French rugby sets overseas quota and salary caps

[shazbooger]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/7980339.stm

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

French rugby sets overseas quota

French rugby is to limit the number of overseas players plying their trade domestically in their top-flight clubs.

Clubs will be set a minimum number of home-grown players and will be allowed to have no more than 30% of their squad from overseas by the 2011/12 season.

"The rule will start to be applied progressively, with 50% of home-grown players in 2010/11 and 70% as of the 2011/12 season," said the French rugby league (LNR).

The LNR added that there would be a salary cap introduced at French rugby's top-flight clubs by the 2010/11 season to limit financial risks.

English rugby clubs already have a salary cap of £3.6m.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU), the governing body, has previously voiced concerns at losing English players to clubs abroad.

The RFU, and Premier Rugby Limited, the organisation which represents the 12 Premiership clubs, have signed an agreement which allows England players to be released for international matches during the season.

But clubs outside the agreement do not need to adhere to the regulations.[/b]

While the French administrators are starting to wake up, the rest of the world can take a sigh of relief as the mass exodus to France will eventually come to an end. Its good for everyone really.

 

[Cymro]

Aye the FRU have done the right thing its only going to benefit them for the future.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Is it 30% of a matchday squad who have to be produced by French academies or is it 30% of the overall squad? If it's the latter, based on a squad of 35 players, that would still allow a club to pick 10 non-French produced players in their team each week. It will stop average players being signed but may not have a massive difference in terms of French players getting a chance in the first team - a lot of top quality foreign players will still be recruited.

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (snoopy snoopy dog dog @ Apr 3 2009, 05:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Is it 30% of a matchday squad who have to be produced by French academies or is it 30% of the overall squad? If it's the latter, based on a squad of 35 players, that would still allow a club to pick 10 non-French produced players in their team each week. It will stop average players being signed but may not have a massive difference in terms of French players getting a chance in the first team - a lot of top quality foreign players will still be recruited.[/b]

It's 30% of the 35 contracted players.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Apr 3 2009, 04:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

It's 30% of the 35 contracted players.[/b]

I wonder how clubs will get around this. If a player hasn't been capped for another country and has played in France for three years, will he count against the quota? Even though such a player may not have been produced by a French academy, he'll be qualified to play for the national team.

 

[An Tarbh]

but is this not a question of French qualified as opposed to being brought through the academy system?

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Apr 3 2009, 04:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

but is this not a question of French qualified as opposed to being brought through the academy system?[/b]

The EU won't allow the French club put a quota on foreign players since it's contrary to EU law. As far as I'm aware, the LNR has tried to get around this by insisting on players coming through French academies - that doesn't discriminate against other EU nationals.

 

[An Tarbh]

I just haven't read anything specific about academy players rather it was just a 30% rule on foreign players.

 

[shtove]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (snoopy snoopy dog dog @ Apr 4 2009, 03:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Apr 3 2009, 04:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

but is this not a question of French qualified as opposed to being brought through the academy system?[/b]

The EU won't allow the French club put a quota on foreign players since it's contrary to EU law. As far as I'm aware, the LNR has tried to get around this by insisting on players coming through French academies - that doesn't discriminate against other EU nationals.
[/b][/quote]
That's the Euro court of justice ruling in soccer from 10(?) years ago - I forget the name of the guy who took the case, think he was a Belgian player. Based on free movement of workers.

But AFAIK that doesn't apply to players from outside the EEA (Switzerland as well) - it's completely internal. I suppose if the SHers get work permits in, say, the UK (quite likely) then they might have the freedom too. What about the poor old Georgian front rowers? They'll have to go back to naked wrestling matches on the shores of the Black Sea.

How did French clubs expect to keep up their spending spree? I know there's municipal support and all that, but it has reached crazy levels, presumably on the back of excessive debt. Southampton FC could teach them a few lessons in going bust.

 

[DonBilly]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cymro @ Apr 3 2009, 01:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Aye the FRU have done the right thing its only going to benefit them for the future.[/b]

The Fiji Rugby Union has no real influence on the French clubs you know although two of their wingers are at the top of the tries scorers...

Anyway this was the LNR which is proposing these rules.

 

[Prestwick]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shtove @ Apr 3 2009, 04:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (snoopy snoopy dog dog @ Apr 4 2009, 03:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Apr 3 2009, 04:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

but is this not a question of French qualified as opposed to being brought through the academy system?[/b]

The EU won't allow the French club put a quota on foreign players since it's contrary to EU law. As far as I'm aware, the LNR has tried to get around this by insisting on players coming through French academies - that doesn't discriminate against other EU nationals.
[/b][/quote]
That's the Euro court of justice ruling in soccer from 10(?) years ago - I forget the name of the guy who took the case, think he was a Belgian player. Based on free movement of workers.

But AFAIK that doesn't apply to players from outside the EEA (Switzerland as well) - it's completely internal. I suppose if the SHers get work permits in, say, the UK (quite likely) then they might have the freedom too. What about the poor old Georgian front rowers? They'll have to go back to naked wrestling matches on the shores of the Black Sea.

How did French clubs expect to keep up their spending spree? I know there's municipal support and all that, but it has reached crazy levels, presumably on the back of excessive debt. Southampton FC could teach them a few lessons in going bust.
[/b][/quote]

Its the Bosman ruling and as far as I know it only affects EU Citizens.

EDIT: What it does enable is non-EU Citizens to become naturalised far more easily and quickly than before. This has been the real unseen impact that has affected multiple sports.

You would have thought that the ITV Digital fiasco would have been a rather forboding shot across the bows of club sport and high levels of debt but noooo-ooo..

 

[dundeesmiffy]

I'm not bothered where players play at all, but this is a really good idea, it will only benefit the French game.

 

[shtove]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Prestwick @ Apr 7 2009, 01:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shtove @ Apr 3 2009, 04:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (snoopy snoopy dog dog @ Apr 4 2009, 03:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Apr 3 2009, 04:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

but is this not a question of French qualified as opposed to being brought through the academy system?[/b]

The EU won't allow the French club put a quota on foreign players since it's contrary to EU law. As far as I'm aware, the LNR has tried to get around this by insisting on players coming through French academies - that doesn't discriminate against other EU nationals.
[/b][/quote]
That's the Euro court of justice ruling in soccer from 10(?) years ago - I forget the name of the guy who took the case, think he was a Belgian player. Based on free movement of workers.

But AFAIK that doesn't apply to players from outside the EEA (Switzerland as well) - it's completely internal. I suppose if the SHers get work permits in, say, the UK (quite likely) then they might have the freedom too. What about the poor old Georgian front rowers? They'll have to go back to naked wrestling matches on the shores of the Black Sea.

How did French clubs expect to keep up their spending spree? I know there's municipal support and all that, but it has reached crazy levels, presumably on the back of excessive debt. Southampton FC could teach them a few lessons in going bust.
[/b][/quote]

Its the Bosman ruling and as far as I know it only affects EU Citizens.

EDIT: What it does enable is non-EU Citizens to become naturalised far more easily and quickly than before. This has been the real unseen impact that has affected multiple sports.

You would have thought that the ITV Digital fiasco would have been a rather forboding shot across the bows of club sport and high levels of debt but noooo-ooo..
[/b][/quote]
Naturalisation? If so, it's still down to national gubmints. Take a bow, OOKAY with its commonwealth.

 

[Prestwick]

Not quite, the Bosman and Kolpak ruling made it easier for Brazilians for example to become Portuguese Citizens and (more importantly in our sport) Argentinians to become Spanish or Italian citizens. While this arrangement had already existed within the UK because of the Commonwealth links but that had always been a pre-Common Market anomaly which hadn't been properly sorted out in EU law until the Bosman and Kolpak rulings.

Remember that before the UK entered the Common Market, there weren't any restrictions on immigration for Commonwealth citizens from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa for example. This had to be dropped as part of entering the Common Market. So while there is still come kind of Commonwealth preference these days, it can't discriminate against other European Union states and as such is a shadow of its former self..

Some more reading on the two rulings, they do make for really interesting reading.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolpak_ruling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosman_ruling

 

[shtove]

Interesting reply.

The naturalisation point is still down to national governments, but I guess that only matters to Argies for Italy and a few Saffers (unless Sarries have their way)/Georgians etc scattered throughout the 6N national teams.

Apart from that, surely we're still talking about work permits for league teams. Chris Jack and Luke McAllister and the NZers in France, all the south sea islanders etc? Or maybe it's the boys with expectations of returning home who go for the permits, and the rest try for naturalisation.

If a work permit for, say, Ireland transfers to, say (... thinking ...), the UK, it may make no practical difference because permits seem to be granted for the duration of a contract.

For RU purposes though, UK/commonwealth must be the main route for the market.

I wonder where most RU agents for players foreign to the EU ply their trade. London?

Clearly I am an expert in all this. Not. But I pity the man who really is. Except he probably makes a packet. Baxtard.

 

[Prestwick]

It is up to National Governments but they and their ruling bodies must abide by the judgements laid down by the highest courts in the land. Bosman and Kolpak are the European legal equivalent of the ELV "allowing" players to grip their designated jumper in the line out; everyone has always done it but it is only now (or only in the late 1990s and 2003) <strike>that it been given the okay by the proper authorities.</strike> that everyone knows where they stand on the issue.

Bosman has had more of an effect on the non-anglo saxon nations. Italy for example finds that it is Argentina which is the main import source for talent who will eventually go on to wear Italian colours. This is down to many Argentinians being of Italian descent. By the same measure, Kolpak has had the biggest effect on the UK but again in only formalising a process which had been happening anyway since time immemorial.