Catalans Dragons

Catalans Dragons
Club information
Full name Ville de Perpignan Dragons Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s) Dragons, Dracs, Dracs Catalans
Short name Catalans
Website www.catalansdragons.com
Colours
Founded 2000 (as Union Treiziste Catalane)
Current details
Ground(s)
Chairman Bernard Guasch
Coach(s) Laurent Frayssinous
Captain(s) Gregory Mounis, Remi Casty
Competition Super League
2015 season 7th
Home colours
Away colours
Current season
Records
Premierships None
Runners-up 0
Minor premiership 0
Challenge Cup 0
Wooden spoons None
Most capped Grégory Mounis - 274
Most points Thomas Bosc - 1,372

The Catalans Dragons (French and Catalan: Dragons Catalans) are a professional rugby league club in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales, France. They play in the Super League, and are the only team in the competition from outside Northern England. The Dragons play home games at Stade Gilbert Brutus.

The club was formed in 2000 by a merger of XIII Catalan and AS Saint Estève into Union Treiziste Catalane (UTC). They won the 2005 French Rugby League Championship and the Lord Derby Cup in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, they were granted a Super League licence, taking the name Catalans Dragons. UTC continues to compete in the French Championship's Elite One Championship as a feeder club for the Dragons, now under the name Saint-Esteve XIII Catalan.

History

2000-2004: foundation

The club was founded in 2000 after the merger of two teams in Perpignan, XIII Catalan and AS Saint Estève. The merged team took the name Union Treiziste Catalane, often abbreviated to UTC.

XIII Catalan were founded in 1935 and thus were founding members of the French Championship. During their run, they won 11 French Championships and 11 Lord Derby Cups. AS Saint Estève were founded in 1965. They won six championships and four Lord Derby Cups. There were two other clubs in the twelve-team competition in Pyrénées-Orientales: Pia XIII and Saint-Cyprien. In 2002 Saint-Cyprien joined the merged UTC side. UTC proved successful, winning the 2005 French Championship and the 2004 and 2005 Lord Derby Cups.

2005-2007: Super League and Challenge Cup final

In 2005, UTC applied to join the Super League, the highest tier of professional rugby league in Europe. They were selected ahead of Toulouse Olympique and Villeneuve Leopards to enter the league for the 2006 season. The franchise was named Catalans Dragons; UTC remained in the French Championship to serve as a reserve club. The club set a target for 75% of the players be qualified to play for France.

The Catalans are not the first French side to play in the Super League, but the first, Paris Saint-Germain, lasted only two seasons. Both rugby codes have their stronghold in the southwest of France, and the north of France is more football-friendly. Players on loan from French league clubs had to play for their own clubs as well, train in the south and take the long journey to Paris or England for matches.

Catalans Dragons logo used in 2006 and 2007.

To ensure that the Catalans had the best French players available to them, the French rugby league decided to let them sign players from other French clubs without paying a transfer fee. The league also would not relegate them from the Super League for three years, even if they finished last. Many believe that the Catalans will be joined by other French clubs in the Super League, but the whole idea of expanding into France ths critics. The Catalans won their first ever Super League match 38–30 against Wigan on 11 February 2006, at Stade Aimé Giral. The club encountered a predictable steep learning curve in their first season in the Super League. Many of less experienced French players ran out of steam towards the end of a gruelling, injury marred campaign. A particular loss was that of key playmaker and Captain Stacey Jones, who missed much of the season with a broken arm. The team eventually finished bottom of the table, but the three-year exemption from relegation made them remain in the Super League.

The year 2007 saw a strong recruitment by new coach Mick Potter with a string of high-profile signings from Australia, including Clint Greenshields, Casey McGuire, Jason Croker and Aaron Gorrell, all seasoned NRL campaigners. Gorrell, a goalkicking 'hooker', impressed in the first month but sustained a bad knee injury in February's win over Leeds and missed the rest of the season. On 10 March 2007, it was announced that Newcastle Knights hooker Luke Quigley would cover Gorrell's absence for the remainder of the campaign, but a number of players sustained injuries throughout the campaign. Young stars Dimitri Pelo and Vincent Duport in the backs impressed, and show real promise for the future and for young talent in France, in general. Recent addition to the Catalans is former Canberra Raiders, Melbourne Storm and Parramatta Eels Halfback Andrew McFadden who is now their Assistant Coach. Andrew said upon signing with the Catalans that he was doing it for his cousin, former prop Joe McCarthy, his "shining light".

On 29 July 2007, the Catalans became the first French side and first non-British side to reach the final of the Challenge Cup after beating Wigan 37–24 in the semi final. The Catalans lost the 2007 Challenge Cup Final with St Helens at Wembley Stadium on 25 August 2007. They also managed to finish the 2007 season off the bottom of the table, ending the season in a respectable tenth place.

The Catalans Dragons team playing at Gilbert Brutus in 2009
The Catalans Dragons supporters at Headingley in Leeds, England.

2008-present: playoffs and progression

In 2008, the Catalans secured their first playoff berth by finishing third on the league ladder largely on the back of a ferocious forward pack. They smashed Warrington 46–8 in their first-ever playoff match on 13 September in Perpignan, but 20 September saw Wigan blow open what had been a close game in the second half of their elimination semifinal, with Wigan ultimately winning 50–26.

Coach Mick Potter left the Dragons at the end of the 2008 season to replace Daniel Anderson at St Helens. He has been replaced by fellow Australian Kevin Walters. Recruitment for 2009 has been the most exciting to date of the Super League clubs and includes Stephen Bell and Kangaroo Jason Ryles, replacing the retiring John 'Sargeant' Wilson and Alex 'Super' Chan. The Dragons also recruited Greg Bird, about to sign with Bradford but his visa got refused by the UK authorities.

In 2009, they were involved in two historic milestones for the sport of rugby league in Europe. During their match away to the Welsh club Crusaders on 23 May, the two clubs played the first European Super League match to not feature an English team.[1] History was also created on 20 June, when the club played in the first Super League game to be played in Spain, at Barcelona's Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, the venue for the 1992 Summer Olympics, against Warrington. The Dragons led 10–6 at halftime, but Warrington finished as the winners 12–24.[2] The purpose of the latter fixture was to promote the sport in Catalonia, with around 1000 tickets being sold in the local area, and the game was televised on the Catalan channel El 33.[3] Immediately after the game, Walters commented that the event in Spain could become an annual one,[2] apparently complementing comments made by the club's general manager about using a new high-speed link between Perpignan and Spain, supposed to start running within two years.[3]

Stadiums

Stade Aimé Giral: 2006-2007

Main article: Stade Aimé Giral

The Catalans moved into the stadium in 2006, when they were accepted into Super League. They ground shared with rugby union side USA Perpignan, which own and operate the stadium, but it is a multipurpose stadium used occasionally for other sports and events.

Stade Gilbert Brutus: 2007-present

Main article: Stade Gilbert Brutus

The Stade Gilbert Brutus was opened in 1962 and has hosted mostly rugby league and union. It was previously the home to Northern Catalonia rugby league team. When the Dragons moved in the capacity was just over 4000. The Catalans have redeveloped and expanded the ground to 13,000 since they moved here.

Kit sponsors and manufacturers

Year Kit ManufacturerMain Shirt Sponsor
2000–2008 ISC none
2009 Nike IDEC
2010–2011 ISC Seafrance
2012– la Region

Current squad

2016 Catalans Dragons Squad
First team squad Coaching staff

Head coach

Assistant coaches

Legend:
  • (c) Captain
  • (vc) Vice captain

Updated: 26 January 2016
Source(s): 2016 Squad Numbers

Future transfers

Ins

Nat Name Moved From Contract Length Date Announced
France Benjamin Garcia Penrith Panthers 2 ½ Years July 2016
New Zealand Sam Moa Sydney Roosters 2 Years October 2016
Australia Greg Bird Gold Coast Titans 5 Years October 2016
England Iain Thornley Hull KR 2 Years October 2016
England Luke Burgess Salford Red Devils 2 Years October 2016
Australia Luke Walsh St Helens 1 Year October 2016
Fiji Brayden Wiliame Manly Sea Eagles 2 Years November 2016
France Michael Simon Wakefield Trinity 2 Years November 2016

Outs

Nat Name Moved To Contract Length Date Announced
France Antoni Maria Leigh Centurions 2 Years July 2016
Ireland Pat Richards Retirement N/A July 2016
Australia Willie Mason Released N/A July 2016
France Stanislas Robin Toulouse Olympique 1 Year September 2016
France Gregory Mounis Retirement N/A September 2016
Australia Glenn Stewart Leigh Centurions 2 Years September 2016
France Eloi Pelissier Leigh Centurions 2 Years September 2016
France Romain Navarette Wigan Warriors 2 Years September 2016
France Olivier Elima Released September 2016
France Morgan Escare Wigan Warriors 1 Year October 2016
Australia Dave Taylor Released October 2016
Australia Todd Carney Released October 2016

Coaching roster

Honours

Footnotes

  1. ↑ O'Neill, Matthew. "Super League's First Ever International (with no English)". www.rleague.com (The World of Rugby League). Retrieved 2009-06-20.
  2. 1 2 "Catalans Dragons 12–24 Warrington". news.bbc.co.uk (BBC Sport). 20 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
  3. 1 2 "Dragons pleased with Barcelona ticket sales". www.superleague.co.uk (The RFL). Archived from the original on 2009-08-15. Retrieved 2009-06-17.

References

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