Huge New TV deal for the French Clubs

LNR have announced -
http://www.therugbyblog.com/mammoth-new-tv-deal-for-french-clubs
This appears to be just in relation to the T14 league. But the figures mentioned are starting to push towards soccer figures.

I wonder if this will have an impact on H-Cup negotiations?
The player drain to France will surely increase as will salary caps. Will this also be to the detriment of the French national side?

Watch out SH teams the French will be coming for your internationals, not just the ones getting a retirement package!

Yep, just read this. Oh dear.

Unfortunately I think this is the beginning of the end of rugby as we know it. Say hello to multi-million transfers...

C'est la vie.

Thank flip for the 75% top tax rate.

Yes - I guess that might be a bit of a deterrent for some of the players.
Although I am sure that there are ways around that - especially for foreign players. Offshore accounts etc.
The big names wouldn't already be flocking to France if they weren't getting a great deal. But, with the money they are talking about now - it could get silly.

Depends what they use the extra money for, most clubs are run at a major loss in France. They could try to stabilise to books with this extra income.

extra EUR35-40million per year easily turns the whole league to significant profitability. i think top14 lost a combined EUR 15m or thereabouts last year?

unless they wee it all away on player salaries.

will be intersting to see if they keep the salary cap as is and the extra money goes to profitability.

propdavid_london wrote:LNR have announced -
http://www.therugbyblog.com/mammoth-new-tv-deal-for-french-clubs
This appears to be just in relation to the T14 league.  But the figures mentioned are starting to push towards soccer figures.  

I wonder if this will have an impact on H-Cup negotiations?  
The player drain to France will surely increase as will salary caps.  Will this also be to the detriment of the French national side?

Its a huge deal for Rugby but they are still well short of the football figures:

TOP14 domestic deal is worth £59M a year and Overseas right will be small.
Prem Lge domestic deal is worth £594M a year and Overseas rights take it over a £billion a year.
Ligue1 domestic deal is worth £503 (606M Euros) a year with small Overseas rights of 31M Euros

Whats next, transfer fees?

Well let the exodus begin!! The thing you'll start to see more of now will be the smaller French clubs being able to outbid most other teams around the world.


I expect Australia to suffer badly from it. They've already lost Giteau, Ioane and now Ben Mowen. Will Folau be able to turn down a French club waving €500k+ at him? You also have the AB's. They're more loyal than most but many of the fringe players will be tempted away and they might start to find it harder to replace all the lost talent.

I think by tomorrow morning the SH players will be running to their managers and the international coaches will be running for the mountains.

Whats involved in registering a team in the Top 14?

Biltong wrote:I think by tomorrow morning the SH players will be running to their managers and the international coaches will be running for the mountains.

I've noticed something over this past year around the web. As the NH unions, clubs, regions, provinces, media and TV companies have gone to battle, it never really registered with (m)any SH posters or media. Its like they're separate from it all but they're not and it certainly isn't confined to the NH. The more money the clubs have the more pressure they'll put unions around the world under.

Why don't the French go and nick more English players? Mind you just saw another young kiwi joining the Irish team

nganboy wrote:Why don't the French go and nick more English players? Mind you just saw another young kiwi joining the Irish team

expect to see more coming to Ireland as our players will be moving to France. Then as soon as that Kiwi becomes anyway good he will be in France.

nganboy wrote:Why don't the French go and nick more English players? Mind you just saw another young kiwi joining the Irish team

Don't worry hes not AB quality. Your fellow Kiwi picked him btw. I'd like to see residency rule extended to 10 years minimum but thats another topic entirely.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

nganboy wrote:Why don't the French go and nick more English players? Mind you just saw another young kiwi joining the Irish team

expect to see more coming to Ireland as our players will be moving to France. Then as soon as that Kiwi becomes anyway good he will  be in France.

I think we're going to see less Kiwis coming to Ireland even if French clubs sign Irish players. The academies are starting to produce a surplus of players now and theres not a whole lot of room for them to get on any team. If SOB and Heaslip go to Toulon they'll be replaced by Ruddock, Murphy, Leavy and Conan etc.

profitius wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

nganboy wrote:Why don't the French go and nick more English players? Mind you just saw another young kiwi joining the Irish team

expect to see more coming to Ireland as our players will be moving to France. Then as soon as that Kiwi becomes anyway good he will  be in France.

I think we're going to see less Kiwis coming to Ireland even if French clubs sign Irish players. The academies are starting to produce a surplus of players now and theres not a whole lot of room for them to get on any team. If SOB and Heaslip go to Toulon they'll be replaced by Ruddock, Murphy, Leavy and Conan etc.

I'd imagine that with the Irish connections in the top 14 and proD2 that a lot of Irish players will be picked up from the academies from teams like Grenoble, Stade Francis, Aurillac and Auch. We already seen Peter Lydon, Hart, Jerry Sexton, Flanagan, Shane O'leary and Rory Kavanagh get picked up from the Irish system when most of them never even made a senior apperance for their province. I'd imagine with the success of these players and more money that more will follow.

we will still have to import I'd imagine.

i think SL and the RFU should give all english players in france eligibility for the EPS, or maybe come up with a expanded EPS for non-england based players.

travel time is not an issue.

game time and rest time is. so if they english players get the same game/rest/eligibility into their contracts i am 110% all for it. can't stop people earning a living, nor should we.

quinsforever wrote:i think SL and the RFU should give all english players in france eligibility for the EPS, or maybe come up with a expanded EPS for non-england based players.

travel time is not an issue.

game time and rest time is. so if they english players get the same game/rest/eligibility into their contracts i am 110% all for it. can't stop people earning a living, nor should we.

Any player involved with England is already on extremely good salaries. They are getting more money than most could ever dream off. How about we stop these inflated wages now before it gets like soccer. I think the system in the AP is almost perfect with salary caps and the balance between English and foreign players.

top14 also has a salary cap. and if they stick to it, the average top14 owner is going to make EUR 2m profit per annum with their new TV deal. i am completely fine with that.

i also like the PRL ambitions for the average club to make £500k-1m per annum, which they will only get to with new european cup and sticking to their salary cap.

how precisely do you go about stopping "inflated" wages? if someone is prepared to pay them and they still make a profit, where is the problem? or do you want to go back to amateurism while somehow still keeping the irish province success at european club rugby?

quinsforever wrote:i think SL and the RFU should give all english players in france eligibility for the EPS, or maybe come up with a expanded EPS for non-england based players.

travel time is not an issue.

game time and rest time is. so if they english players get the same game/rest/eligibility into their contracts i am 110% all for it. can't stop people earning a living, nor should we.

The AP clubs get financially rewarded for having those players in the EPS.  Unless you put the same structure in place (and i can't see the RFU funding French clubs) then the French clubs wont give the players those contracts imo.

andyi wrote:

quinsforever wrote:i think SL and the RFU should give all english players in france eligibility for the EPS, or maybe come up with a expanded EPS for non-england based players.

travel time is not an issue.

game time and rest time is. so if they english players get the same game/rest/eligibility into their contracts i am 110% all for it. can't stop people earning a living, nor should we.

The AP clubs get financially rewarded for having those players in the EPS.  Unless you put the same structure in place (and i can't see the RFU funding French clubs) then the French clubs wont give the players those contracts imo.

why? from a player perspective, if he is getting a £250k per annum salary increase and the same EPS release/availability, do you think the player will care whether it is being english club/rfu subsidised or come straight from a top14 club?

isn't this exactly why Gatland is happy for top welsh players to play in france?

quinsforever wrote:top14 also has a salary cap. and if they stick to it, the average top14 owner is going to make EUR 2m profit per annum with their new TV deal. i am completely fine with that.

i also like the PRL ambitions for the average club to make £500k-1m per annum, which they will only get to with new european cup and sticking to their salary cap.

how precisely do you go about stopping "inflated" wages? if someone is prepared to pay them and they still make a profit, where is the problem? or do you want to go back to amateurism while somehow still keeping the irish province success at european club rugby?

Ye the likes of Toulon and Racing are sticking to a salary cap   You do realise Toulon are about to sign Heaslip and SOB and already have Gorgodze on the books. All of whom will demand huge wages to go along with the other expensive players in their squad.

Mourad Boudjelall was complaining a month or 2 ago that the tv rights were irrelevant for him as not allowed to spend more. Every now and then he threaten to sue the LNR for the salary cap or JIFF quota.

Today he's saying that its unfair that his club is not having a bigger share of the cake as they are responsible of the attractivness of the league! He's prepared to forbid cameras on his pitch or leave the league!   

His shamelessness has really no limits but his knterviews are decent in terms of comedy value.

quinsforever wrote:

andyi wrote:

quinsforever wrote:i think SL and the RFU should give all english players in france eligibility for the EPS, or maybe come up with a expanded EPS for non-england based players.

travel time is not an issue.

game time and rest time is. so if they english players get the same game/rest/eligibility into their contracts i am 110% all for it. can't stop people earning a living, nor should we.

The AP clubs get financially rewarded for having those players in the EPS.  Unless you put the same structure in place (and i can't see the RFU funding French clubs) then the French clubs wont give the players those contracts imo.

why? from a player perspective, if he is getting a £250k per annum salary increase and the same EPS release/availability, do you think the player will care whether it is being english club/rfu subsidised or come straight from a top14 club?

isn't this exactly why Gatland is happy for top welsh players to play in france?

Why would the french club sign a player who's going to be away for a lot of the time? They wont.

whocares wrote:Mourad Boudjelall was complaining a month or 2 ago that the tv rights were irrelevant for him as not allowed to spend more. Every now and then he threaten to sue the LNR for the salary cap or JIFF quota.

Today he's saying that its unfair that his club is not having a bigger share of the cake as they are responsible of the attractivness of the league! He's prepared to forbid cameras on his pitch or leave the league!   

His shamelessness has really no limits but his knterviews are decent in terms of comedy value.

He's entertaining for sure. I laughed so hard when during the very heights of the European uncertainty he came out and said Toulon where not playing in the RCC.

andyi wrote:

quinsforever wrote:

andyi wrote:

quinsforever wrote:i think SL and the RFU should give all english players in france eligibility for the EPS, or maybe come up with a expanded EPS for non-england based players.

travel time is not an issue.

game time and rest time is. so if they english players get the same game/rest/eligibility into their contracts i am 110% all for it. can't stop people earning a living, nor should we.

The AP clubs get financially rewarded for having those players in the EPS.  Unless you put the same structure in place (and i can't see the RFU funding French clubs) then the French clubs wont give the players those contracts imo.

why? from a player perspective, if he is getting a £250k per annum salary increase and the same EPS release/availability, do you think the player will care whether it is being english club/rfu subsidised or come straight from a top14 club?

isn't this exactly why Gatland is happy for top welsh players to play in france?

Why would the french club sign a player who's going to be away for a lot of the time? They wont.

they already have welsh players on exactly those terms

At least O'Brien hasn't succumbed to the money. Staying with Leinster

nganboy wrote:Why don't the French go and nick more English players?

The Heineken Cup holders are based around a core of English players.

It will interesting to see the effect this has, quite possibly other clubs will now be able to catch up with Toulon in terms of spending power, so the drain to French clubs could step up a notch.

As an unintended consequence, this may force unions around the world to come together and try and establish some semblance of a global season, or at least looking at the way the world rugby scene is structured.

It may also mean the FFR plan of setting up a UEFA style body to run European rugby may also gain more traction.

Bathman_in_London wrote:It will interesting to see the effect this has, quite possibly other clubs will now be able to catch up with Toulon in terms of spending power, so the drain to French clubs could step up a notch.

As an unintended consequence, this may force unions around the world to come together and try and establish some semblance of a global season, or at least looking at the way the world rugby scene is structured.

It may also mean the FFR plan of setting up a UEFA style body to run European rugby may also gain more traction.

totally agree. might also prevent certain unions arranging international matches outside the windows if they get the calendars properly sorted.

Isnt the 75% tax rate only for people earning 1 million plus?

Even with this new money they'd still be a good bit off this. SOB and Heaslip were rumoured to have been offered 500,000 and i would imagine they would have be one of the top earners in the Top14. So i doubt that tax rate has too big an effect on rugby

Golden wrote:Isnt the 75% tax rate only for people earning 1 million plus?

Even with this new money they'd still be a good bit off this. SOB and Heaslip were rumoured to have been offered 500,000 and i would imagine they would have be one of the top earners in the Top14. So i doubt that tax rate has too big an effect on rugby

Yes.

a big reason why ireland keeps its players in ireland is the huge tax break that it still offers. not sure of the exact mechanics (is to do with exemption of future taxes on past taxes paid or something like that?), but seems like anything less than a 40% pay increase wouldnt be worth players moving.