Watch Catalans Dragons vs Wigan Warriors live on Sky Sports Arena on Saturday from 3.15pm
Friday 17 May 2019 12:02, UK
Saturday's ground-breaking match at the Nou Camp could be the first of a series of Super League fixtures in big European cities, according to chief executive Robert Elstone.
The Catalans Dragons' bold decision to take their home game against Wigan to Barcelona is set to pay off with a Super League record crowd, eclipsing the 25,004 that watched the Wigan-St Helens derby at the DW Stadium in 2005.
"Catalans Dragons have worked incredibly hard on this for a number of weeks," said Elstone.
"They're really confident of breaking the all-time Super League record and, after 24 seasons and around 5,000 games, that's some achievement, particularly in an alien city.
"It seems like the world of rugby league in France has got behind them."
There could be a first French Super League derby in 2020 if Toulouse gain promotion from the Championship - they face a crucial game against leaders Toronto at the Summer Bash in Blackpool on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Arena.
Elstone believes the game in Barcelona could have huge significance for rugby league outside the English heartland.
"We've talked about expansion and reaching a new audience and taking the game out of its bubble and I think probably nothing in the game's 24-year history has done this more than Saturday's game," he said.
"It's created a lot of interest in the week beforehand and it will create a lot of interest in a couple of days afterwards but what we've got to do is bottle that and build on it.
"That's the challenge. Partly why I was in Toulouse on Wednesday was to look at opportunities in south-west France for growth.
"We were chatting to the Catalans staff last night about where next year might be. I think they've been motivated and enthused by what they're achieving here and are looking to kick on next year.
"They're already talking about other major cities in this part of the world - there is talk of Marseille, Nice and Bordeaux.
"You want to pick a vibrant city with an interest in sport that's got a great stadium that can showcase this."
Wigan, the reigning champions, have won their last 10 meetings with Catalans, the Challenge Cup holders, whose last victory against the Warriors was in May 2015.
"We are excited about the massive venue over there," said Wigan coach Adrian Lam. "It's looking like it's going to be a record-breaking crowd.
"I know some of my friends are travelling over from Australia. With over 4,000 Wigan fans travelling over, we just want to perform for them.
"It's a massive game for us because they are sitting joint third and we need to climb the ladder. It's a must win for us."
