On Saturday, Catalans Dragons will face Wigan Warriors on the Stade Jean Bouin in Paris for a Tremendous League contest, 20 years on from their arrival into the competitors.
Jerome Guisset, Perpignan born-and-raised, travelled so far as Canberra in Australia to forge a profession within the sport he cherished, happening to characterize Warrington Wolves (2000-2004) and Wigan Warriors (2005) for six successive seasons in Tremendous League.
When Catalans Dragons had been established in Perpignan in 2006, Guisset made an emotional voyage house, seeing out the remainder of his enjoying days with the membership till 2010.
Who higher to speak to then concerning the rise of Catalans and the challenges they face in France?
“We came into Super League in 2006 and our training facilities were, let’s just say in a very polite way, way below par,” Guiseet tells Sky Sports activities. “Nevertheless it was half and parcel of the exoticism of the Dragons in a roundabout way.
“We very a lot had beginner services, however we did not lack want to clearly prepare powerful. I feel it positively cast a tradition and a mentality that you simply needed to earn every thing.
“We educated in a health club that was most likely the dimensions of only a small altering room. The coaching services weren’t that nice, however once more, I do not suppose it is a difficulty by way of constructing a tradition and toughness for what was to return.
“And then the last thing, which I don’t think English clubs experience, is the travel. The intensity of the travel and the fact that – I’m talking like 20 years ago – there were hardly any flights from Perpignan.
“So we needed to drive to Barcelona, in a bus for about two-and-a-half hours to get there, you then needed to wait on the airport, it was a two-hour flight to Stansted more often than not, after which the drive from Stansted all the best way up north.
“It was pretty much 12 hours of travelling, and we did that 15 or 20 times in the year.
“The draw back of that’s it was powerful. The great facet was that you find yourself spending numerous time collectively, forging a tradition and workforce morale.
“That was the bridge that built the team.”
Within the years since Guisset retired from the game, Catalans have gone on to realize Problem Cup glory at Wembley in 2018, a League Leaders’ Defend triumph in 2021, and Grand Last appearances in 2021 and 2023. In addition they took a Tremendous League match to the long-lasting Nou Camp in Barcelona in 2019.
Taking into consideration the origins and beginnings of the membership in Tremendous League, did Guisset see such success coming?
“I actually did,” he says. “Purely and simply because I think that a lot of credit needs to be given to Bernard Guasch, the owner, and the board. I think that Bernard Guasch is a visionary. He’s got the right mentality.
“In case you take a look at the best way he is led the membership during the last 20 years, I feel Catalans had been at all times a membership that was destined, at some stage, to get some glory.
“He’s always had that vision to get the club bigger and grow the club. His growth strategy has always been great.
“Seeing them getting some silverware alongside the best way, I feel it was extra a query of time fairly than if, in case you get what I imply.”
‘Rugby league in France is a troublesome existence’
In France, sporting success is a digital ceremony of passage.
Their worldwide soccer workforce is invariably top-of-the-line on the planet – World Cup winners as not too long ago as 2018, and finalists in 2022 – whereas at membership stage PSG are the present double Champions League winners.
In rugby union, France have gained the final two Six Nations, whereas their membership sides have gained the final six Champions Cup titles on the bounce in Toulouse (2021, 2024), La Rochelle (2022, 2023) and Bordeaux-Begles (2025, 2026).
It is a fiendishly troublesome market to exist inside.
“Catalans have been there in Super League for 20 years, they’re the driving force behind the revival of rugby league in France,” Guisset says.
“It’s a tough existence. It is because I don’t think the rest of the world understand how big sport is in France and the level and the calibre of talent that we’ve got.
“You see it in soccer, we have got so many gifted gamers. You take a look at basketball, so many gifted gamers. You’ve got received Rugby Union, so many gifted gamers. They’re all world beaters.
“Obviously, that means that as soon as you get that, it attracts a lot of money, and all the players want to play there.
“If you end up a second-tier sport or a third-tier sport, prefer it’s the case for rugby league in France, the existence is basically, actually powerful. Catalans Dragons as a membership have at all times performed the driving power behind the entire sport in France.
“I think showcasing that we can go to big stadiums, we can attract big crowds – in Barcelona I think we had over 35,000 there – it showcases there is an audience. There is something to be done.”
With that in thoughts, how does the game of rugby league continue to grow in France in Guisset’s opinion?
“It is having a aggressive facet but in addition having a facet that manages to play a sexy model of rugby league.
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Highlights from the Tremendous League conflict between Catalans Dragons and Warrington Wolves this season
“Rugby is very famous in France, especially in the south of France, so people would know what rugby league is, but when you look at rugby union, they’ve got their superstars. They’ve got the likes of Toulouse, Antoine Dupont.
“If you wish to compete in opposition to them and exist, you want to have the ability to entice the gang by enjoying a sure model of rugby.
“If we manage to do that and at the same time grow the amount of young French players that we can actually see play, as opposed to solely having imports – I’m not against imports, that’s not what I’m saying at all – but I think we need a really strong base of young players that have come through the ranks and help them become fully-fledged Super League players and international players.”
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Highlights from the Rugby Tremendous League match between York Knights and Catalans Dragons
2026 Tremendous League – key dates and what to look out for
- Tremendous League in Paris: Sat June 6: Catalans Dragons vs Wigan Warriors (Paris), 6.30pm UK (Sky Sports activities)
- Magic Weekend: July 4-July 5
- Rivals Spherical reversed: July 23-July 26
- Elimination Play-offs: September 19-September 20
- Play-off semi-finals: September 26-September 27
- Grand Last: October 3, Previous Trafford
Sky Sports activities will once more present each recreation of the Tremendous League reside this season – together with two matches in every spherical completely reside, with the remaining 5 matches every week proven on Sky Sports activities+
