring back to lead the sport to the glory days the likes of serial bankruptcy bunnies Bradford and Feb,that’s the ticket get rid of they don’t like it up em etc.

Makes you sick it really does

[moto748]

It's disgraceful. Surely SL clubs won't support this? Is it some kind of attempt to throw a spanner in the works as regards any future NRL involvement?

[the pieman]

this is just typical of how the sport is run in this country. Whilst many would accept that Catalan havent had some of the impact they were hoping / aiming for i.e. strengthen the French national team, there is no doubt that overall they have been successful on and off the pitch. They have won and made it to finals that many other long standing clubs can only dream of, and have a decent core of French / homegrown players within their team, again something some clubs can only dream of.

As the article alludes to, its a great day out for the fans with the majority spending the weekend or a week over there to take in the game. So in short it works for the English fans going to France.
On the flip side, and the complaint they dont bring fans to the away games. I would ask how many English fans make the away trips to the local games. The answer, very often is not many. When the away end at The Brick is empty for games v Hudds, Salford, Bradford and the likes, it just shows that there are people with such short memories. I'm not one who believes we should make it attractive for away supporters to attend by reducing prices, but having them often does improve the atmosphere at the ground. The flip side is, i've been to many away games where you see the ticket prices increased because its Wigan, and they know there will be decent numbers turning up, which is just wrong.

There is also a certain irony if clubs are complaining about the TV money being cut, as Catalan dont get a cut of that anyway, so its not like they are adding nothing, and taking their share. They negotiate their own TV deals, and i'd bet that we try to get our pennies worth out of that too

I cant remember if this next bit got through, but after Catalan won the CC, the RFL said they lost / didnt make as much money as they normally would do, so were going to hit them with an extortionate fee for entering the competition. So if for example Salford or Huddersfield go to the final, would they do the same as they wouldnt take good numbers of fans, so why punish one team and not others, just double standards. And, from memory, they won the CC when the semi was played about a fortnight before the final, and was a bank holiday, so flights up were about £1k

[fozzie58]

If a governing body is so reliant on fans filling a stadium to turn a profit then it’s time to stop living in the past stop going to Wembley(it’s horrible place) and take the cup to a venue that can be sold out give me Tottenham for instance full to the rafters and would pretty much turn a decent profit no matter who was there but typical of the navel gazing the sport does

[Firestarter]

If a governing body is so reliant on fans filling a stadium to turn a profit then it’s time to stop living in the past stop going to Wembley(it’s horrible place) and take the cup to a venue that can be sold out give me Tottenham for instance full to the rafters and would pretty much turn a decent profit no matter who was there but typical of the navel gazing the sport does

I wouldnt miss wembley one little bit foz.Its s£&£e compared to how it used to be.From the build up to the ground and the whole occasion

[the pieman]

If a governing body is so reliant on fans filling a stadium to turn a profit then it’s time to stop living in the past stop going to Wembley(it’s horrible place) and take the cup to a venue that can be sold out give me Tottenham for instance full to the rafters and would pretty much turn a decent profit no matter who was there but typical of the navel gazing the sport does

I wouldnt miss wembley one little bit foz.Its s£&£e compared to how it used to be.From the build up to the ground and the whole occasion

i agree as i loved going to the Old Wembley. Full of character and was for the fans. The atmosphere before the games was absolutely brilliant sat on the grass banks. Now its just a money spinner, fleecing us before, during and after

one of my mates has an old photo on facebook which pops up of us all sat on one of the grass banks at the CC final. Absolutely great photo and i had hair too , and about 5 stones lighter

[josie andrews]

If a governing body is so reliant on fans filling a stadium to turn a profit then it’s time to stop living in the past stop going to Wembley(it’s horrible place) and take the cup to a venue that can be sold out give me Tottenham for instance full to the rafters and would pretty much turn a decent profit no matter who was there but typical of the navel gazing the sport does

I wouldnt miss wembley one little bit foz.Its s£&£e compared to how it used to be.From the build up to the ground and the whole occasion

I agree it’s awful!