The age-old adage says no taxation without representation. And yet, as associate members of the RFL, this is what appears to have happened first to Toronto and Toulouse and now to the Dragons.
Bonds are the issue, as is the overperformance of the Dragons in making the Challenge Cup final last season. All three clubs have been asked to put up bonds lodged against their participation in the 2019 Cup Final to offset against lower revenue from ticket sales should one of these clubs get to Wembley. All three have declined.
It's unclear what the sum was for the two Championship clubs, though said to be 'substantial'. In the Dragons case, it's said to be an eye-watering €550,000. Neither Toronto or Toulouse were ever going to be able to find that and instead set up their own Trans-Atlantic challenge for Cup Final weekend. Clever folk. Whether a Super League club could find that money is kind of moot when there's principle at stake and the Dragons have asked the RFL to 'look again' at the proposal.
There was a swell of goodwill and optimism with the inclusion of Red Star Belgrade in the competition this year, but that's all gone away with the treatment of these three associate members. It's Brexit as f--k for a start. British competition for British clubs and all that. Which you can shove up your backside as a game for which inclusivity and progressive values were why it even came to be in the first place.
Second, it's making these three clubs scapegoats for the RFL's inability to sell their premium competition (now that Super League has been hijacked by member clubs). There's no sponsor in place for the Cup in 2019. As sellers in a tough market, the RFL have a particularly hard job on their hands, but the way out of that is not to punish the overseas outliers you previously welcomed in to the fold.
It's clear also that as associate members, these clubs have been singled out. Without a voice - they are merely observers at the table - they can't really cause too much fuss unlike full member clubs with smaller fanbases and lower home attendances over the last few years. It's victimisation. Pick on those unable to fight back, and all to cover up your own deficiencies as an organisation.
Another age-old adage is that Rugby League must be pretty special to survive the string of amateurs that have been running it all these years. As it stands, we can only come to the conclusion that the RFL is not fit for purpose. We have no faith in them.
