- Title: FRANCE: FRENCH RUGBY LEAGUE CIRCUIT
- Date: 7th November 1994
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 7, 1994) 1. WIDE SHOT OF PRESS CONFERENCE 2. KENNETH ARTHURSON SAYS (ENGLISH) : "...THAT THE GAME OF RUGBY LEAGUE IS WELL AND TRULY ON THE MARCH INTERNATIONALLY. THE POPULARITY OF THE GAME IN TERMS OF TELEVISION RATINGS AND GROUND ATTENDANCES, IS ABSOLUTELY BEYOND ALL EXPECTATIONS AND I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THE GAME OF RUGBY LEAGUE HAS NEVER BEEN AT A HIGHER LEVEL." 3. CUTAWAY OF PRESS CONFERENCE 4. ARTHURSON SAYS (ENGLISH) :"THE INTERNATIONAL BOARD HAS BEEN CONCERNED FOR SOME TIME THAT RUGBY LEAGUE IS NOT PROGRESSING IN THE WAY WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN IN FRANCE. SOME OF THE FRENCH TEAMS THAT I'VE PERSONALLY SEEN OVER THE YEARS HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE GREATEST RUGBY LEAGUE TIMES OF ALL TIME AND IT'S OUR INTENTION TO TRY AND RESTORE THAT POPULARITY OF THE GAME BACK INTO THIS COUNTRY." 5. CUTAWAY OF JOURNALISTS 6. JACQUES FOUROUX SAYS "I AM A FREE MAN AND YES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE ALONE AND WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE I DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE SPORT THAT HAS MADE ME A LIVING." (FRENCH) 5. CUTAWAY OF PHOTOGRAPHER 6. FOUROUX SAYS: "FRANCE RUGBY LEAGUE 16 TEAMS AS I HAVE JUST SAID, TWO POOLS OF EIGHT TEAMS, FOUR QUALIFIERS PER POOL, QUARTER FINAL, SEMI FINAL AND FINAL AT THE PARC DES PRINCES. THE LAUNCH OF FRANCE RUGBY LEAGUE IS PLANNED FOR JULY 1995." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 22nd November 1994 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City:
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA1FO2UJ5JPXC4RURFAUAVW4J2G
- Story Text: Former French national rugby union coach Jacques Fouroux on Monday (November 7) launched a showbiz-style, semi-professionalrugby league circuit to start in France next summer.
Fouroux said he planned to start a 16-team league with French and foreign players with free entrance and music at all matches.
The new circuit would play under rugby league rules but matches would be played in four quarters rather than two halves with unlimited rotating substitutions from squads of 17.
Fouroux appeared with the president of the International Rugby League Board, Kenneth Arthurson of Australia and Maurice Lindsay, president of the British federation.
Once one of the most powerful men in French rugby union, Fouroux said he had no hesitation in switching codes. World rugby is at a crossroads and the game had to be spectacular and easily understood.
Fouroux also plans an international grand prix series between national teams, the first in Paris after next year's rugby league World Cup and between France, Australia, Britain and Wales. There would also be an international grand prix series of rugby sevens.
The new France Rugby League would be launched next summer after the rugby union World Cup in June with matches played in midweek to avoid clashing with other major sporting fixtures.
The 16 teams would represent different regions of France but not have a home base, playing at all the major towns in their region.
Arthurson said the sport was progressing internationally but the board was worried about lack of interest in France. Some of the best teams he had seen had been from France and the Board hoped the new league would increase the game's popularity in the country.
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