Super League: Wigan chairman defends Catalans Dragons as important part of Super League
Wigan are set to face Catalans Dragons in a relocated match in Paris in 2026 to mark 20 years of the French club in Super League; watch every Super League game this season live on Sky Sports - including two matches in each round exclusively live
Monday 28 July 2025 10:50, UK
Wigan chairman Chris Brookes has launched a strong defence of Catalans Dragons amid continuing debate over the French club's Super League future.
The Dragons' status in the elite competition is one item being considered as the sport in the northern hemisphere undergoes a strategic review this year.
That review was prompted by a series of unrelated issues during what has been a turbulent and challenging period for the game's governance, with the Rugby Football League, the controlling body, seeing major internal change.
With other items also up for review, the long-term viability of retaining French sides in otherwise British competitions - Toulouse also play in the Championship - has been questioned.
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Yet for Wigan, who on Friday announced they will play the Dragons in Paris next season in a game promoted by both clubs, there is no doubt about the value of the Perpignan-based outfit.
Professor Brookes said: "Our connection with the Catalans team shows how much we support Catalans being within Super League.
"We see this team as absolutely critical to the future of our sport and we're 100 per cent behind the French team and what they bring, the brand of rugby league they play. Our fans love going there.
"We see what this team does is absolutely pivotal to the future of the game and an essential part of it looking forward."
Wigan, the current Super League champions, will face the Dragons at the Stade Jean Bouin on June 6, 2026.
The regular-season clash in the French capital, which will be a Catalans 'home' game, will form part of the celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the Dragons' entrance to Super League.
It will also come 30 years after Super League itself was launched with a game between Paris Saint-Germain and Sheffield Eagles.
France's future in Rugby League
One of the most contentious aspects of the review is the future of French clubs in a predominantly British league system.
Rugby League chief executive Nigel Wood, who played a key role in bringing Catalans Dragons into Super League in the early 2000s, remains a firm supporter of their inclusion - but believes the terms need to be re-examined.
Wood is leading a strategic review aimed at reshaping the sport's future and speaking on The Bench with Jenna and Jon, he said: "The issue is not whether they're in - it's on what terms they're in."
The original rationale for including French clubs was threefold: to strengthen the French national team, generate broadcast revenue from France, and offer fans a unique travel destination.
"Twenty years on, only the last of those three has been achieved," Wood admits.
He points to the economic impact of British fans travelling to France - citing a recent example where 4,000 Leigh supporters spent an estimated £4m on a trip to Catalans - but notes the imbalance in reciprocal support.
"The reverse doesn't happen," he says. "We have to find a way to work to the benefit of both the British game and the French game."
Despite the challenges, Wood is unequivocal about ongoing French representation in Super League.
"Very confident," he says. "And happy with that."
Watch every Super League game this season live on Sky Sports - including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining four matches each week shown on Sky Sports+ via the red button.
