European Club Rugby

Catogrande

Madness. the T14 means 26 regular games plus any European involvement then play offs for the play offs (effectively), then the finals. That could be 29 games plus European stuff, plus any internationals. No wonder most of their players look shattered.

Derm McCrum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="584098" data-time="1464604264">
Madness. the T14 means 26 regular games plus any European involvement then play offs for the play offs (effectively), then the finals. That could be 29 games plus European stuff, plus any internationals. No wonder most of their players look shattered.</blockquote>
 
And most of them don't fancy test matches afterwards. The club game has permanently eclipsed test rugby in France. The current schedules have to change.

Stargazer

It was an interesting weekend for French rugby. Too bad we can't watch these games in NZ (except via dodgy streams). Coliseum/Lightbox have the online rights, but didn't stream one single game of the 2015/2016 season.
 
As expected, Clermont finished on top of the table and goes straight to the semi-finals. They beat La Rochelle 57-8 at home.
 
Toulon snatched the second direct semi-final spot from Montpellier by beating Bordeaux 44-3, while Montpellier lost to Racing 92 (25-40).
 
Castres earned the last play-off spot by downing last year's Top 14 champions Stade Francais Paris 35-14; SF finishing on a miserable 12th spot.
 
Summary of the games and try/points scorers here: <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.planetrugby.com/news/top-14-wrap-clermont-toulon-into-semi-finals/'>http://www.planetrugby.com/news/top-14-wrap-clermont-toulon-into-semi-finals/</a>
 
While Clermont and Toulon have next weekend off, these play-off matches will be played for the two remaining semi-final spots:
 
Racing92 v Toulouse (Sun 12 June, 6.45am NZT). The winner of this game will play Clermont in the semis.
Montpellier v Castres (Mon 13 June, 2.15am NZT). The winner of this game will play Toulon.

Derm McCrum

And just like happened with Ben Te'o, the French and English clubs are now hovering over players like Bundee Aki. It looks like the IRFU will have to try and sign him early to stay and play in Connacht.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/irfu-move-to-secure-bundee-aki-as-foreign-clubs-hover-1.2674799'>http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/irfu-move-to-secure-bundee-aki-as-foreign-clubs-hover-1.2674799</a>
 
I can see this happening more and more with some players - Irish and foreign - that develop well, and then are going to get snapped up with massive money from either England or France.

Billy Tell

Minimal sympathy sorry Pot Hale. From a NZ point of view if it's Connacht, Toulon or Wasps, it's still a talented NZ player moving overseas. 
I expect Aki to stay, given he's more Weshtie than the Connacht lads themselves. Or at least that was the angle taken this season. So you can relax, he will be impervious to money as his burning desire has always been to wear the green of Connacht & Ireland

Catogrande

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Pot Hale" data-cid="585402" data-time="1465259437">
<div>
And just like happened with Ben Te'o, the French and English clubs are now hovering over players like Bundee Aki. It looks like the IRFU will have to try and sign him early to stay and play in Connacht.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/irfu-move-to-secure-bundee-aki-as-foreign-clubs-hover-1.2674799'>http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/irfu-move-to-secure-bundee-aki-as-foreign-clubs-hover-1.2674799</a>
 
I can see this happening more and more with some players - Irish and foreign - that develop well, and then are going to get snapped up with massive money from either England or France.
</div>
</blockquote>
PH, I find that article really quite ironic and just a bit funny too. Complaining about one's poaches being poached. :think:

Cpt Kumera

carl axtens had his debut game for toulouse against another bop rugby player tino nemaini playing for grenoble

Derm McCrum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="585486" data-time="1465281978">
PH, I find that article really quite ironic and just a bit funny too. Complaining about one's poaches being poached. :think:</blockquote>
 
I agree. I'm not complaining. If this continues to happen, then it will kill off the notion of project players.

hydro11

Racing will play Toulon in the Nou Camp in the Top 14 final.
 
Racing had to win in extra time with Carter putting them ahead with a late conversion. Joe Rokocoko scored a fantastic try and looked to still have a lot of his old pace. 
 
Ma'a Nonu scored a try and assisted in another for Toulon.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="589612" data-time="1466290985">
<div>
Racing will play Toulon in the Nou Camp in the Top 14 final.
 
Racing had to win in extra time with Carter putting them ahead with a late conversion. Joe Rokocoko scored a fantastic try and looked to still have a lot of his old pace. 
 
Ma'a Nonu scored a try and assisted in another for Toulon.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Racing was very lucky; controversial officiating much in favour of Racing.
 
Ma'a Nonu also got knocked out in that game. Fortunately, he tweeted afterwards that he's okay.
 
Will be an interesting final. Too bad we have to watch it via dodgy streams here in NZ because no one can be bothered to broadcast Top 14 games. It may not be the same level of rugby as Super Rugby, I still would like to be able to watch a few games now and then.

Toddy

Maori TV has the Top 14 doesn't it? Not live though.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Toddy" data-cid="589632" data-time="1466298052">
<div>
Maori TV has the Top 14 doesn't it? Not live though.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Correct. One game per week and some highlights.
 
Sunday, 1.30pm. 
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.maoritelevision.com/tv/shows/rugby-show-french-top-14-rugby'>http://www.maoritelevision.com/tv/shows/rugby-show-french-top-14-rugby</a>

Stargazer

European Challenge Cup - pools 2016-17:
 
<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CmHio2rWAAA59ow.jpg" alt="CmHio2rWAAA59ow.jpg">
 
 
European Championship Cup - pools 2016-17:
 
<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CmHn3lQXEAIINrY.jpg" alt="CmHn3lQXEAIINrY.jpg">

taniwharugby

Ali Williams unretired for Racing 92

Immenso Rapido

I assume the Nou Camp crowd was a record for a rugby game? It is was s sell out or near sell out.

Bovidae

Perhaps for a club game. The 2 Bledisloe Cup games at Stadium Australia in 1999 and 2000 had 100,000+ in attendance.

Immenso Rapido

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="592920" data-time="1467241777">
Perhaps for a club game. The 2 Bledisloe Cup games at Stadium Australia in 1999 and 2000 had 100,000+ in attendance.</blockquote>
Oh yeah, of course. 
The reason I though this was last year during RWC the NZ v Arg game at Wembley was trumpeted as a record crowd, then broken by Ireland v Rumania. 
I don't recall any of the media I read about those records limiting the conditions to record World Cup crowds.

KiwiMurph

The 2000 Bledisloe "Best Game Ever Played" was in front of 109,874.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://stats.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/records/team/highest_attendance.html?id=1;type=class'>http://stats.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/records/team/highest_attendance.html?id=1;type=class</a>

mooshld

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="592869" data-time="1467226746">
<div>
Ali Williams unretired for Racing 92
</div>
</blockquote>
 
 
They will have to rename it Nanterland soon if this keeps up

Stargazer

Some interesting stats from the 2015-16 Top14 season in an AGM report adopted by the French rugby union:
 
- the Top 14 final in Barcelona had a world record crowd for a club game of 99,124
- the total number of spectators for the entire season was 2,620,870 for the Top 14 (an average of 13,425 per round robin game) and 1,197,000 for the Pro D2 (an average of 4,816 per round robin game)
- the average number of tries scored per match in the Top 14 was 4.5 (an increase of 36% since 2014) and in the Pro D2 4.1 (an increase of 12% since 2014)
 
They're also going to change the promotion-relegation procedure between the Top14 and Pro D2 from the 2017-18 season.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.lnr.fr/ligue-nationale-de-rugby/actualites-ligue-nationale-de-rugby/assemblee-generale-du-9-juillet-2016'>http://www.lnr.fr/ligue-nationale-de-rugby/actualites-ligue-nationale-de-rugby/assemblee-generale-du-9-juillet-2016</a>
 
 
The Top 14 semi finals in 2017 (26, 27 or 28 May) will be played in Marseille. lâ€™Orange VÃ©lodrome has 67,404 seats.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.lnr.fr/rugby-pro-d2/actualites-rugby-pro-d2/top-14-marseille-accueillera-les-demi-finales-2017'>http://www.lnr.fr/rugby-pro-d2/actualites-rugby-pro-d2/top-14-marseille-accueillera-les-demi-finales-2017</a>
 
The Top 14 final will be played in Stade de France (Paris, 81,338 seats) on 4 June 2017.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.lnr.fr/ligue-nationale-rugby/actualites-ligue-nationale-rugby/top-14-finale-2017-places-en-vente'>http://www.lnr.fr/ligue-nationale-rugby/actualites-ligue-nationale-rugby/top-14-finale-2017-places-en-vente</a>

The Silver Fern

European Club Rugby