French Top 14 2015/2016

[Made Of Ale]

Small bit of extra change for the impoverished members of the TOP14 from 2019:

http://www.the42.ie/top-14-tv-rights-de ... 5-May2016/

[simonokeeffe]

Small bit of extra change for the impoverished members of the TOP14 from 2019:

http://www.the42.ie/top-14-tv-rights-de ... 5-May2016/

€6.93m per club, not til 2019 though, maybe its a good thing theres talk of changing the (global) season structure

[VGE]

Bad news.

That just means more south african, australian, neoz and some irish, welsh or british guys playing in France with georgian or fidjian chaps. And rather well paied for it.

That doesn't mean good games and certainly not a good national french teams those 10 or 15 next years.


Canal + will proudly present the "Best Rugby Championship of the World".

I just hope to have fun next year somewhere in Ireland, Glasgow or Llanelli.


Au revoir.

[Kinger83]

@Murray_Kinsella
Mourad Boudjellal told @Au_Contact that Steffon Armitage has asked to leave Toulon.

Spoke to Eddie Jones, wants to return to England.

[rooster]

@Murray_Kinsella
Mourad Boudjellal told @Au_Contact that Steffon Armitage has asked to leave Toulon.

Spoke to Eddie Jones, wants to return to England.

Supposedly to play for Wasps

[johng]

Will he buy himself out of the last year of his contract? Or will Leinster fan Derek Richardson pay for it.

[Xanthippe]

(@gavinmortimer7)
17/05/2016, 10:02
Toulon chief Mourad Boujellal was a guest of Eurosport on Monday & he had this to say about Steffon Armitage's future...1/5

"Steffon came to see me to say that he had the opportunity to play with the England team, that Eddie Jones had called him. 2/5

"It's his ambition so why not. He is under contract & I have no intention of playing Father Christmas because there's no reason 3/5

I should have feelings for English teams... I am ready to let him leave but that has a price and it's expensive." 4/5

"He's asked to leave Toulon and go and play in an English club and for the England team." 5/5

Mourad adds that a condition of allowing Armitage to leave is that the club finds an adequate replacement.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Seems odd that he didn't come back for the World Cup but does now. He hasn't been in good form this season anyway.

[simonokeeffe]

Seems odd that he didn't come back for the World Cup but does now. He hasn't been in good form this season anyway.

Bath tried to sign him but IIRC stumbling block was a transfer fee/buying out his contract

[Made Of Ale]

Vinny Clark joins Clement Poitrenaud in the Toulouse outbox. Only Dusautoir and Albacete left from the old days now.

Clerc didn't sound best pleased about being let go but is supposedly off to Toulon so it could be worse.

[Made Of Ale]

Not strictly speaking the Top 14, but big French rugby news today as Biarritz, Bourgoin and Narbonne all kicked out of the ProD2 for financial shabbiness:

http://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/pro-d2/20 ... tory.shtml

So the European finalists from 2006 will be playing in the third tier (Fédérale 1) next season, pending the appeal.

[simonokeeffe]

Not strictly speaking the Top 14, but big French rugby news today as Biarritz, Bourgoin and Narbonne all kicked out of the ProD2 for financial shabbiness:

http://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/pro-d2/20 ... tory.shtml

So the European finalists from 2006 will be playing in the third tier (Fédérale 1) next season, pending the appeal.

Think thats the second time Bourgoin have been done

[neill_m]

Armitage signing for Pau, paying compensation not an issue for them.

[simonokeeffe]

Armitage signing for Pau, paying compensation not an issue for them.

Steffon?
Dont think fees included in salary cap

[Rémy63]

Slimani off to Clermont at the end of next season.

[Ruckedtobits]

What a difference a year makes. A little more than 18 months ago, after the Aviron Bayonnaise had confirmed their willingness to consider some form of amalgamation, only to have the Biarrots reject the prospect, Bayonne today returned to the Top 14, whilst Biarritz face the prospect of separation by four Divisions from their Basque counterparts, so long considered inferior by those within the Biarritz Club.

We don't have the sanction of administrative relegation in our Pro12 League (Biarritz have been relegated 2 Divisiond for financial irregulatities in player payments), but professional sport has a way of magnifying failure. Biarritz were among the elite of France and Europe less than a decade ago.

The message for at least two Irish Provinces should be clear, change or fail - pragmatic survival is not enough.

[VGE]

Here's the final ranking

1/ASM
2/Toulon


Next week
3/Montpellier vs 6/Castres
4/Racing Metro vs 5/Toulouse


Friday 17th ASM vs Racing or Toulouse
Saturday 18th Toulon vs Montpellier or Castres


Final Friday 24th in Barcelona's Camp Nou

Top 14 was rather ugly this year, but It has to be won now.


Every night I hope and pray
Dear Lord, hear my plea
Don't ever let another take that Brennus
Or I will surely die



Au revoir.

[Ruckedtobits]

The only prospect which could excite me in this Season's Top14 would be the defeat of Toulon, ideally at home, but even in Camp Nou.

[cormac]

The only prospect which could excite me in this Season's Top14 would be the defeat of Toulon, ideally at home, but even in Camp Nou.

Semi-finals are played in a neutral stadium so there won't be any more home games for Toulon.

[neill_m]

The only prospect which could excite me in this Season's Top14 would be the defeat of Toulon, ideally at home, but even in Camp Nou.

Semi-finals are played in a neutral stadium so there won't be any more home games for Toulon.

Being played in Rennes in Brittany this year.