Stade Francais Bankrupcy

[farva]

http://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/top-14/2010-2011/au-bord-du-pr ecipice_sto2842702/story.shtml

Now I think this article is in French, but from others telling it, it seems that the Canadian investor they had who would have sorted them out from last time has fallen through.

They are facing a real risk of relegation.

Now I am guessing that many of the players have get out clauses should they not remain in the top league, and that raises some interesting prospects, given that a few super rugby teams are going to be looking for players to bolster their squads for next year.

I am especially thinking of one Paul Warwick who I would love to see back in Oz.

Also, Felipe Contemponi is available, and with the Argies coming into the 4N next year, it would be great to get him into Super rugby to pave the way for other Argies.

 

[farva]

Here is the current squad:

Laurent Sempéré Hooker France
Dimitri Szarzewski Hooker France
Rémi Bonfils Hooker France
Aled de Malmanche Hooker New Zealand
David Attoub Prop France
Olivier Milloud Prop France
Rayno Gerber Prop South Africa
Francisco Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro Prop Argentina
Stan Wright Prop Cook Islands
Rodrigo Roncero Prop Argentina
Rabah Slimani Prop France
Zura Zhvania Prop Georgia
Julien Turini Prop France
Alexandre Flanquart Lock France
Scott LaValla Lock United States
Tom Palmer Lock England
Pascal Papé Lock France
Antoine Burban Flanker France
Lei Tomiki Flanker Fiji
David Lyons Flanker Australia
Arthur Chollon Flanker France
Sergio Parisse (c) Number 8 Italy
Pierre Rabadan Number 8 France

Julien Dupuy Scrum-half France
Byron Kelleher Scrum-half New Zealand
Jérôme Fillol Scrum-half France
Aristide Barraud Fly-half France
Paul Warwick Fly-half Australia
Felipe Contepomi Fly-half Argentina
Jules Plisson Fly-half France
Mathieu Bastareaud Centre France
Morgan Turinui Centre Australia
Brian Liebenberg Centre France
Gonzalo Tiesi Centre Argentina
Quentin Valancon Centre France
Julien Arias Wing France
Djibril Camara Wing France
Francis Fainifo Wing Australia
Vilive Namosolo Aria Wing Fiji
Paul Sackey Wing England
Alexander Rokobaro Fullback Fiji
Hugo Bonneval Fullback France
Martín Rodríguez Fullback Argentina
Paul Williams Fullback Samoa

 

[Dumbledore]

Contemponi would be a very handy pick-up. I'd love to bring their jersey designer down to Melbourne too!

 

[antipodean]

Somehow this had to happen in the Top14. The salaries paid for some players was unsupportable.

 

[tigerland12]

I definatly agree about Warwick and Contepomi...heck lets try get Parisse down here as well haha.

S

 

[farva]

I think Roncero would be a fantastic buy as a marquee player, more so that Contemponi or Parisse.

We dont have any world class tightheads here (now Yoda has retired), and Roncero is certainly that.

He has been around the block a half dozen times and knows every trick in the book. He would be a certain starter, but what he could teach the younger players would be worth the cost.

Plus tighthead is arguably the most important position!

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Isn't Michael Cheika the coach there? What chance of him coming back and coaching the Tahs next year in light of this?

 

[Epi]

Good point - although I understand he got majorly stuffed around by the Tahs in the past so may not want to...

 

[daz]

Is this the start of the end for superannuation packages for the likes of Oz, Kiwi and Saffa players...?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

It could well be. Anything that can't continue generally doesn't and some of those clubs have and had huge salary bills. Perhaps some sanity will return. That's probably good for the SANZAR countries.

 

[Blue]

Seems many other French club are either swimming in cash or have big ego investors behind them. From what I have read clubs like Racing and Toulouse are doing very well.

Too early to call the end of the frog cash train reckon.

 

[tigerland12]

Seems many other French club are either swimming in cash or have big ego investors behind them. From what I have read clubs like Racing and Toulouse are doing very well.

Too early to call the end of the frog cash train reckon.

In France there is generally a big gap between the wealthy clubs and the poorer clubs. Toulon, Racing, Toulouse and formerly Stade had significant wealth advantages over other sides. The good thing for the Top 14 is the poorer sides such as Montpellier and Castres are now finishing in the top half of the table over sides who spend large amounts of cash on any player they can get their hands on.

 

[Bruce Ross]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/af...ocId=CNG.ec1ca707e5ead72afaed8780a6c517c1.521

 

[Lee Grant]

Some of the departures must have been cut by Cheika but Beauxis is going to be a big loss. He would have mixed emotions about leaving SF - joy and happiness - and would be laughing all the way to Toulouse.

And even more joyful and happier now.

SF are doing it tough financially and would be wise to let [Bastareaud] go.

Didn't know they were that broke though. Everyone assumed the Canadian lifeline would still be there.


Would be good if Warwick came home as he has probably burnt his bridges at Munster. Lee Byrne was supposed to play there next season also and he should like it in Sydney.

And what about Cheika?

 

[TOCC]

bankruptcy does not mean the club is about to collapse and realease all there players, if indeed the club does go bankrupt, administrators will be brought in who will endeavour to bring the club back into black..

Yes Stade Francais has a big salary budget, but they also have a revenue stream which is quite extrodinary as well, which esentially means they won be allowed to collapse. Indeed some players might be cut, some 'extra curricular' activities might be scaled back, but we wont see the whole team released for other teams to pluck over.

 

[farva]

bankruptcy does not mean the club is about to collapse and realease all there players, if indeed the club does go bankrupt, administrators will be brought in who will endeavour to bring the club back into black..

Yes Stade Francais has a big salary budget, but they also have a revenue stream which is quite extrodinary as well, which esentially means they won be allowed to collapse. Indeed some players might be cut, some 'extra curricular' activities might be scaled back, but we wont see the whole team released for other teams to pluck over.

Not entirely the case. Top 14 clubs need to be not running at a loss otherwise they are relegated (this happened recently to a smaller club). Stade are in real danger of being relegated, and the Canadian financier was goingt o stop that. Now that has fallen through and they are something like $18m in the red.

What I was considering was if they did fall out of the top 14, many of their players would have releases in their contract (I assume). Im not convinced that they want to play for a D2 team, it wouldnt really help their chances at international selection.

Hence, I was considering what would happen if they were relegated (which seems very possible) and these top players decided to activate the clause that allows them to leave the club.

 

[Jnor]

David Lyons is still playing?!?!?!?

 

[TOCC]

Half the Top14 run at a loss, it's whether they have a private financier to cover those losses, someone or some 'organization' will come through.

There is further issues at hand a well, the fact the Stade France is largely the representative team for Paris and Northern France won't go unignored when they consider relegating the team.. It would be like relegating NSW for Adelaide...

 

[Bruce Ross]

Indeed some players might be cut, some 'extra curricular' activities might be scaled back, but we wont see the whole team released for other teams to pluck over.

One can only hope that the cutbacks don't include Lee Grant's personal favourite, the gold-painted flag bearer.

 

[TOCC]

Bruce, i think everyone is hoping the gold painted flag bearer remains