Catalans

The Catalans (Catalan, French and Occitan: catalans; Italian: catalani; Spanish: catalanes) are a Romance ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia, who form a nationality in northern Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France (known in Catalonia proper as Catalunya Nord and in France as the Pays Catalan) are included in this definition. Also, Catalan is sometimes used to define people from Catalan Countries, which include other areas where the Catalan language is spoken.

Extended concept

The other Catalan-speaking people, namely people from Andorra, Valencia, the Balearic islands, eastern Aragon, and the city of Alghero in Sardinia, are sometimes identified as a collective, distinct ethnic group. The aforementioned territories are often designated Països Catalans, "Catalan Countries", by Catalan nationalists.

Historical background

Catalans Dragons

The Catalans Dragons (French and Catalan: Dragons Catalans) are a professional rugby league club in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales, France. They play in the Super League, the only team in the competition from outside England. The Dragons play home games at Stade Gilbert Brutus.

The club was formed in 2000 by a merger of XIII Catalan and AS Saint Estève into Union Treiziste Catalane (UTC). They won the 2005 French Rugby League Championship and the Lord Derby Cup in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, they were granted a Super League licence, taking the name Catalans Dragons. UTC continues to compete in the French Championship's Elite One Championship as a feeder club for the Dragons.

History

Paris Saint Germain

In The original Super League in 1995 there was a French team based in Paris called Paris Saint Germain who withdrew in 1997 after the Super League season 2 had finished, There results were 9 Wins, 4 Draws and 36 Losses.

When the Catalans Dragons were formed in 2000 the Super League decided to let them sign players from France to make sure that they didn't have the same problems as Paris Saint Germain.

Super League

Super League, officially the First Utility Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the top-level professional rugby league club competition in Europe. The league has twelve teams: eleven from England and one from France. The current champions are Leeds Rhinos.

Super League began in 1996, replacing the RFL Championship and switching from a winter to a summer season. Each team plays 23 games between February and July: 11 home games, 11 away games and a Magic Weekend game at a neutral venue. At the end of the season, the top eight teams enter a Super 8 stage, playing each other once more. The top four then enter the play-off series leading to the Grand Final (formerly Championship Final) which determines the champions.

The Super League champions play the National Rugby League (NRL) champions from Australasia in the World Club Challenge.

History

1996–2001: Establishment

The competition was first mooted during the Australian Super League war as a way for Rupert Murdoch to gain the upper hand during the battle for broadcasting supremacy with the Australian Rugby League. Murdoch also approached the British clubs to form Super League. A large sum of money aided the decision, and the competition got under way in 1996. Part of the deal saw rugby league switch from a winter to a summer season. The 12 founding teams of Super League were: