Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons progress Paris plans for 2026

[josie andrews]

Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons are kicking on with their plans to take a fixture to Paris for 2026.

Wigan chief executive, RL Commercial managing director Rhodri Jones and members of Catalans Dragons’ hierarchy met on Tuesday at Stade Jean-Bouin to finalise plans for a game in the French capital in 2026, according to L’Independant.

It has yet to be officially rubber-stamped and announced by the clubs, but the fact that Wigan, Catalans and RL Commercial bosses have posed for pictures together in Paris clearly shows that talks are advancing.

The fixture will be part of celebrations for the Dragons’ 20th anniversary and Super League’s 30th. Paris Saint-Germain beat Sheffield Eagles in Super League’s first-ever game back in 1996 at Charley Stadium.

Catalans and Wigan previously met at the Barcelona’s Nou Camp in 2019, attracting the biggest-ever crowd for a regular Super League match outside of the Grand Final - with an impressive 31,555 crowd watching Les Dracs beat the Warriors 33-16 at the home of Spain’s footballing giants. A potential return to the Nou Camp has previously been mooted for 2027 or 2028, although nothing has been announced on that front.

Wigan and Catalans have always had a strong relationship, with the pair meeting in the Dragons’ first-ever Super League fixture in 2006. The French side won 38-30 in front of an 11,000-strong crowd in Perpignan.

There has been a lot of talk recently about Catalans’ future in Super League, and whilst there is no concrete suggestion as of yet that clubs want to remove French clubs from the British game, it is going to be part of the strategic review currently taking place across the sport. However, Wigan’s latest initiative of being willing to take a game with the Dragons to Paris suggests their support for their French counterparts.

Meanwhile, Wigan and Warrington are looking to take another fixture on the road next year following their historic clash in Las Vegas last month, when they became the first two Super League clubs to join NRL’s blockbuster event in Sin City.

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... 26-5074136

[fozzie58]

This is all well and good but if the fat controller sees his vision through will Catalan even be in super league by ‘26?

[josie andrews]

This is all well and good but if the fat controller sees his vision through will Catalan even be in super league by ‘26?

Mm & will I?