Y Viva España!
Sorry about that. I wanted to start this with some pithy Catalan quotation but all I could think of was the title of a dodgy 70s holiday hit by Sylvia. Still it sums up the mood after a fantastic festival of rugby league in one of Europe's most interesting and eclectic capital cities.
Super League fans received a great welcome in Barcelona
Past rugby league 'on the road' ventures have taken us to Edinburgh, Carcassonne and Swansea, but none can compare to this celebration of sport. More than 18,000 people made the journey to the Olympic Stadium. That was the highest attendance of the weekend's fixtures. And it was in Spain!
As first visits to a country go, we have to agree with Nigel Wood's summation that this was a major success. The chief executive of the Rugby Football League can always be relied upon to see the positives in every venture, but on this occasion the superlative was deserved.
Could Barcelona perhaps be a venue for a future Magic Weekend? It is easily accessible from the UK thanks to the many budget airlines that fly there and the options for accommodation are plentiful.
Angela Powers
Quotes of the week
From early on Saturday morning, La Rambla - Barcelona's celebrated and notorious main street - was awash with the colours of Super League. Blood, gold, primrose and blue mingled and mixed like long lost friends meeting in a foreign land.
Fanfare
Coach loads of Catalans Dragons fans travelled in convoy through the city's streets, flags waving through windows and horns blaring in joyous fanfare. It was ace, to use a Warringtonian term of approval. And as expected the Wolves supporters turned out in big numbers to cheer on the team. Every one that I spoke to said the weekend had been magical.
Magical. That's interesting.... could it perhaps be a venue for a future Magic Weekend? Think about it. It is easily accessible from the UK thanks to the many budget airlines that fly there. The options for accommodation are plentiful. Friends of mine camped on the outskirts of the city, while others made a summer holiday of it by staying at nearby resort Lloret de Mar and coming into Barcelona for the game.
Barcelona itself has the added value of being a big city with a beach front - great when you've got kids who don't get excited at the architecture like the grown ups do. My 14-year-old son, on seeing the magnificent Gaudi-designed cathedral, noted they would have had it finished if they'd gone for something more modern in design.
Breathtaking
The Olympic stadium was fabulous - not just for its classical architecture echoing the Roman Coliseum but also for the breathtaking views across the city from its hilltop home. Plenty of room also for stalls and tents and pre and post match entertainment. Perfect.
On Boots 'N' All this week we'll be reflecting on the venture, asking also where do we go from here? It would seem silly not to build upon this success with more forays into Spain. It's something the Dragons will be pondering seriously as they reflect upon the weekend's events.
In the meantime they can congratulate themselves on a job well done. I'd say something relevant in Spanish to end on, but Sylvia's still singing in my head. Clatter your castanets and sing along now.... España, por favor!
Comments (3)
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Muriel Lee says...
We had a great weekend in Barcelona and got the win as well! Keep away from Ramblas late at night though as the pickpockets are quite scary. We wouldn't want to go to Barcelona for our fixture every year, as we love going to Argeles on the coast near Perpignan and usually combine the fixture with our summer holiday. The Magic weekend would be good in Barcelona, as all Superleague fans could get together with the lovely Catalan/Spanish fans. The weather in early May would probably be warmer than in Edinburgh, and based on our experience of Edinburgh, it probably wouldn't be any more expensive either!
Posted 20:18 26th June 2009
Matt Dolan says...
i also had a fab day in barca. we stayed in salou just 1.5 hours away. i too have thought that a magic weekend is a must in this region.costa dorada. the hotel in salou was 3 star but only ¿20 per night for half board. much cheaper than edinburgh or cardiff. ok you need a flight. ¿130 return. and more or less guaranteed sun. beer prices in salou were only 2euros 80 cents in the hotel thats not too bad.imagine that area being filled with 50,000 rl fans. a lot of brits already live there and catalans would bring 15,000! worth doing.what do you think?
Posted 15:06 25th June 2009
Roger Smith says...
One of the reasons for the Barcelona success is that it was a uniquely Catalan as opposed to Spanish occasion (please note Angela Powers). Catalonia has its own language and the way in which the sport will catch on there is by stressing its unique regional affiliation and identity. So Angela Powers say something unique in Catalan !
Posted 20:46 24th June 2009
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