France Cup (Lord Derby) : 2024-25

The 17th Earl of Derby donated a cup to the winners of the inaugural winners of the Rugby League cup for the 1934-35 season. That was the first year of French RL also. The Earl's surname was Stanley and his father donated a cup to another sport.

Admission to the competition was for the top two divisions only of twenty teams. Eight played a preliminary knock out round, the four winners from which joined the other twelve. The teams from each division are colour coded as seen to the right..

Round of 16: The match ups and finals scores are as below. Two Elite 2 sides progressed, Carpentras overwhelming another Elite 2 side Tonneins while Villegailhenc upset Elite 1 team Villefranche.

Round of 8: The Elite 2 teams both bowed out at this stage although Villegailhenc put up stout resistance against -admittedly lowly Elite 1 side Toulouse. At the time of these games being played, the top three in the Elite 1 league made the semi final along with bottom placed Toulouse. 

Semi Final: Carcassonne has won the cup the last three times and 16 times since 1950. I was up against a side that last won it back in 1974 and only once even going back to 1950. Carcassonne led 20-12 at the half way mark and on track for another final. 

A ten minute sin bin for an AS player at the resumption opened led to two quick tries for Albi had them in front to establish a lead they didn't relinquish. It was however 30-30 at full time but Albi snatched an intercept try in golden point extra time for the victory. 

The second match was played in wet conditions with the Catalan side narrowly ahead 6-0 at the break. They went on to win 16-0 without looking like losing. 

Final: 5th April.

The youthful Catalan side raced to an early 16-0 before Albi came back to only trail 10-16 at the half time break. Then early in the second half, Albi took the lead 18-16 but were unable to take advantage of that.

Saint-Estève XIII Catalan took the Lord Derby trophy for the first time since 2018 but Albi's last success was in 1974 and its third losing final since 2008. Video highlights can be seen below. The picture can be expanded by clicking on the [ ] box or the YouTube logo.

RL UK & Governance

I live a long way from the UK so maybe I don't understand the situation properly. It could also mean that I focus on the overall situation and don't get sidetracked by details. You decide. 

Those that are aware of RL in the UK understand that the code needs a broader spread of clubs and supporters. A successful London club is an important part of that. The idea that is sometimes floated is that the responsibility falls on the professional SL clubs to grow the game because it is in their long term interest to me seems idealistic. 

SL clubs are doing it tough with reduced media return etc. so that is where their finances go. The only ones likely to sustain a SL presence are those supported by benefactor owners putting in money to keep them viable. That is their primary focus. 

It's easy to talk about what clubs should do but to achieve anything meaningful will involve an ongoing cost so is it realistic to think that will happen? The notion that all the SL clubs will unite in a vision of pursuing the greater good of the game and will put up what's necessary to achieve anything like what's really needed doesn't seem realistic to me. 

So rather than wheel out it's in their best interest mantra, what the sport needs is a strong governing body in the UK. Perhaps that's why the governing body of the sport in Australia (the NRL) getting involved could shift the control of the sport to a neutral governing body overseeing it with the resources required to spread the game and let the clubs do what they are supposed to do, run successful clubs. 

If the game in the UK continues as it is, it will get what is getting and has been getting. RL in the UK needs a major overhaul of its governance and with that finances to help the code grow. Can I see that happening or retention of the status quo? Probably the latter.

On The Road Matches

Does Rugby League do enough to spread the game through taking matches on the road? In Australia it's common for this but to places the game is already played. It's a chance for people there to see top flight RL and creates goodwill between the club and the town they visit.

Then the more risky option of going to a place where the game isn't known and hoping for curious locals to come along. An initiative is going to Las Vegas which has been successful but travelling fans mask the fact that not too many US citizens attend. However, it gets media coverage and in that sense is a success. Plus it gradually wins over the US public. 

The Catalan Dragons in Perpignan, France took a game to Barcelona in 2019. They share a Catalan heritage so that was a help. Over 31,500 turned up when the average for the Dragons at home that year was 8,600. So what a success. It's not been done since and I don't know why but there must be reasons for that. 

So comparing the effect of that game on that year's total attendances with other years around it can be seen on the graph to the right. 2021 was lost to Covid in case you wonder why the gap. 

I did a different colour for 2019 but it does stand out regardless. Some may say it distorts the figures but it spreads awareness of the game and presumably was successful financially.

There is a risk in doing this sort of thing but surely well worth it for the reasons already mentioned. An average in excess of 10,000* for the only time in the Dragons history. I wonder if they will do something like this in future.

*The columns on each side of the graph are thousands. The years covered are from 2015 to 2025 (2025 one game only)

Picture source: Catalan Dragons.