30-05-2003 18:59									#241
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quote: Originally posted by Havak By the way it’s very clear someone is bank rolling Perpignan. Still there is huge pressure building on French clubs to conform to the salary caps everyone else use and I’m sure ERC ltd will make them comply in time.

Perpignan is backed by the local administrative entities like the city of Perpignan, the department of the Pyrénées-Orientales and the region Languedoc-Roussillon. The USAP is an institution in the Catalogne and is also backed by private partners. The Spanish Catalogne is also interested in the USAP as it could be a way to federate the catalans from both sides around a sport team and introduce Rugby in a desolate area (as far as Rugby is concerned).

About the Salary Caps and the difference between England in France I am a bit surprised about the critics. Some of the best french players crossed the Channel to play in England and now that English players are crossing it the other way the shepherd is suddenly shouting the wolf is coming.

For a few years, the budgets and the salaries of the English clubs went mad as if we were in the middle of a nuclear escalation race. The expenses and budgets of the clubs reached unknown heights without the sponsors following the rythm. As in real life, the conflict had to stop someday and the warring factions are today exhausted (read pennyless).

In the meantime, the budgets of the French clubs grew at a fair but steady rythm. Don't forget that Rugby Union is almost a regional sport in France that is mainly played in Southern France (see the list of the Top16 clubs) and that the audience is higher in England than in France and that the English Rugby is potentially able to generate more money, the English clubs will thus recover quickly provided they reduce their expenses to reasonable proportions. IMO again, the situation between England and France is becoming more or less equal IMO.

Here is the map of the French Top16 clubs (adding the locations of the Pro D2 clubs - second division - would be even more eloquent):

[EDIT]Football Club de Greboble should be read Football Club de Grenoble[/EDIT]

	30-05-2003 19:38									#242
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quote: Originally posted by Tamerlin Perpignan is backed by the local administrative entities like the city of Perpignan, the department of the Pyrénées-Orientales and the region Languedoc-Roussillon. The USAP is an institution in the Catalogne and is also backed by private partners. The Spanish Catalogne is also interested in the USAP as it could be a way to federate the catalans from both sides around a sport team and introduce Rugby in a desolate area (as far as Rugby is concerned).

So a lot of it is "government" money?

	30-05-2003 21:25									#243
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quote: Originally posted by finbar So a lot of it is "government" money?

I would rather say "public" money as the local administrative entities are decentralized and are not under the management of the government...

The local entities are providing a fair proportion of the various budgets though this is generally not the major part of the said budgets which is generally coming from local private partners or nation wide companies (like Peugeot, EADS and France Telecom for the Stade Toulousain)...

	30-05-2003 21:28									#244
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And nobody cares about the map I have made up for you...

	31-05-2003 01:17									#245
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It was a very nice map, Tamerlin!

	31-05-2003 02:17									#246
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quote: Originally posted by LDiCesare It was a very nice map, Tamerlin!

Thank you LDiCesare...


Latest result from the French Championship:

Stade Français 32 - Biarritz Olympique 9

The second semi-final will be played tomorrow at 15:00 French time and will oppose the Stade Toulousain to the Sporting Union Agenais.

	31-05-2003 06:15									#247
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quote: Originally posted by Tamerlin And nobody cares about the map I have made up for you...

Because no one likes a smarty-pants cartographer!

Anyway, I only just managed to open it after trying 3 different browsers. Gee, you'd need to take a cut lunch on the long walk to find a rugby match in the northern half of the country.

Oh, and who decided which numbers went where? How come area #1 is area #1? Why wasn't your region #1? You live there, surely that's sufficient reason. No offence, LDiCesare.

	31-05-2003 06:18									#248
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quote: Originally posted by Tamerlin The second semi-final will be played tomorrow at 15:00 French time and will oppose the Stade Toulousain to the Sporting Union Agenais.

Finally! A Toulouse match in which I know to whom to give my unqualified support!

	31-05-2003 08:00									#249
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quote: Originally posted by finbar Because no one likes a smarty-pants cartographer!

Is this because you don't know how to do the same thing?

quote: Anyway, I only just managed to open it after trying 3 different browsers.

This is a simple jpg image... try a good browser like IE6.

quote: Gee, you'd need to take a cut lunch on the long walk to find a rugby match in the northern half of the country.

I was not kidding when I told you that Rugby was almost a regional sport in France...

quote: Oh, and who decided which numbers went where? How come area #1 is area #1? Why wasn't your region #1? You live there, surely that's sufficient reason. No offence, LDiCesare.

"Chacun voit midi à sa porte" (each one sees noon at his doorstep) would we say in France...

The map you have seen is showing the French metropolitan Départements. The Département is a local administrative entity which was created by Napoleon. The Départements are today grouped inside local Régions which are themselves local administrative entities. Both have elected representatives.

The Départements are listed in alphabetical order. Toulouse is thus in the Département 31 which is the Haute-Garonne and which is in the Région Midi-Pyrénées (which flag is incidentally my avatar) while Agen is in the Département 47 which is the Lot-et-Garonne which is in the Région Aquitaine.

You will, of course, have noted that many Départements are named after the main river or rivers flowing through them.

Example:
Gironde
Lot
Lot-et-Garonne
Haute-Garonne
Rhône
Rhône-Alpes
Bouches-du-Rhône
Aveyron...

	31-05-2003 08:27									#250
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quote: Originally posted by Tamerlin Is this because you don't know how to do the same thing?

No, it's because I could draw a better map than that in my sleep, blindfolded, with both hands tied behind my back, but I just couldn't be bothered.

quote: This is a simple jpg image... try a good browser like IE6.

If you feel the need to further line the pockets of Bill Gates, go ahead.

quote: I was not kidding when I told you that Rugby was almost a regional sport in France...

Yeah, same here. Out of 8 states and territories, rugby's only played in two. Well, two and a bit, if you count Canberra.

quote: "Chacun voit midi à sa porte" (each one sees noon at his doorstep) would we say in France...

Great expression. I can't even think of an equivalent.

quote: The map you have seen is showing the French metropolitan Départements. The Département is a local administrative entity which was created by Napoleon. The Départements are today grouped inside local Régions which are themselves local administrative entities. Both have elected representatives. The Départements are listed in alphabetical order. Toulouse is thus in the Département 31 which is the Haute-Garonne and which is in the Région Midi-Pyrénées (which flag is incidentally my avatar) while Agen is in the Département 47 which is the Lot-et-Garonne which is in the Région Aquitaine. You will, of course, have noted that many Départements are named after the main river or rivers flowing through them. Example: Gironde Lot Lot-et-Garonne Haute-Garonne Rhône Rhône-Alpes Bouches-du-Rhône Aveyron...

You are, indeed, a fountain of limitless, fascinating knowledge. Turn on the tap and out it spews.

	31-05-2003 08:40									#251
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Tamerlin, from what I remember don't the french Registration plates on cars end with the Départment number thwey were sold in?

e.g. XXX XXXX 17 for Charente-Maritime?

	31-05-2003 08:48									#252
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quote: Originally posted by finbar No, it's because I could draw a better map than that in my sleep, blindfolded, with both hands tied behind my back, but I just couldn't be bothered.

quote: If you feel the need to further line the pockets of Bill Gates, go ahead.

Believe me I have never given a cent to Bill...

quote: Turn on the tap and out it spews.

I deserve another french proverb:
"Moins on a de culture, plus on l'étale" (the less culture one has, the more one displays it)...

	31-05-2003 09:08									#253
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quote: Originally posted by Tamerlin Believe me I have never given a cent to Bill...

quote: "Moins on a de culture, plus on l'étale" (the less culture one has, the more one displays it)...

Another ripper! Very Oscar Wilde, indeed.

	31-05-2003 09:13									#254
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quote: Originally posted by Frozzy Tamerlin, from what I remember don't the french Registration plates on cars end with the Départment number thwey were sold in? e.g. XXX XXXX 17 for Charente-Maritime?

As Italian vehicle regos carry the two-letter ID of the city of registration. As, indeed, I recall that English vehicle regos used to end - and maybe still do - with a letter that signified the year the vehicle was registered.

	31-05-2003 11:45									#255
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English ones used start with the date they were released in letter form (eg. G837VFB meant the car was bought in 1993). Then the government went through a time when letters signified 6 months or 2 years.

Now they have two letters at the beginning signifying location (e.g. RG43CJU

	31-05-2003 12:52									#256
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quote: Originally posted by Frozzy English ones used start with the date they were released in letter form (eg. G837VFB meant the car was bought in 1993). Then the government went through a time when letters signified 6 months or 2 years. Now they have two letters at the beginning signifying location (e.g. RG43CJU

OK. My memory was of many eons ago - well, 1979. In those days, a letter was tacked on to the end to signify date. As I recall, my vehicle rego was AYF 717T, with the T standing for either '78 or '79.

	31-05-2003 20:13									#257
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Stade Toulousain 22 - Sporting Union Agenais 16

	01-06-2003 05:26									#258
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I can celebrate harder than you can.

*Havak turns a darker shade of green*

	01-06-2003 05:33									#259
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By the way, French vehicle regos are indeed finishing by the two numbers of the Département the said vehicle is registered in...

	01-06-2003 10:58									#260
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The Italians, being literate, indicate origins on their rego plates with letters.

On a more depressing note:

Wasps 39 -d- Gloucester 3

Thus Wasps take the title! I wasn't even aware the match was being played. Obviously, if I'd tuned in via the BBC website, I would have lifted Gloucester over the line. OTOH, possibly not. Typical of a team I support to stumble at the final hurdle. This doesn't auger well for Toulouse, Tamerlin.

FOR SALE: 1 SEAT ON WEST COUNTRY RUGBY CLUB BANDWAGON. BEST OFFER! WILL EVEN PAY SOMEONE TO TAKE IT AWAY!

	01-06-2003 12:50									#261
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Poor Toulouse (or not to lose as the case may be if Finbar suddenly stops supporting them )

	01-06-2003 13:33									#262
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quote: Originally posted by Frozzy Poor Toulouse (or not to lose as the case may be if Finbar suddenly stops supporting them )

*Tamerlin shoves me off the Toulose bandwagon*

	02-06-2003 07:01									#263
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Finbar, will you be kind enough to get out of the train at the next station please!

	02-06-2003 07:44									#264
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Tickets please!

	02-06-2003 08:09									#265
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quote: Originally posted by Tamerlin Finbar, will you be kind enough to get out of the train at the next station please!

You'll have to make it worth my while. Now let me see ... what would I like? Okay - how about your Mum's Cassoulet recipe? And that's just for starters ...

	02-06-2003 08:10									#266
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quote: Originally posted by Frozzy Tickets please!

But I bought a return ticket - to the French Championship final, lose, and return!

	02-06-2003 08:18									#267
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quote: Originally posted by finbar But I bought a return ticket - to the French Championship final, lose, and return!

Don't forget the Stade Toulousain's song:

"We come,
we win,
and we go back."

	02-06-2003 08:33									#268
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* Kalius forces a Stade Francais shirt on finbar and staples it to his body.

	02-06-2003 09:30									#269
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quote: Originally posted by Tamerlin Don't forget the Stade Toulousain's song: "We come, we win, and we go back."

Where's the Cassoulet recipe?

	02-06-2003 09:31									#270
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quote: Originally posted by Frozzy * Frozzy forces a Stade Francais shirt on finbar and staples it to his body.

To paraphrase Homer Simpson: "Mmmmmmmmmmmmm ... pain".