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| Location | Perpignan, France |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°43′23″N2°53′6.7″E / 42.72306°N 2.885194°E |
| Owner | French Rugby League Federation |
| Capacity | 13,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1962 |
| Expanded | 2005, 2007, and 2011 |
| Tenants | |
| Catalans Dragons (2007–present) | |
Stade Gilbert Brutus is a rugby league stadium in Perpignan, France, which has been the home ground of the Catalans Dragons since 2007.
The Stade Gilbert Brutus was opened in 1962 and built as the home ground of French Rugby League Championship club XIII Catalan who played at their ground until they merged with AS Saint-Estève in 2000 to form Catalans Dragons whose home ground the stadium has been since 2007.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the ground was used by a variety rugby league and rugby union clubs in Northern Catalonia.
The stadium takes its name from Gilbert Brutus, a French rugby union player, coach, chairman and referee, who was born on 2 August 1887 in Port-Vendres. He was a member of the French resistance in the Second World War and was murdered by the Gestapo on 7 March 1944 in Perpignan. [1]
Before 2007, the stadium held 4,200 with 900 seated. [2] This was deemed expanded for the Catalans Dragons before moving in from the Stade Aimé Giral. Expansion of the stadium began in 2006 with target capacity to 14,000. [3]
The first phase of construction included two covered, all-seater stands, one with hospitality suites. By the end of the 2006 season, the work was finished and Catalans moved back into the stadium for the 2007 season. Further construction in 2010 brought capacity up to 13,000, with three all-seater stands. [4]
The Stade Gilbert Brutus has hosted a number of rugby league internationals, the majority of which are home games of the French national rugby league team. [5]
| Date | Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Attendance | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 March 1962 |  France | 23–13 |  Great Britain | 12,500 | |
| 2 December 1962 | France | 17–12 | Great Britain | 12,500 | |
| 8 March 1964 | France | 5–11 | Great Britain | 4,326 | |
| 6 December 1964 | France | 18–8 | Great Britain | 7,150 | |
| 28 November 1965 | France | 11–6 |  New Zealand | 9,000 | 1965 France vs New Zealand – 2nd Test |
| 16 January 1966 | France | 18–13 | Great Britain | 7,255 | |
| 25 January 1970 | France | 11–15 |  Wales | 11,000 | |
| 11 November 1971 | France | 11–27 | New Zealand | 3,581 | 1971 France vs New Zealand – 1st Test |
| 29 October 1972 | Great Britain | 27–21 |  Australia | 6,324 | 1972 Rugby League World Cup |
| 9 December 1973 | France | 9–21 | Australia | 5,109 | 1973 France vs Australia – 1st Test |
| 19 January 1975 | France | 9–11 |  England | 7,950 | 1975 European Rugby League Championship |
| 26 October 1975 | France | 2–41 | Australia | 10,440 | 1975 Rugby League World Cup |
| 23 November 1980 | France | 6–5 | New Zealand | 6,000 | 1980 France vs New Zealand – 1st Test |
| 7 December 1985 | France | 0–20 | New Zealand | 5,000 | 1985 France vs New Zealand – 2nd Test 1985-1988 Rugby League World Cup |
| 30 November 1986 | France | 2–44 | Australia | 6,000 | 1986 France vs Australia – 1st Test |
| 18 March 1990 | France | 4–8 | Great Britain | 6,000 | |
| 9 December 1990 | France | 10–34 | Australia | 3,428 | 1990 France vs Australia – 2nd Test 1989-1992 Rugby League World Cup |
| 27 January 1991 | France | 10–45 | Great Britain | 3,965 | 1989-1992 Rugby League World Cup |
| 16 February 1992 | France | 12–30 | Great Britain | 5,688 | |
| 13 December 1992 | France | 18–19 | Wales | 3,700 | |
| 27 October 2007 | France | 46–16 |  Scotland | 7,000 | |
| 29 October 2011 | France | 46–10 | Scotland | 10,313 | |
| 11 November 2013 | France | 6–22 |  Samoa | 11,576 | 2013 Rugby League World Cup |
| 13 October 2017 | France | 34–12 |  Jamaica | 4,850 | |
| 23 October 2021 | France | 10–30 | England | 6,000 |
| Date | Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Attendance | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 October 2021 | France | 4–40 | England | 6,000 |
