CATALANS DRAGONS have been forced to pay almost £36,000 to fund a private plane for their away clash against Halifax Panthers on Sunday afternoon.
The fixture, which kicks off at 3pm on Sunday, will see the French side play at The Shay for the first time in their history.
However, the hefty fee to charter a private plane from Perpignan Airport to Leeds-Bradford Airport on Sunday morning is an eyewatering figure, French publication L’Independant has revealed.
Add in to the mix that the Dragons already have to pay a €500,000 – equal to over £428,000 – bond to enter the Challenge Cup and they are certainly up against it financially.
It comes after RL Commercial’s Managing Director, Rhodri Jones, revealed that Catalans will be paying for the travel of all away clubs to the Stade Gilbert Brutus from 2025.
“The travel will change in terms of going out to Catalans and who pays for the travel in 2025. The Dragons will pick up that bill now,” Jones told the League Express podcast last month.
“It’s been talked about but we haven’t got into that detail yet, that’s something we will do quickly so everyone knows how the land lies.
“Toulouse already do that so in effect we are bringing Catalans in line with what Toulouse are doing.”
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