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Catalans Dragons Wheelchair

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Catalans Dragons
Club information
Full nameCatalans Dragons Wheelchair Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)The Dragons
ColoursWhite, Red and Gold
Websitecatalansdragons.com
Current details
ChairmanBernard Guasch
CompetitionElite 1
2022–23(Champions)
Current season
Uniforms
Home colours
Away colours
Records
Elite 1At least 8 (2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23)
Lord Derby Cups?
Challenge Cups1 (2023)
European Club Challenges2 (2023, 2024)

The Catalans Dragons Wheelchair Rugby League Football Club are a French wheelchair rugby league club based in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales. The club competes in the Elite 1 Championship, the top tier of the French rugby league system.

History

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Catalans Dragons wheelchair teams is though to be one of the world's oldest wheelchair rugby league football clubs. Like the French Elite 1 Championship itself, it its unclear at exactly what point the club was formed, though are known to have been in existence during 2011–12 season[1] in which they finished runners-up.[2] Following this, Catalans established themselves as the dominant force in French wheelchair rugby league, winning every national championship with the exception of their 2016–17 Grand Final defeat to Toulouse Olympique.[3] In 2022, Catalans player Sebastien Bechara won the IRL Golden Boot.[4] Along with, the French league and cup, the teams also has started to compete in the British Wheelchair Challenge Cup, which they won their inaugural title in 2023[5] after finishing runners-up the year before.[6] 2023 saw another Catalans player win the IRL Golden Boot, this time Jérémy Bourson.[7] Also in 2023, as winners of the previous season's national championship, Catalans qualified for a new competition, the European Club Challenge, in which the French league champions would compete against the British league champions for the de facto European title. The Dragons shared the 2023 title with Halifax Panthers after a 32–32 draw,[8] before qualifying again the following year and taking the title outright after a 68–28 defeat of Wigan Warriors.[9]

Seasons

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Season League Lord Derby Cup Year Challenge
Cup
European Club Challenge
Division P W D L F A Pts Pos Play-offs
2011–12 Elite 1 Unknown ? Runners-up ? 2012 No Competition No Competition
2012–13 Elite 1 Unknown ? Champions ? 2013
2013–14 Elite 1 Unknown ? Champions ? 2014
2014–15 Elite 1 Unknown ? Champions ? 2015 Did not participate
2015–16 Elite 1 Unknown ? Champions ? 2016
2016–17 Elite 1 Unknown ? Runners-up ? 2017
2017–18 Elite 1 Unknown ? Champions ? 2018
2018–19 Elite 1 Unknown ? Champions ? 2019
2019–20 Elite 1 Competitions cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2020
2020–21 Elite 1 2021
2021–22 Elite 1 Unknown ? Champions ? 2022 Runners-up
2022–23 Elite 1 Unknown ? Champions ? 2023 Champions Champions
2023–24 Elite 1 TBA 2024 Champions Champions

Honours

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Leagues

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Winners (At least 8): 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23

Cups

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  • France Lord Derby Cup
Winners (?):
Winners (2): 2023, 2024

International

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Winners (2): 2023, 2024

References

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  1. ^ "Les chiffres de la saison 2011-2013". FFRXIII (in French). 3 July 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ "XIII fauteuil : Cahors champion". FFRXIII (in French). 12 June 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Le TO XIII/St Jory Champion de France". FFRXIII (in French). 3 May 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  4. ^ "International Rugby League Golden Boot Awards". Rugby League International Federation. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  5. ^ "Catalans Dragons 66-20 Leeds Rhinos: French side clinch Wheelchair Challenge Cup final victory". Sky Sports.
  6. ^ Hall, Ben (June 26, 2022). "Rhinos slay Dragons to win third Wheelchair Challenge Cup in a row".
  7. ^ "Fisher-Harris, Hale and Bourson named 2023 Golden Boot winners". National Rugby League. 6 December 2023.
  8. ^ https://www.rugby-league.com/article/62078/wheelchair-rugby-league-european-club-challenge
  9. ^ https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/04/06/warriors-beaten-in-wheelchair-european-championship/