While rugby league in Australia was hailing a new era in the sport’s history with the advent of the independent commission, a momentous moment was also occurring in France.
On February 8, the French Federation of Rugby 13 announced a major three-year television deal between France’s sole Super League club Dragons Catalans, and Al-Jazeera Sport, a new entrant in the domestic French television market.
The deal also includes coverage of the NRL and State of Origin, and is a significant income source for French rugby league. Previous deals with Canal+ and Orange TV saw the FFR pay production costs or receive no profit at all for the promotion and televising of the sport.
This new agreement presents a major shift for the game. Hopefully the perceived lack of respect for the sport in high places, especially the media, can now begin to dissipate.
The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera Sport channel is resource rich, having already snared major European football coverage, and now provides rugby league in France with significant opportunities for the future.
The agreement was signed off by the Deputy Director of Al-Jazeera Sport, Charles Bietry. Bietry is no stranger to rugby league as he was head of Paris Saint-Germain FC Omnisport between 1992-98. PSG partnered with rugby league to launch the club into the inaugural Super League season in 1996.
Though it soon became a failure for the club, Bietry remained a fan of the game and commented how good rugby league was as a television sport, comments he reiterated again in a recent interview for L’Independent, a major southern French daily.
How fitting that all these years later, rugby league has been presented with the opportunity of a lifetime courtesy of Bietry. Dragons Catalans is seen by many as the flag bearer of rugby league in France, and has led a revival for the sport in many areas. Notably, television and print media coverage has increased, especially in its traditional markets of Aquitaine, Languedoc-Roussillon, and Provence.
The Catalans-led revival has also seen a rise in interest for the national team, that has resulted in France hosting pool games for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup in 2013. The national team, commonly known as Les Chanticleers (The Roosters) have also made a re-appearance on French free to air television in the last couple of years, along with the domestic Elite One Championship and cup finals.
New clubs, old clubs reborn, and the rise of the game in the school system have also been notable features of French rugby league’s resurgence.
With participation numbers projected to reach 50,000 by 2014, the next logical step would be for Elite One to come under Al-Jazeera Sport’s umbrella. Such a scenario could be possible if French rugby league envisaged an Australian-style independent commission.
Currently the domestic league is very much village controlled, with the exception of a few larger centres like Toulouse, Perpignan, Montpellier and Avignon. Television income could attract new investment and interest in the game from larger French cities where rugby league was once popular, in Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, and even Paris.
With such a history, rugby league could once again establish a foothold into the minds of the French sporting public.
Whether you see it as luck, with the advent of so many content-starved digital and cable channels, the game must take advantage of this opportunity in what was once an important rugby league market. Al-Jazeera Sport’s coverage of Dragons Catalans may just be the start of a new dawn for rugby league in France.
Ray
Guest
no they didnt and did you hear the one how rugby leagtue fans in france burn down rugby union clubs after the war?
JZ
Guest
Thank you for that , i have always wondered
amazonfan
Roar Guru
Why should we beware of it? It's just like any other media organization. Its motives are no different to that of most other media organizations. In fact, if anything, it's purer than Murdoch's organization. It just happens to be Arab based, which I hope is not why you suggest we should beware it (without giving any reasons).
Queensland's game is rugby league
Guest
If France could get up to scratch with the big 3 then it would help England bridge the gap between themselves and Australia/NZ. The competition it'll provide England will condition the English for the rigours of Test football.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Yup.I think it was a case of you scratch my back,I will scratch yours.I as a matter of sporting expediency and for the good of the game,can live with that.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
KOGS when they get involved in phone tapping,then I will worry. When they overtly push politics,then I will worry. I work on the basis of giving everyone an opportunity to prove their credentials.If they stuff up,vive la guillotine. I have a liitle interest in French rugby league,but don't tell anyone.
Matt_S
Roar Pro
I also think their was a tradeoff with the government who seem to have increased funding to rugby league who seemed to have stepped up the number of development officers.
King of the Gorgonites
Roar Guru
i am not a privately educated man. why would i be? i thought you may have picked that up from my spelling! Look i am a supporter of french rugby league. but beware al jaz. thats all im saying........
King of the Gorgonites
Roar Guru
haha come on CC. you know i could resist commenting when i see an article like this. It doesnt matter what sport it might have been, i was hooekd when i read Al Jaz. i believe the motives behind that organisation is qustionable.....but i wont go there. i am a supporter of french rugby leage. i have said for a long time that there needs to be a 2nd team in france. Its a sad day if the likes of Leigh can get consdiered, but a palce like Toulouse is ignored.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
JZ Fair question,one would suggest time factor,govt's not wanting to open old wounds,rl people around ATT have just about all passed on The 2002 commission findings initiated by the Govt,made admissions that the code was treated badly.The fact the code is now able to operate in an environment, without obstacles is about the best one can wish for. Still it is part of French sporting history,something which cannot be erased ,by the stroke of a pen. TBH France and the Eurozone mob have more pressing problems ATM ,what with Italy and Greece in deep you know whatters, and countries including France having their ratings downgraded,rl assets would be the least of their worries unfortunately.
THE RFL
Guest
How good would it be to get France back to that level in the days of Jean Galia,Puig Albert and co.Awesome.Definetly love to see Toulouse in the Super League.Maybe down the track get some French players in the N.R.L. or U/20s.Never say never.
amazonfan
Guest
True, and it has also been banned in several Arab countries due to its criticism of governments.
JZ
Guest
just a Question hopefully some one could answer it, why cant the French rugby league get their assets back that had been seized from them ???
JZ
Guest
i like the way you think Lyon is a great fit, why stop at only two teams in france .
JZ
Guest
yes this is true and all the assets seized by french rugby union, if only league was to get these assets back the billions of dollars they would have
League fan
Guest
France and Norway are just one of the many countries where RL is growing. I have been very impressed with the news coming out of Jamaica, Canada and the USA. The administration really needs to focus on the international game as there is so much potential. Forget about one sided games. It does not affect union so why should it affect RL.
Matt_S
Roar Pro
Sledgeandhammer, am well aware of rugby league development in Norway. I alluded to a bit about it in my article last year on the RLEF. With a 12 club National comp, highlights on FTA TV, Norway playing international footy etc is great. But it is early days and a lot can happen i.e Russia. Anyway, seems such articles would only attract scorn by KOG who must lead a very insecure life based on his posts. Too much good league news might tip him over the edge.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Give it a break KOGS you can do better. The code in that country has a long history of being treated by all govts socialist and right wing ordinarily.We know the history and its not a good look. Completely off subject BTW with al Jazeera.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
It's called exposure KOGs.All codes crave exposure. Something sadly lacking at times in that country.Of course if ru had done a similar deal, it would be the greatest thing since sliced bread. World domination LOL,no one suggested that.Small yet promising steps that is all and the code is on the way up in that country. Sometimes champ your comments come acrosss with a touch of bitterness..
NF
Guest
'Do some research, you might be pleasantly surprised.' Not sure if you're serious sledge with you being a rugby fan I feel your ribbing here.