Super League kicked off on 29 March 1996 with a French team in the comp when short-lived Paris St Germain hosted Sheffield Eagles in the new competition's first game of the summer era.

Now, 26 years and two weeks later, the league saw it's first all-French derby when Toulouse Olympique visited Perpignan's Stade Gilbert Brutus to take on Catalan Dragons in the Easter "rivals round".

The Leeds Rhinos returned to Emerald Headingley still seeking their opening win of the 2022 Super League campaign and things didn´t get any easier as they came up against last season´s Minor Premiers and the side widely tipped for a second consecutive Grand Final appearance, the Catalans Dragons.

There were a couple of changes for home coach Richard Agar who replaced Donaldson with O´Connor and brought Dwyer back after his one game suspension, and after sneaking a win against Wakefield Trinity last week Steve McNamara brought Davies and Jullien along with Seguir on the bench.

The Rhinos knew that a four-point win would lift them into sixth, but the Dragons needed to win by well over forty to alter their league position.

Huddersfield Giants were looking for their first win as they wrapped up the Mose Masoe round at the Totally Wicked Stadium with a tough game against a Catalans side who themselves were seeking a second win after their Golden Point victory last weekend.

Jake Wardle, Sam Wood and Michael Lawrence all returned for the Giants who were still without the services of Aidan Sezer, with Samisoni Langi and Gil Dudson into the side for the Dragons.

Despite an awful run of losses, the Giants were only given a two-point start on the coupon against Steve McNamara’s Jekyll and Hyde side.

 

It was billed as a pre-season friendly, but when the Catalans Dragons face Toulouse Olympique XIII, there is rarely anything friendly about it once the captains have shaken hands in the centre of the field.

Both coaches took the opportunity to name large squads for the game with the hope of sharing the workload and getting a good look at all their charges in a game situation.

Catalans’ Steve McNamara named a thirteen-man bench while Toulouse coach Sylvian Houles had a squad of twenty-three players, including many names familiar to followers of Super League such as Harrison Hansen, Dominic Peyroux and Mitch Garbutt.

Two sides, both with an excellent recent Coral Challenge Cup pedigree, were the first to clash in the quarter finals of the 2019 competition as the holders Catalans Dragons travelled to Hull to take on the Black and Whites side which lifted the trophies in the two previous years.

Hull overcame the Castleford Tigers in the last round, while the Dragons demolished lower league opposition from Doncaster.

But the sides had very different fortunes last weekend at the Magic event in Liverpool with the Dragons recording a good victory over Wakefield Trinity, while FC crashed horrendously at the hands of the Huddersfield Giants.

The two sides are currently sat third and fourth in the league table, the French side with a two point advantage.

The bookies had made the home side slight favourites, despite last weeks result, but expected that the holders wouldn’t relinquish their grip on the trophy without a fight.

The Dragons went into this match knowing that they hadn’t lost an Easter Monday fixture for five years, and welcoming back players from suspension and returning from their long injury list.

Castleford, on the other hand, haven’t won an Easter Monday tie in a number of years, and lost Nathan Massey just before kick-off, handing 18-year-old Lewis Peachey his Super League debut.

Unsurprisingly, it was the home side who showed the early pressure, with two sets pressing the visitors’ try-line in the first five minutes, though with no points to show.

Seventh took on ninth in the first of a double header at Craven Park as Hull KR welcomed the Catalans Dragons to a sunny but blustery East Yorkshire.

The Dragons were still smarting from their nilling at the hands of the Salford Red Devils last Saturday while KR were on a high after their close away win at Wakefield in their round five fixture.

A win for the Rover would see them into the top five but Tim Sheens was without five first choice front rowers.

A win by more than an eighteen point margin would see Steve McNamara’s Dragons above KR into seventh spot, but they too had injury issues naming Lucas Albert at hooker for the first time in his career.

A good crowd had gathered hoping for a big home win.

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The Betfred Super League keeps its South of France foothold in Perpignan after the Catalan Dragons ran out 26-10 winners over Leigh in the Million Pound Game at Leigh Sports Village this afternoon.



But that result stayed in doubt until well into the second half as, for the second year running, two SL teams battled it out to decide which one would be relegated to make way for Hull KR, whose return to the top flight was guaranteed when they ensured a top three place in the middle eights.

It was a sweltering south of France that was the backdrop for the opening game of the qualifiers for the Catalans Dragons and London Broncos.

It is unthinkable that the Dragons would not make it back into Super League but the Broncos also have their eye on the big prize.



The Dragons were stunned by the mid-week news that under confused circumstances Tony Gigot was back under suspension after previously winning an appeal against a two year sentence and the Broncos would have been hoping to catch them cold at the start of the competition.



The Broncos had a great Championship season finishing second to runaway leaders Hull KR and the Dragons would have been concerned about their opening fixture.

What a wonderful and exciting adventure we Rugby League fans have been handed out this week.



Who would of imagined a Super League fixture played in NSW Australia and to top it off in a beautuful coastal town and stadium such as Wollongong just South of Sydney!

After seeing off the challenge of Featherstone Rovers in the last round, Batley Bulldogs were rewarded with a home tie against Super Leagues' second placed side the Catalans Dragons.

With the exception of that Challenge Cup win, the Bulldogs have not recorded a victory since the end of March, but only a fool ever writes off a side coached by cup king John Kear.



The Dragons, having a superb season and pushing for the minor premiership, were massive favourites for the win at 1/66 whereas you could get a very generous 14/1 on Batley to progress.

Batley had a twenty-eight point start on the coupon, the bookies gave them no chance.

Hull FC secured their spot in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup with a hard fought 24-13 win against the Catalan Dragons at the Stade Gilbert Brutus

In an error-strewn game played in blistering heat in the south of France Hull took the lead after 20 minutes with a try from Shannon McDonnell before Eloi Pelissier scored for the home side.

Points were shared for a second time in round 17 as Widnes came from behind to draw with Catalan 32-32.



Jack Owens levelled it up with a late penalty goal and with Scott Dureau in an ambulance on his way to hospital, Gregory Mounis missed a drop goal attempt.

Ian Henderson scored four seconds from time as Catalan resisted a late St Helens comeback to record back to back victories at Langtree Park.



Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook came close to scoring a minute from time but in a bitter twist of fate, it was Ian Henderson who had the last say.

Australian winger, Pat Richards recorded his 150th try in the Cherry and White with a 90 metre interception as the Warriors beat Catalan 38-0.



Richards made sure a difficult Dragons assault ended fruitlessly before notching up a second five minutes later.