Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

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BFG
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by BFG »

ellis9 wrote:That's why I said the clubs obviously have a valid reason for doing it but as a fan, I cannot see either teams fans being happy about it. Why would you want your club to join a rival and become one club and become a fellow supporter of the same club when they used to be a rival fan.

Also, this either becomes 1 new club meaning the history of both is tarnished or they play under the bane of one of the current names e.g. They will be called Stade Francais

Just thinking about it makes me cringe!
I reckon most will be pretty chilled and excited at the same time by this.
Rugby is still a little old school in France.
If you have never been on a 6N weekend then try it as it is great fun, even if France aren't at home you can find a bar full of rugby mad supporters of all sorts lapping it all up.
It depends on your personal definition of rivalry to be honest, they are not really rivals as many of us might expect and certainly not in the soccer sense.
They are more like different characters in a stage version of fight club, the stage being the pitch of course, but off it you wouldn't know!
You are probably right though in that there will be some who will not be happy about it though, didn't stop Wasps did it!
Last edited by BFG on Mon Mar 13, 2017 1:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jose
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by Jose »

BFG wrote:
ellis9 wrote:I'm sure both clubs believe this is the best for them both but I don't like it.

This is like Leicester Tigers merging with Northampton Saints. Yes, what a horrible thought!
No it is not like that at all.
If you look at the history of Racing 92 there has been much change.
The Parisian public want a consistent European force in club rugby and they are not afraid of change.
Stade are capable of pulling in 80,000 for matches if they are competitive enough but remaining competitive enough has been a problem whilst the playing pool is not utilised properly in a professional way.
Believe it or not the French have not been that professional in player development to date, if they start doing it right then blimey they will get proper good!
It is possible an amateur or even semi-pro offshoot of one club will remain.
This could create an absolute monster of a professional club and foundation for the French national team.
OK, maybe not Tigers and Saints, but it is like Quins and Sarries merging. Truly horrifying for both sets of fans and hard to justify, unless you see sport through the US lens and believe it's all franchises with a price rather than clubs with a soul.
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ellis9
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by ellis9 »

I'd love to do a Six Nations weekend away but not for the prices they charge for tickets and then hotels and flights etc to go for the weekend.

Fair enough if the French are laid back about this sort of thing. I definitely would hate it to happen to Tigers whether it be with Saints, Worcester or Oadby Wigstonians!
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by Iain »

Interesting.

Though I wonder whether the true end game is having a top team in Nantes, with this paving the way. Racing have played some of their games there, France have played some games there and there's a big market for it, but no team anywhere near.

I'd be on board with this since that's where the in-laws live!! :smt023
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by Dave J »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/ ... rger-plan/

Now reported on Daily Telegraph website. I wonder if the fans will buy into this, Ze Stade Fan has been far from complimentary about his neighbours in the past.
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BFG
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by BFG »

Jose wrote:
BFG wrote:
ellis9 wrote:I'm sure both clubs believe this is the best for them both but I don't like it.

This is like Leicester Tigers merging with Northampton Saints. Yes, what a horrible thought!
No it is not like that at all.
If you look at the history of Racing 92 there has been much change.
The Parisian public want a consistent European force in club rugby and they are not afraid of change.
Stade are capable of pulling in 80,000 for matches if they are competitive enough but remaining competitive enough has been a problem whilst the playing pool is not utilised properly in a professional way.
Believe it or not the French have not been that professional in player development to date, if they start doing it right then blimey they will get proper good!
It is possible an amateur or even semi-pro offshoot of one club will remain.
This could create an absolute monster of a professional club and foundation for the French national team.
OK, maybe not Tigers and Saints, but it is like Quins and Sarries merging. Truly horrifying for both sets of fans and hard to justify, unless you see sport through the US lens and believe it's all franchises with a price rather than clubs with a soul.
Probably is a bit more like the old London Wasps and Quins merging.
Actually...Hampstead Football Club was founded in 1866. A split in the membership resulted in the formation of two different clubs: Harlequin F.C. and Wasps.
Courtesy of vague memories of a half cut story and Wiki as sober back up.
Last edited by BFG on Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
tigercaspian
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by tigercaspian »

Stade 92 or Racing Francais............
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by strawclearer »

tigercaspian wrote:Stade 92 or Racing Francais............
...or Racing (In)certitude? :smt003
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by Noddy555 »

Although both sets of fans will be opposed to this and I have French friends who support one or the other, from an economic standpoint it makes sense as if both sets of fans combine their fan base could stand around 25 to 30,000 and they could then begin seriously to rival the other 3 big French Clubs, i.e. Clermont, Toulom and Montpellier and possibly a revived Toulouse.
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by tigercaspian »

strawclearer
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by strawclearer »

tigercaspian wrote:From the unoffy....see Nell's post
http://www.rugbynetwork.net/boards/read ... 6,15941851
Confirms what most commentators were saying - this is a Racing takeover not a merger.

...and maybe Parisse isn't the one to go for - unless playing for Tigers would give him his club mojo back!
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by Hot_Charlie »

Noddy555 wrote:Although both sets of fans will be opposed to this and I have French friends who support one or the other, from an economic standpoint it makes sense as if both sets of fans combine their fan base could stand around 25 to 30,000 and they could then begin seriously to rival the other 3 big French Clubs, i.e. Clermont, Toulom and Montpellier and possibly a revived Toulouse.
They could fill that nice big stadium Stade have built. Might not be good news for the future of the 1924 Olympic Stadium though.
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by ellis9 »

As I thought, the fans aren't happy:

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39260828

Stade Francais supporters demonstrated against the proposed merger at the club's stadium on Monday.

"I spent years enjoying standing all over the Racing club shirt, not that we don't respect it, and the same can be said of the Racing players about Stade Francais," Pool-Jones said.

"It's a very strong rivalry, as strong a rivalry as you'll find in rugby.

"It's never easy but it's about bringing the fans around and it's important to preserve the historical identities of both clubs in the new entity."
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by tigerburnie »

This happened in Rugby League when they went to the summer game, short term gains seem to have diminished however. Not a totally new thing, my old club did it around the time of the leagues being formed and it's worked well for them so far. Rivalry amongst rugby fans is very different to soccer rivalry isn't it.
"If you want entertainment, go to the theatre," says Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill. "Rugby players play the game to win.15/1/21.
ellis9
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Re: Racing 92 & Stade Francais to merge

Post by ellis9 »

I agree it is a little different to football but would you be happy if Tigers merged with Saints? I wouldn't!
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