Perpignan - Union Sportive Arlequins Perpignan - is the new French champion !
USAP stroke last Saturday a clear-cut 22-13 victory over Clermont (full story @ scrum.com)... Perpignan seventh "Bouclier de Brennus" (Brennus' Shield), but only the first in the last fifty years... Congratulations to the Catalans, it's well deserved... Perpignan must be the very heartland of French rugby nowadays : a region totally committed to rugby (should it be USAP in Rugby Union or Catalans Dragons in Rugby League), local players (*) finding their way among foreign "mercenaries"... and not a single football club miles away... but FC Barcelona !
Today picture is the cover page of French sports magazine "La Vie Au Grand Air", May 1914, celebrating Perpignan first title in 1914 (Perpignan b. Tarbes 8-7 in Toulouse ) ... A great photowork (larger pic here) that shows the portrays of both captains - Barbe for Perpignan and Dufour for Tarbes - over the famous trophy... the very same that was awarded last Saturday (picture : credit to usap.fr) ...
(*) Saturday MVP was young Perpignan-born Jérôme Porical... fullback like his father (who lost 1977 final with USAP) and grand-father (who won 1938 final with USAP)...
Edited June 8 : it seems that the whole city was down the street to welcome the team back in Perpignan...
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