Bernard Guasch, the chief executive of Catalans Dragons, has expressed his frustration at the slow development of the French rugby league side’s shared stadium, but is targeting progress this month.
The team, which features in Britain’s Super League despite being French, plays at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan, France. The venue currently has a capacity of 13,180.
The stadium originally opened in 1962 and has since been expanded three times – the last time being 2011. Catalans share the stadium with rugby union side USA Perpignan, which owns and operates the stadium.
Talking to the regional newspaper for the South of France, L’independent, François Rivière, president of USA Perpignan, said that the two clubs would like to add seats in order to receive important partners. He explained that the move would allow the rugby union side to compete with clubs such as Toulon or La Rochelle.
“We must work on the partner reception where we only have 1,800 seats, when there are 4,500 in La Rochelle,” Rivière commented.
Guasch added that not expanding the Stade Gilbert Brutus would not allow either club the chance to grow.
“If the agreements between the communities, town hall, department and region are not finalised in January, I will get angry because I am exhausted,” he told the newspaper.
Catalans were invited to join the Super League in 2006. Last season saw Catalans finish seventh in the table.
