Stade Gilbert Brutus
Perpignan, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan, France — opened 1962, 310 rugby league games hosted, home of Catalans Dragons.
Sourcing caveat: Floodlight installation year and pitch surface details were not identified in sources found and have been omitted rather than guessed. Only a handful of the ground's international Test matches (1962-1972, plus a 2021 France v England fixture) were corroborated with dates; a full list of 1970s-1980s tour and Test matches referenced in passing by Wikipedia could not be individually verified and is not included.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1962 |
| Home club | Catalans Dragons |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 310 |
| Top recorded crowd | 14,700 |
| Capacity | 14,700 (all-seated, current configuration) |
| Test matches hosted | 4 |
| First rugby league match | 11 March 1962 — France 23-13 Great Britain, attendance 12,500 |
| Years used | 1962–2026 |
| Location | Perpignan, Languedoc-Roussillon |
Name history
- Stade Gilbert Brutus — since 1962 (named for Gilbert Brutus, 1887-1944, French rugby player, coach, chairman and referee)
Rugby league history
Built for XIII Catalan (formerly USAP-affiliated Perpignan rugby league), the stadium hosted France's international fixtures through the 1960s and 1970s, including matches against Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand touring sides, at a time when it held only around 4,200 (900 seated). XIII Catalan merged with AS Sainte-Estève in 2000; when the resulting club, Catalans Dragons, was admitted to the Super League for 2006, the ground was substantially redeveloped, adding two covered all-seater stands for 2007 and expanding again in 2010 to roughly 13,000 with a third stand, later reaching its current all-seated capacity of 14,700. It remains Catalans Dragons' home ground and has continued to host occasional French national-team fixtures, including a France v England Test in October 2021.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 11 Mar 1962 — France 23-13 Great Britain, attendance 12,500
- 1965 — France v New Zealand (exact date/score not identified in sources found)
- 1971 — France v New Zealand (exact date/score not identified in sources found)
- 23 Oct 2021 — France 4-40 England, attendance 6,000
Pre-dates the site's structured match-by-match records for these competitions, so listed here as sourced facts rather than linked match pages.
Notable games played here
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Group B, 11 Nov 2013 | 2013 Rugby League World Cup | France 6-22 Samoa |
| World Cup Table, 9 Dec 1990 | 1989-92 Rugby League World Cup | France 10-34 Australia |
| World Cup Table, 27 Jan 1991 | 1989-92 Rugby League World Cup | France 10-45 Great Britain |
| World Cup Table, 7 Dec 1985 | 1985-88 Rugby League World Cup | France 0-22 New Zealand |
| World Cup Table, 26 Oct 1975 | 1975 Rugby League World Cup | France 2-41 Australia |
| World Cup Table, 29 Oct 1972 | 1972 Rugby League World Cup | Great Britain 27-21 Australia |
Only matches we have full, sourced records for are listed here — other historic games mentioned above may not have a dedicated match page built yet (World Cup coverage in particular is still expanding tournament by tournament).
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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