CATALANS DRAGONS may have lost a second Grand Final but they are proving to be big winners off the pitch with a boom in attendances and commercial revenue plus plans to extend and renovate their home ground, Stade Gilbert Brutus.
Super League crowds increased by 20 percent in Perpignan this year compared to 2022, boosted by a sell-out semi-final against St Helens and near-full houses against Wigan and Warrington.
And the club’s commercial department sold out hospitality and corporate facilities for every single game this season, leaving the club with no option but to carry out extensive renovations at the Brutus.
Work will start at the end of season 2024 to demolish the Guasch Stand and extend the Puig Aubert end with a sweeping corner, which will stretch all the way to the swimming pool end of the stadium.
The work, financed by the local authority who own the ground, should be completed by the beginning of season 2026, the 20th anniversary of Super League’s youngest club.
To catch up with the latest events at the Dragons, League Express’s STEVE BRADY spoke to the club’s Commercial Director CHRISTOPHE LEVY, who is looking forward to exciting times ahead for Les Dracs.
SB: Now the dust has settled on 2023, how do you review this season?
CL: “It has been an incredible season for us on and off the field. The matchday attendances have increased by 20% and the atmosphere created at the Brutus this summer, especially in the play-offs, has never been seen before in the memories of local rugby fans.
“The best bit for me was to see so many children on game days and we also attracted many rugby union supporters for the first time.
“The Top 14 season has taken a break during the union World Cup and it paved the way for some people to re-discover Rugby League. Bringing so many rugby union fans to a Super League game was a strong victory for us. There was a large screen set up for the World Cup in Perpignan city centre and we had 10,000 people in the fan zone watching our Grand Final, which was phenomenal.”
SB: Commercially, you seem to be very successful, how important is it to have so many loyal partners (sponsors)?
CL: “We have around 400 private companies sponsoring the club during the year. It’s normal to lose around 10% of them every year due to economic difficulties so our goal is to get an additional 15% every year to grow.
“This year commercial turnover is a club record (Catalans declared a turnover of 13 million euros for the 2023 season) and, as our President (Bernard Guasch) keeps saying, we survive thanks to the loyalty our local sponsors.
“Hopefully our success in the play-offs and the number of articles it created in national newspapers such as L’Equipe (three articles last week) or Le Parisien (three more articles) will help us to target new national French sponsors. And don’t forget the coverage in Barcelona with TV3 (Catalan regional TV) broadcasting the Final on free public television. Season after season the image of the Dragons in Barcelona is getting bigger and bigger.”
SB: It looks likely that all games will be covered live on TV next year. What does that mean for your sponsors and advertising and promotional opportunities?
CL: “Yes, that is the best story of the season for us commercially and also for our fans, many of whom cannot afford to travel to England so many times. At the moment, most of our supporters do not see a large number of our games, so 2024 will definitely be a massive season in term of the Dragons’ image thanks to Sky. Our partners will gain more exposure and fans will see more games; it is great news for the club.”
SB: Are plans for redevelopment of the Brutus going ahead?
CL: “Yes, it has taken time to get all of the green lights from Perpignan and regional councils but details of the renovation should be announced by the end of 2023. The Brutus is a public stadium owned by Perpignan council and therefore all renovation is made possible with public money. With the economic crisis, every euro spent must be justified. Hopefully our recent on- and off-field results and attendances have convinced everyone to invest again in our stadium.”
SB: When will work start and when will it end? What will be the capacity attendance at the new Brutus and how many more commercial opportunities will it create?
CL: “We are thinking not to touch anything for the 2024 season and start the demolition of the Guasch Stand in September 2024. Then it will be two years of work. We are planning a grand opening in 2026 for our club’s 20th anniversary. This new stand, all covered by a roof, will increase the capacity to almost 13,000 seats (plus standing room) including 800 new corporate hospitality seats. We are sold out every game in corporate at 1,200 guests. We will be able to host 2,000 by 2026.”
SB: What is the mood at the club after once again coming so close in a Grand Final?
CL: “We are all very down; to lose two finals in three years is really hard to take. We worked really hard to get there. The semi-final was unbelievable and we brought as many fans as we could to Old Trafford but the trip cost the fans and the club a fortune.
“We managed four private planes on the day containing 600 people. It is a lot of work and responsibility for our club as we are not an international travel agency. But this year, compared to our Grand Final in 2021, which was affected by Covid, a lot of our fans organised their own travel with commercial flights from Gerona, Barcelona and Carcassonne and that is why there were at least three to four thousand Catalans fans in Old Trafford.
“So losing was very tough to take after all that effort, expense and expectation, but the sight of so many Catalans supporters in Manchester makes us smile.”
SB: Have you got a message for supporters and partners looking towards 2024?
CL: “It is the end of a generation of players and staff, with so many people leaving the club. But the roots of the club are stronger than ever and I have no doubt Steve (McNamara) and his staff will build a strong side next year. Off the field, we expect the economic crisis to continue to impact our commercial budget, but we have very tight links with our sponsors so I am confident for 2024. ”
SB: What do you believe Catalans Dragons can achieve on and off the pitch and what are your ambitions?
CL: “We want to be Champions, there is no other goal at the club. Only excellence can encourage national media coverage in France and we need that level of excellence to be able to compete with the world’s best rugby union competition, which is the French Top 14.”
