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This weekend the Legendary Nou Camp in Barcelona will host rugby league for the first time in its history, when the Catalans Dragons play Super League champions Wigan.
The Dragons, the reigning Challenge Cup champions, will step out onto the spiritual home of Catalan sport wearing a specially designed O’Neills jersey in the traditional Barca Blaugrana colours. And ahead of the game, the O’Neills one off Catalans Dragons shirt is featured heavily on the Barca FC webpage and social media pages.
It is a fantastic occasion for the club, and as official kit suppliers it is a huge honour for O’Neills to see our jersey worn in one of the true Cathedrals of world sport, graced week in week out by the likes of Messi, Pique and forever associated with Cruyff, Guardiola, Romario, Ronaldinho, Xavi and Iniesta.
The Catalans Dragons are based 120 miles from Barcelona in Perpignan, France and they were invited to the Nou Camp by Barcelona football club after they won the Challenge Cup last August.
On September 23, 2018, the Catalan Dragons had a schedule full of events in Barcelona after their historic victory in the Challenge Cup. At half-time in the match between Barça v Girona the Camp Nou faithful supporters showed their appreciation of their fellow Catalans’ success.
Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan said it will be a "landmark moment" for the game. "It will provide a shot in the arm for the new era of Super League," he added.
Taking the match to the biggest stadium in Europe, with a capacity of 99,354, is in huge contrast to the French rugby league club’s usual home venue, the Stade Gilbert Brutus, which holds around 13,000 spectators.
Speaking at the announcement of the fixture Barca President Josep Maria Bartomeu expressed his hope that the Catalans game would match the interest generated by the final of French rugby union's Top 14 competition - which brought 99,000 rugby union fans to the Nou Camp. Bartomeu said: "I encourage the Dragons supporters to treat our stadium like their home and for Wigan and Barca fans to also share the experience of seeing rugby league played at the Camp Nou."
It will be a unique experience for O’Neills, seeing our jersey worn at the Nou Camp. Then, next week, the Catalans Dragons will play at Liverpool FC’s iconic Anfield Stadium during the traditional Magic Weekend.