audois

I see the assistant coach was present too for this photo shoot !! But great to see CXIII pressing on. The Aude is showing the way on and off the field. Lets hope others can follow.

Yes near the centre of the city ideal. Minimes is the name of the suburb. Ernest Wallon one of the best rugby grounds in France. The city council gave €4M for a state of the art hybrid pitch to enable both codes could utilise.

I think so and the old grand stand. They were hoping to develop the ground but locals objected. The city authorities then came up with the idea of joining them up with Stade Toulousain at Ernest Wallon - which hopefully will be a winner.

Don't think Vailhen has played in Super League yet. Maybe him and Salabio have this year to show up. The latter went on to play twice though for TO last season along with Flovie who was a try scorer yesterday for FCL. This lad Jobe looks promising. I think he came from rugby union. Got a good try Sunday. Played centre last year but second row yesterday. Decent effort from TO Elite against Villeneuve/Lot. Let a good lead disappear but fell away 26-29. Laguerre got two tries but late on gifted a try. Their U19s undefeated after five games with 250 points to their name. Be interesting to see how they go next weekend in Perpignan.

Best performance of the season by far from Baby Dracs - after taking that walloping at Avignon. Super try late on from wing Parenti from Marty's exquisite pass. FCL to Limoux next weekend for the 2nd Aude derby. Should be close.

See now Toulouse- Villeneuve/Lot is also being streamed too. Same time KO From down town old ground - Stade Minimes. Interestingly Super League team are now using the ground as a training base. Last few years were at a ground near the raiway station.

FCL game v St Esteve is being streamed 3 o'clock local time. Young Dragons v Old Dragons on view

When they played Wigan in Barcelona it was the same weekend before Magic Weekend. People where talking here about first weekend in July.

When they played Wigan in Barcelona it was the same weekend before Magic Weekend. People where talking here about first weekend in July.

They started the ball rolling 11th April 2006 at Aime Giral (11,122) for Catalans debut. Twice too to Monpellier later one at the rugby unions ground Stade Yves du Manoir(9,372) and the to the soccer clubs patch at Stade Mosson ( 13,856). Who will ever forget Nou Camp and Barcelona with a record crowd (31,555). They had to be the one club too ready to break new ground with their 'Tour de France' in 2022 playing Toulouse one Saturday and Catalans following weekend. Fans can either choose one game or make it two. Wonderful.

At the moment more like an Aude comp with Lezignan, Limoux and Carcassonne well ahead. FCL with half a dozen former Dragons players and Maloney still awaited. The clubs on the periphery north of the Aude - Villeneuve/Lot, Albi and Avignon doing it hard presently. The Aquitaine side lost Robin to Limoux and prop Tabu to Carcassonne - Canaris also taking Boyer from TO too. Limoux also picked up international centre Ader from TO also Avignon struggling after losing Gigot and Jouffret from last year as well as young winger Rey to St Esteve. The game is very much centred around the Aude and the Super League professional clubs dominating. St Esteve will pick-up when young hopefulls made available after Dragons pre-season is over. Donkeys years ago remember Toulouse U19s coming to Carcassonne with just nine players. What a change they are now. It's a changing world.

Noticed hopeful winger Depeyre was absent. Complete inverse for U19's game with TO winning 10- 64.Two impressive wingers especially the right one.Other stand outs there at full back and a very promising half back at no 7. https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=441860650625379

St Gaudens were Elite 1 Champions back in 2004 beating the UTC at Aime Giral 14-10 two years before the latter became Catalans Dragons. The 'Ours' today find themselves in a dark place. They 've done nothing in the intervening years unfortunately. Until the Pyrenéan club can fiind a way out Elite 1 will presently will have to go with 8 sides. Two of those are reserve sides from TO-Dragons and these are holding their own. The other six are credible and competitive especially in the Aude. The Federation were hoping to go to 12 clubs this year but there was no real chance of that happening. Going forward the only one club looking to likely to re-appear are Pia. Villegailhenc are the only Elite 2 along with Pia & Baho still undefeated so far but are for the moment anyway the reserve side of Carcassonne and I presume would not seek promotion. The way I see it the situation is changing radically. If you see in the Aude you have the three Elite 1 sides who have links with neighbouring village sides. Lezignan have a resereve side Ferrals playing at 3rd tire level and the latter reserves to 4th tire level at Val D'Orbieu and AS Corbieres. Limoux are following suit with AS Pomas and MJC Razes. Pia even at Elite 2 are already following suit too with joining up with Salses and St Laurent in the Salanque region. In Provence maybe seeing Avignon linking up with Salon, Carpentras and Entraigues too.

Gavin Willacy in the 'The Guardian' has his say... https://www.theguardian.com/sport/no-helmets-required/2021/nov/11/rugby-league-club-hertfordshire-canada-cornwall-hemel-stags-ottawa

Group here so far... https://www.to13.com/a-la-une/un-point-sur-leffectif-du-to/

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/59222202

Dragons first up 2006 P28 W8 .Nine French players from the Elite1 semi-pro comp played in that opener against Wigan

Carcassonne missed Simon and Canet up front. Second half too many handling errors. The Aussie half poor pass in a good position and their left winger put down passes close to the line. Lezignan 30-16 Carcassonne Albi 20-28 Villeneuve TO Elite 36-8 St Gaudens Avignon 42-6 St Esteve Good to see Villeneuve get their first win. Interesting new comer in Damel Diakhate in the visitors pack ploughed over in style. While flying Albi winger Pedrero scored superbly. TO too good for St Gaudens with a hat trick of tries from new comer from Sheffield three-quarter Clarke and promising young winger Depeyre continues to show up with a pair too. Surprise up in Provence with Avignon far too good for the youngsters from St Esteve now not featuring presently the lads who have already moved up into the Dragons set-up.

Will be on the air 5 minute or so from KO. Commentators Pierre Verges, Elisa Ciria and Jessika Guehaseim courtesy of the French Federation Interesting visitors swich two centres into their starting back row from last week - Albert and Bitigri. FCL have Biaitiri and Inu on the bench with Maria starting. Six former Dragons in home side line up.

Canaris pack looking formidable. The first of 6 Aude derbys this season. Shoud be a belter to start it off. https://viaoccitanie.tv/direct-tv/ Covering the game Interesting too that this Toulouse station now is listed daily in La Depeche/ L'Independant along with all national TV programmes

Hugo Pezet centre 21 yrs first professional contract moving up from TO Elite 1 now signed up https://www.to13.com/a-la-une/premier-contrat-pro-pour-hugo-pezet/

Peter - was a feisty affair for sure. I think Albi will do well this season. Full back decent player and Fabre back at last after a long time out injured was excellent. TO Elite looking better too- like their full back Laguerre and wing Depeyre

Gadwin Springer now on board https://www.to13.com/accueil/

The demise of Palau demands another Catalan side to take it’s place in Elite1 and it’s looking like as the resurgent Pia club. Already this season in Elite 2 they are leading the way undefeated in 4 games and racking up nearly 200 points already. Led now by two former Dragons reserves of note in Thomas Ambert and Ugo Perez who had senior status at St Esteve amongst the teenagers these last two years. Pia has a population of 9000 similar to that of Limoux and Lezignan Recently they have spread their wings linking up with two junior clubs in the Salanque area north of the town. Salses will be Pia’s reserve team while St Laurent will act like wise to Salses. Pia earlier had carried the name of Pia Salanque Mediterranean taking in the whole area north of Perpignan up to Aude border covering a population of 25,000. Their ground has been refurbished in recent times and would be one of the best in Elite 1. Pia played six Elite 1 championship finals between 2006 and 2013 winning three before cut by the Federation. There return could not come at a better time. St Esteve would benefit from that hugely too.

The Aude sides winning all 6 games in the opening 2 weeks. Impressive recruitment all round. Limoux with Robin and Ader both French internationals and experence with TO in the Championship. Lezignan extraordinaire with Maloney, Baitieri, Belmas and Inu in tow. Carcassonne with Boyer interntaional prop also from TO adding to an already strong pack of forwards. Can't remember when all three sides have been so strong at the same time. The Aude is kind of in the middle of the dog leg between Toulouse and Perpignan geographically. Like a French M62 sort of with Avignon, Albi,Villeneuve and St Gaudens out on the periphery.