Huge Super League clash set to be played on damaged pitch

This weekend Leeds Rhinos will be the latest side after Wigan Warriors to head over to the South of France to take on Catalans Dragons and it is another huge game in the play off race as well as the battle for the League Leaders’ Shield.

However, it is likely the game will be played on a damaged pitch. In the Wigan game stains were evident on the playing surface and many were confused why.

The club have now issued a statement on the situation.

“Following the last home match at the Gilbert Brutus Stadium against Wigan on Saturday 26 August, many fans at the stadium and Sky Sports viewers asked the club about the bad conditions of the pitch.

“After the match against Salford on Saturday 29 July, a number of circular stains appeared very quickly.

“The city of Perpignan, which owns the stadium, and Parc et Sports, which manages the grounds at the Gilbert Brutus Stadium and the Aimé Giral Stadium, were keen to explain this unfortunate phenomenon.”

The Parc et Sports company said: “For several years now, with the increase in heat, we’ve seen a new disease growing at the stadium, as a fungus called Sclerotium rolfsii. In 2021, we only had a few spots without too much visual impact. In 2022, the disease was a little more visible, particularly on the side of the Guasch stand, between the 10m and 20m lines. This spread was extensive despite the number of fungicides applied on the pitch.

“Once again this year, the disease broke out, but this time covering a large part of the pitch and impacting on the visual quality of the pitch. We treated it with the strongest plant protection products available but it didn’t work really well.

“We decided to carry out some dethatching, aeration and overseeding work. These operations allow the plants to start growing again after the summer heat.

“We’re aware of the state of the pitch, and we’re doing everything we can to improve the situation.”

The club is doing everything to improve the conditions of its pitch so that it can finish the season as well as possible and host a play-off match (a quarter-final on Friday 29 September or a semi-final on Friday 6 October) in the best possible conditions.