Catalan Dragons will be out to demonstrate the viability of a second French club in Super League when they hosted Hull KR
The Dragons moved their round-19 fixture from Perpignan to Toulouse, who are bidding to join the Catalans in a revamped Super League from 2015. Toulouse, who reached the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup under Justin Morgan in 2005, played in the Championship from 2009-11 and are looking to make the step up.
The Dragons are happy to assist the cause of their old rivals and the move to paid off with a near 15,000 crowd, which doubled their average attendance at Stade Gilbert Brutus this season.
“We try to take a game on the road each year to show rugby league outside Perpignan – we have been to Montpellier, Beziers and Barcelona,” said Catalan spokesman Yannick Rey.
“Now we are playing in Toulouse and it will be an opportunity for Toulouse Olympique to show their potential for Super League.
The game was held at the 19,000-capacity Stade Ernest Wallon, home of Toulouse’s rugby union club, but Olympique have plans to renovate their own Stade Minimes if they get the go-ahead to enter Super League.
Hull KR won a thrilling encounter 22-21 and the Robins were boosted by the return of influential Australian forward Cory Paterson, who has sat out the last four matches through suspension.
The crowd will certainly make people sit up and take notice