Return to article listing Events Community, France, Partnerships USF World is the university's gateway to global engagement Whether it be sharing the achievements of our students and faculty on campus we bring you the stories of USF Bulls around the world.  Copyright © 2025, University of South Florida. All rights reserved This website is maintained by USF World Gordon said on Friday he was no longer looking abroad but rather focusing on the domestic front with the Wallabies and Waratahs "A little bit’s changed from probably last time I was looking to going offshore," Gordon told reporters in Sydney "I really enjoyed my time with the Wallabies last year and really enjoyed my time with Joe (Schmidt) He was really good for my development at test level." Wallabies coach Schmidt revived Gordon's test career last year after the half-back was snubbed by Eddie Jones during the former coach's ill-fated second stint in 2023 Schmidt announced this week he would extend his tenure through to mid-2026 before making way for Les Kiss Gordon said he enjoyed how Schmidt had kept things simple for him and had offered him direct feedback "He’s someone who’s seen a lot over time and his credentials speak for himself," said the 31-year-old "When you get in those environments you just want to soak up all the knowledge you can get and he was a guy that I thought had a really good balance between telling you what he expects from you as a player and he’s a good bloke off the field too." Gordon will make his first appearance for the Waratahs in two months in their Super Rugby Pacific match against the ACT Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday The Waratahs need a win to keep in the hunt for the top six to contest the playoffs but they have not beaten the Brumbies in Canberra in their last seven matches nor won anywhere outside of Sydney this season "We probably haven't performed the way we wanted to away from home," said Gordon "We played some really good footy at home we are searching for a really good result this weekend." USA Perpignan or Union Sportive Arlequins Perpignanais and even just Perpignan was founded in 1902 and hopes to win its first Top 14 title since 2009 in the 2024-2025 season after going 13-0-13 last season.  Perpignan was promoted to the Top 14 in 2021 after winning league 2, Pro D2, and have remain in the top league ever since. While the club didn’t qualify for the Investec Champions Cup, they play in the EPCR Challenge Cup as a member of Pool 3.  Perpignan will be well-seasoned from the difficult Top 14 season And all of Perpignan’s matches are streaming live in the United States USA Perpignan Rugby is streaming live in the United States on FloRugby and the FloSports app. Replays highlights and breaking news from each Perpignan game will be on both platforms.  For the complete list of USA Perpignan Rugby fixtures, visit Perpignan's team page on FloRugby.  FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:  FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.  Get the most important Rugby stories delivered straight to your inbox. ©2006 - Present FloSports, Inc. All rights reserved. A look at some of the highlights of the exhibited work from this year’s Visa pour l’image, an annual festival of photojournalism taking place in Perpignan, France Photograph: Ad van Denderen/Agence VU' Photograph: Virginia Nguyen Hoang / Collectif Huma thousands of people rallied in Perpignan in support of La Bressola a cultural organization that runs a network of Catalan-medium schools in Northern Catalonia The demonstrators demanded the continued operation of nine schools that face an ongoing funding crisis as well as guaranteeing Catalan-language education Northern Catalonia is a region in southeastern France that was once officially part of Catalonia and still maintains strong cultural and linguistic ties with its southern neighbor language alive: institutional support now!” calling on French authorities to take action and find “structural solutions” to the funding crisis In January, the organization warned the Pyrénées-Orientales department and the Occitania region of a "liquidity shortfall" looming from May, which would prevent schools from paying salaries. The president of La Bressola, Guillem Nivet, said during the protest that the more than €250,000 recently raised gives the organization some breathing room, but that the situation remains “urgent.” €150,000 of the money raised comes from the Catalan government, and Catalan President Salvador Illa will increase the yearly subsidies the network receives from €650,000 to 800,000. Nivet added that the goal of Saturday’s demonstration is to show French authorities that the school network is “very much alive” and that it is “important” to have education “in Catalan in Northern Catalonia.” Saturday’s demonstration was supported by Catalan organizations such as the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and the Òmnium Cultural, as well as the Catalan political parties Junts, Esquerra Republicana, CUP, and Comuns. La Bressola's first schools was founded in 1976. Almost 50 years on, there are 1,100 students and 110 staff members spread across seven primary schools and two high schools. Some 750 families pay fees based on their income.  In February, Nivet cited inflation and a lack of funding from the administration as the reasons for the organization's economic crisis.  Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone v1.1.0. Copyright © 2025. Powered by EBANTIC. All rights reserved. You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. Expat shares the best thing about living in Portugal The south of France has always been a popular destination for expats moving abroad with its rich culture and gorgeous weather An expat who moved from the United States to France shared his experience living abroad Jeff moved to the French city of Perpignan 10 months ago and spoke about how he adores it it has been great; I don't have any real complaints The people have been super friendly and you meet some English speakers too." The expat has been living in the south of France for the last 10 months Perpignan not only has sunny skies and a rich history but also brilliant connections to major cities across Europe Jeff explained: "It's a two-hour train ride to Barcelona One of the biggest differences he noticed from life in America is the quality of the food he eats He said: "Everything is practically organic and the food quality here is beyond belief the expat has been told that many people make the short journey over to Spain Jeff stated: "I don't have any real need for it Before making the big decision to move overseas to "make everyday existence easier" The expat learned some French while at school and college which was helpful when encountering French locals He said: "As far as what I have encountered with the French the vast majority have been so kind." Perpignan boasts excellent connections to major cities across Europe Another expat has named an Asian utopia as "one of the safest places" to live but it does have its "challenges" Speaking exclusively to GB News, the expat shared why he picked Thailand as his destination of choice He explained: "I’d been lucky enough to visit when I was younger and already knew how much I loved the country One of the main appeals the expat noticed was how safe Thailand is Sidney said: "It is one of the safest places I’ve lived SPIRITED SALFORD BEATEN BY CATALANS IN PERPIGNAN Harry Siddall (()=>{var e=async t=>{await(await t())()};(self.Astro||(self.Astro={})).load=e;window.dispatchEvent(new Event("astro:load"));})();4/19/2025 19 April 2025 A spirited Salford Red Devils were beaten by Catalans Dragons in Round 8 of the Betfred Super League Paul Rowley handed a 300th career appearance to hooker which subsequently brought up Super League appearance number 200 With thunderstorms hitting the South of France just hours before kick-off the Stade Gilbert Brutus may have felt more like home than usual but it was a slow start that cost the Reds dearly Tommy Makinson scored his first for the Dragons after his move from St Helens; Luke Keary chipped the ball into the corner for the winger to acrobatically claim and dot down One quickly became two when Tariq Sims broke the challenge of Jayden Nikorima to get back on his feet and slide over It was a GLDO that piled the next bit of pressure on our line a scrambled Salford defence failed to deny Julian Bousquet from the next drive The Reds had to regroup and find a way back into the contest poked his nose through the line and flicked a basketball-esque pass just too high for the supporting Ryan Brierley to gather A few repeat sets on the Dragons line caused a build-up of pressure A moment of genius almost came from Mellor but his grubber was too strong for him to chase It was perhaps another slow start to the half in the second period that took the contest away from Salford An error handed Catalans a full set just 20 away and a strong drive from Chris Satae broke the line to slide over Just when the Reds were starting to gain territory and build pressure Keary broke the line and sprinted 70 metres to put the hosts in a prime position to strike Nikorima was forced to concede another six with Catalans working the numbers but Makinson made no mistake from the scrum when he bundled past Jonny Vaughan to score his second Catalans’ next score came when Paul Seguier drew the Salford defender in and sent back-rower Matthieu Laguerre through the line to slam down Tiaki Chan was certainly Salford’s standout and a barnstorming run through the middle created a big opportunity The French international found Ben Hellewell who in turn flicked a ball to Jake Thewlis who in turn played an inside pass for Vaughan to score Chan went from creator to scorer with three minutes to go crashing onto Mellor’s short ball to cut back inside and score with Makinson completing his hat-trick in familiar fashion to how he grabbed his first – picking a Keary chip out of the air to dot down Next up for the Red Devils is the visit of Leigh Leopards in Round 9 Conversions: Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet (5/7) 4 May 2025 3 May 2025 3 May 2025 1 May 2025 1 May 2025 French city’s election of a National Rally mayor has been a study in the party’s attempts to normalise itself in local politics poverty and populism: how Perpignan became a laboratory for the far rightThis article is more than 9 months oldFrench city’s election of a National Rally mayor has been a study in the party’s attempts to normalise itself in local politics he lamented the steady closure of other shops on this narrow city centre street “They gradually disappeared like sugar dissolving in a cup of tea,” he said traffic jams and competition from out-of-town shopping centres “I long argued for the pedestrianisation of this street.” Then in 2020 came political change. Perpignan, with a population of 121,000 and close to the Spanish border, became the biggest city to be run by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) in 20 years The historic city at the foot of the Pyrenees which for decades has had some of the starkest inequality in France is now a municipal laboratory for the far right a lawyer who was formerly Le Pen’s romantic partner and is a party vice-president picked up the pedestrianisation plan for Burel’s street He’s knows what’s happening in his town and he has listened to me,” said Burel who has run his coffee business for 30 years you have to row in the same direction as the boat.” View image in fullscreenPatrice Burel in his roastery Photograph: Théo Giacometti/The GuardianAs the RN attempts to gain a majority in the French parliament election runoff vote on Sunday with Aliot keen to serve in government one day Perpignan is being scrutinised for lessons that can be learned about the party when in power Not everyone is reassured by what they see “They have tried to smooth over their image to win Perpignan but this party remains dangerous for France,” said Jean-Bernard Mathon, who ran against Aliot on a leftwing citizens’ list. “On the issue of nationality, and non-nationals, their political line is to push them out of France.” Read moreIn the run-up to the parliamentary election the RN – formed by Jean-Marie Le Pen as the Front National and renamed in 2018 by his daughter – has stuck by manifesto pledges to limit immigration and scrap nationality rights for children born in France to foreign parents It has pledged to bar dual nationals from certain state jobs and vowed to clamp down on what it calls “Islamist ideologies” is a study in the far right’s drive to normalise itself in local politics One-third of Perpignan residents live under the poverty line The city is home to one of western Europe’s largest sedentary Gypsy communities and it has above-average unemployment and pockets of poverty that contrast with chic View image in fullscreenBuildings in the St-Jacques area of Perpignan. Photograph: Théo Giacometti/The GuardianView image in fullscreenA shopping street in Perpignan Photograph: Théo Giacometti/The GuardianAliot who calls his mayoral role “an advanced observation post” from which to build national politics is one of the chief architects of Marine Le Pen’s drive to detoxify the party’s image with one overarching goal: to get Le Pen elected as president in 2027 Read moreIn an echo of the far right across Europe Aliot’s stated priorities in Perpignan are policing and “order” Every move on these issues has been amplified with a massive communications drive by the mayor Perpignan already had the second highest number of municipal police per resident of any city in France Aliot hired more – there are now 192 – and opened municipal police stations with large He has also promised cleaner streets in the city centre a French teacher who has worked in local middle schools for 32 years and when I go into the town centre it’s clean But I don’t think much is really different about the town but I always slept with my window open anyway.” was becoming less equal and more socially segregated a geographer and professor in urban and land planning at the University of Perpignan described Aliot’s approach as “cleanliness security and TV” – a reference to his constant media presence For the first year or so there was a deliberately low-key continuation of previous town hall policy “Then we saw things start to change; the first tensions appeared … Perpignan has a large sedentary Gypsy community and the first tensions emerged with that population.” The historic St-Jacques area of medieval streets stretching up a hill from the city centre is home to France’s largest urban Gypsy neighbourhood It is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in France a residents collective was raising concerns about plans to bulldoze and renovate dilapidated buildings fearing that Gypsy families who had lived there for generations could be forced out partly after courting votes in the community the demolition projects have continued and concerns have grown Free weekly newsletterThe most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment who grew up in a Gypsy family in St-Jacques and is now facing a compulsory house purchase by state authorities “I would rather do work on my house than see it demolished.” View image in fullscreenCelia: ‘All my life is here.’ Photograph: Théo Giacometti/The GuardianKamel Belkebir grew up in the neighbourhood after his father arrived from Algeria in the 1960s to work on building sites “My concern is that locals will be pushed out for gentrification,” he said He felt racism was being expressed more openly in French society “People saying outright: ‘There are too many Arabs’ Local associations have also felt a difference. Last year Fil à Métisser an organisation that provided psychological support and health outreach to Gypsy families closed after gradual cuts in funding from the RN-run town hall and wider state sources One Gypsy resident in her 40s said: “It’s a great loss and sadness They helped a lot of people get up in the morning when they didn’t have anything to get up for They helped people with depression and anxiety They helped me when I had difficulties at my place of work.” a psychologist who worked for the organisation said: “It was as if we were feared as whistleblowers making heard the voices of a vulnerable community and showing the systemic discrimination they faced.” said: “We can’t just pretend that people in poverty don’t exist and don’t need help.” View image in fullscreenSalomon Cargol: ‘I can’t see change.’ Photograph: Théo Giacometti/The GuardianSalomon Cargol said he had voted for Aliot because he had believed his promises on better housing expressed disappointment that more had not been done to support residents in St-Jacques “We’re seen as French when there’s an election and our vote counts but once it’s over we’re back to being seen as the Gypsy community.” Aliot also decided to change the city’s municipal slogan from “Perpignan the Catalan” – Catalan heritage is strong here – to “Perpignan the Radiant” A saint was added to the logo; the colours red white and blue brought back a nationalist French dimension “The word radiant has a kind of religious connotation,” said Ariadna “There are a lot of posters everywhere about town hall projects – populism is about reaching the greatest number of people You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Several European countries were left without a power supply on Monday afternoon, April 28. Problems with the power grid were reported in Spain and Portugal, Euronews reports residents of Andorra and the French regions bordering Spain also reported a power outage further blackouts were reported as far away as Belgium the cause of the blackout is not officially known But two of Spain's largest electricity companies the Portuguese national electricity company REN named a possible cause of the problem - a fire in southwestern France The fire damaged a high-voltage power line between Perpignan and eastern Narbonne many European countries began reporting large-scale power outages Power supply problems were reported in Spain as well as in one of the regions of France Read more about what happened in RBC-Ukraine's report. Here's how to watch the 2025 Perpignan vs Stade Francais on FloRugby Cardiff Rugby Regan Grace will make his senior debut for Cardiff as the Blue & Blacks make nine changes for their European Challenge Cup clash with Perpignan on Saturday (1pm KO GMT) The rugby league convert joined from Bath on Monday and goes straight into the starting XV for the Stade Aime Giral encounter in Round Three of the competition Grace is one of six changes in the backline and forms an exciting back three with Tom Bowen and Cameron Winnett Aled Davies and Tinus de Beer combine at half-back while Rory Jennings and Rey Lee-Lo form the midfield partnership Rhys Barratt makes his first start for the club in the front-row with Evan Lloyd and Kieron Assiratti Elsewhere Josh McNally and Alex Mann return to the starting line-up Cardiff go into the encounter in third place in the pool with six points following a narrow defeat to Lyon and a bonus-point victory over Toyota Cheetahs said: “We’re heading there with a really positive mindset aiming to secure the win – that’s our focus “They have a fairly structured attacking approach in terms of their shape like we saw against the Cheetahs and Connacht so we’ve chosen to prioritise our own game our preparation involves an 80-20 split between focusing on ourselves and the opposition “Our objective is to secure a home game for the knockouts it’s about continuing to build and grow the squad “Playing in France is unlike anywhere else The pre-match experience feels almost like a carnival It’s something the players really look forward to.” there is a welcome return from injury for Mackenzie Martin Ben Thomas and Jacob Beetham are also included Dan Thomas has been rewarded with a new contract at Cardiff after an impressive first… Cardiff Rugby are delighted to secure the services of Danny Southworth on a long-term contract… All the highlights from Cardiff’s emphatic bonus-point victory over Munster in the BKT United Rugby… Cardiff Rugby’s young stars shone brightly as Wales Under-18s recorded a clean sweep at the… General: 029 20 30 20 00 Tickets: 029 20 30 2030  Email: enquiries@cardiffblues.com View our Privacy Policy © 2024 Content Copyright Cardiff Rugby, Statistics Copyright SFMS Ltd. Web Design by Box UK The essential meeting place for all the sector’s players committed to sustainability medFEL is an exhibition owned by the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée regional authority organised by the regional economic agency AD’OCC and SPAS Organisation Surfing on the energy and enthusiasm generated by the 2024 show medFEL 2025 is setting its sights even higher and the exhibition’s teams are already hard at work to offer you a productive edition medFEL has proven its status as an unmissable crossroads for the fruit and vegetable sector by providing a unique exhibiting platform enabling exclusive meetings between likeminded peers the show made good on its promises by attracting an even greater number of exhibitors and visitors The major players from the sector were all there All the main mass retail chains were also in attendance: Auchan all of which augurs well for the 2025 show At the heart of the show once again: business meetings and discussions and insights into market trends and expectations from society at large medFEL is expecting 250 exhibitors from France and abroad across its 6 exhibition sectors: production Out to meet them will be 5,000 targeted visitors in search of productive discussions and business partnerships the VIP Buyer programme has naturally been reconducted to enable meetings between targeted international decision makers and local players therefore creating unparalleled business openings to boost their export sales with around 50 international buyers invited to the show and accompanied throughout The 15th edition of the medFEL trade show will take place at the Perpignan Exhibition Center on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 April 2025 Through its round tables and talks on essential themes medFEL also reflects the current issues and challenges of the sector The Fruit and Vegetable industry is in a state of flux and facing up to serious challenges Consumers continue to demand high standards in search of products that are both good for their health and good for the planet all of this on the backdrop of an inflationary environment producers must not only diversify and adapt to market change and cope with changing distribution & retail patterns and with the complexity of all the labels on the market All these topical issues will be dealt with at medFEL through its live content programme Hosted by the specialist industry journalists Florence Rabut and Olivier Masbou the round tables will notably cover four inspiring and current topics: Processing: developing French origin in processed F&V; Fruit & vegetables: does communication support consumption?; Organic sector: what is the impact of new retail concepts?; and The label jungle: obligation or real promotion? These sessions will provide innovative perspectives and offer an opportunity for worthwhile discussions to accompany the change happening in the sector medFEL will be the setting for the exclusive Big Debate on a subject at the heart of the news: “Are fruit and vegetables expensive?” Watch this space: the speakers at this round table will be announced in the coming weeks medFEL has shone a light on the employment and skills issues of the Fruit and Vegetable sector In partnership with the Occitania Fruit and Vegetable Federation On the agenda is a dedicated series of talks to help professionals in their HR actions and also a job dating feature for fruit and vegetable professionals organised in association with France Travail Further information at www.medfel.com/en Subscribe to Bio Eco Actual Newsletter and be up to date with the latest news from the Organic Sector Bio Eco Actual, International Organic Newspaper Read Bio Eco Actual IFOAM – Organics International is working to bring true sustainability to agriculture across the globe It works closely with regional and UN bodies to promote organic all over the world IFOAM Organics Europe represents organic in European policymaking The EU institutions recognise IFOAM Organics Europe as the leading advocate on EU policy for organic food and farming IFOAM - Organics International and Organics Europe are membership-based organisations representing the entire organic food chain Consider becoming an IFOAM member and supporting IFOAM Organics Europe Contact: bio@bioecoactual.com Bio Eco Actual does not use artificial intelligence technologies such as ChatGPT for content creation We use our own and third-party cookies to analyze our services and show you advertising related to your preferences based on a profile created from your browsing habits (for example, pages visited). 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The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Challenge Cup: Perpignan 18 Connacht 31Connacht took a major step closer to the European Challenge Cup knock-out stages with a deserved bonus-point win in France on Sunday afternoon. Perpignan, having lost to Connacht in 2018 by 32-21, were reported to be “pressée de croquer” in the local newspaper, but in their ‘hurry to bite’, they also conceded 14 points in the first quarter. However, backed by some 8,000 vociferous local fans, the French outfit took control of the second half. In coming within a point, they gave their support plenty of hope, but eventually Connacht’s perseverance and quality prevailed. The French outfit also got on the wrong side of Sara Cox, the first professional female referee, and Connacht were able to capitalise. But Perpignan worked their way back into the game to bring it within a point with 20 minutes remaining. However, the more powerful Connacht side eventually prevailed with a try in the last minute of the game to ensure their likely progress in Europe. Listen | 33:50Connacht were able to profit from the home side’s indiscipline. A sixth-minute penalty within yards of the line provided Pete Wilkins’s side with the first opportunity, and centre Byron Ralston went against the grain to ensure he made the line, with Jack Carty adding the extras. Continued indiscipline helped pave the way for Connacht’s second try to opting for touch again, the visitors mauled forward with Eoin de Buitléar claiming the second try. The home side won a first penalty after 15 minutes, giving their supporters some hope, and with a second successive kick to touch and several thrusts to the line, eventually 19-year-old prop Lorenzo Boyer-Gallardo crossed for Perpignan’s first score, with outhalf Antoine Aucagne wide with the conversion. However, he added a penalty in the 27th minute to close the gap to six after a dominant 10 minutes. Connacht spurned a golden opportunity to grab a third try after a superb crossfield kick from Carty, and the visitors lost a little composure. They recovered quickly, producing a 37th-minute try when Santiago Cordero sent Chay Mullins through on the right wing to give them an 18-9 lead at the break. However a poor second-half start from Connacht provided the home side with an opportunity to close the gap, Aucagne striking a penalty from the 10-metre line after Connacht were pinged for not rolling away. It gave the home side real hope, and the crowd was on their feet when right wing Jefferson Joseph charged through for a try, converted by Aucagne, closing the gap to a single point. It prompted the necessary response from Connacht, and several thrusts to the line from a penalty, resulted in a try for Paul Boyle. Carty landed the conversion, and a yellow card for Adrien Warrion left the home crown incensed. Thereafter the two teams went head to head and it was a long 15 minutes for the Connacht travelling support as the home side grabbed the impetus and looked the more threatening. Two successive penalties, in the 73rd and 75th minutes, five metres out provided Perpignan with the opportunity, and it took a hugely impressive defensive effort to keep them out before Connacht eventually found their exit through a brilliant David Hawkshaw break. The result was an opportunity for Connacht, and they took it via a maul, Adam McBurney getting the touchdown to deliver yet another deserved hard-fought victory on French soil – Connacht’s sixth in a row in the Challenge Cup pool stages. Speaking after the win, Connacht head coach Wilkins praised his side’s defensive effort. “The early points were crucial for us. I thought we attacked very well at times and you could see us getting those multi-phase impacts on the game, but the defensive set in the third quarter to keep Perpignan out and then turn it around with a good quick chase and squeeze them at the far end of the field was crucial in terms of the momentum of the game.” Wilkins also picked out Carty as being integral to Connacht’s control of the game. “The balance between his running game and his kicking games, and having that feel when to apply pressure with the boot and allow us to chase with fresh defenders was really important as to how we managed when Perpignan came back in strong in that second half.” SCORING SEQUENCE – 6 mins: Ralston try, Carty con, 0-7; 10: De Buitléar try, Carty con, 0-14; 17: Boyer-Gallardo try, 5-14; 27: Aucagne pen, 8-14; 36: Mullins try, 8-19. (Half-time 8-19). 44: Aucagne pen, 11-19; 50: Joseph try, Aucagne con, 18-19; 57: Boyle try, Carty con 18-26; 78: McBurney try, 18-31. PERPIGNAN: A Crossdale; J Joseph, R Buliruarua, A Naqalevu, M Granell; A Aucagne, J Hall; L Boyer-Gallardo, S Lam (capt), N Roelofse; A Ortombina, A Warion; N Della Schiava, M Hicks, A Dvali. Replacements: S Fa’aso’o for Dvalie (52 mins); T Allen for Aucagne (54); V Montgaillard for Lam, K Brookes for Boyer-Gallardo and F Duguivalu for Buliruara (all 61); B Chinarro for Hicks (66); J Barcenilla D’Onghia for Rioelofse (77). CONNACHT: S Cordero; C Mullins, B Ralston, C Forde, A Smith; J Carty, M Devine; D Buckley, E de Buitléar, S Illo; D Murray, J Joyce; C Prendergast (capt), S Hurley-Langton, S O’Brien. Replacements: P Boyle for O’Brien (3 mins); D Hawkshaw for Smith (23); B Murphy for Devine, J Aungier for Illo (both 52); O Dowling for Joyce (54); A McBurney for De Buitléar, J Duggan for Buckley (both 62). Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Hull FC supporters have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win the chance to travel with the first-team squad to our season opening clash against Catalans Dragons in our January Prize Draw We are giving two lucky fans the chance to travel to Perpignan with the team next month for our first game of the Betfred Super League season at the Stade Gilbert Brutus sponsors and a small number of supporters on the trip flying from Leeds-Bradford airport on Thursday 13th February with guests enjoying a two night stay in a 4* city centre hotel in Perpignan (bed and breakfast) Fans will enjoy the game against the Dragons the following day as the Black & Whites aim to kick off their new era in style before returning to the UK on Saturday 15th February January Prize Draw tickets are priced at £5 each 1. Head to hullfcshop.com and purchase your January Prize Draw tickets – you can purchase as many tickets as you like to better your chance of winning. Click here to buy now Head to one of our social media channels (Facebook and tag/name who you would take on the trip in the comments A winner will be drawn on Friday 24th January – winners must have a valid passport to travel this is an online draw – entrants will not receive a physical ticket the Black & Whites travel to AMT Headingley for.. John Cartwright has named his match day squad for our Magic.. John Cartwright has looked ahead to our Magic Weekend clash against.. Hull FC's U18s went down 16-30 to Wigan Warriors at the.. ticket & match info and video content from the Black and Whites As he bids to get his test career back on track All Blacks utility Braydon Ennor has been linked with a move to France and has reportedly caught the interest of Top 14 side Perpignan as part of a recruitment drive that’s also seen South African Tristan Tedder Scotland’s Jamie Ritchie and France’s Matteo Le Corvec sign for the club Scott Robertson also played for Perpignan after his test career wound down while Dan Carter took his first NZ Rugby sabbatical at the club in 2008 who played for the Highlanders in Super Rugby and Tasman in the NPC is also on Perpignan’s books The signings have come amid great uncertainty for Perpignan who sit 13th out of 14 teams in the Top 14 with just six wins from 18 games this season and flirting with relegation to the French second division hasn’t played for the All Blacks for more than a year after suffering a knee injury against Australia in Dunedin in what was the final hitout before the 2023 World Cup in France Capable of covering both the midfield and wing Ennor has played just nine tests since his debut in 2019 and scored one try - coming in a heavily rotated side that defeated Japan in 2022 he’s made 68 appearances since his debut in 2018 and was part of the Robertson dynasty that claimed seven titles in seven years Ennor played a role in six of those title-winning seasons the versatile midfielder has largely fallen down the pecking order for both club and country He is currently on the way back from a wrist injury and is listed as being available to return for the Crusaders David Havili has become the Crusaders’ mainstay at No 12 as captain while the centre spot has largely been sewn up by Levi Aumua and Dallas McLeod Ennor wouldn’t be alone in trading New Zealand for France after this year’s Super Rugby season One-test All Black Harry Plummer will leave the Blues for Clermont after the 2025 campaign 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For Jewish cartoonist Joann Sfar 2025."> Pixels Subscribers only Golden Owl solution is revealed but leaves players of 31-year hunt disappointed Pixels Subscribers only Secrets of decades-long Golden Owl treasure hunt to be revealed Lifestyle Inside Chanel's French leather workshops Culture Subscribers only The marvelous bronzes of Angkor on display at the Musée Guimet in Paris Three prizes were awarded to Gazan photographers who depicted the scale of the human death toll against a backdrop of controversy sparked by the French city's far-right mayor By Claire Guillot People standing in front of the ruins of the Al-Aklouk residential tower LOAY AYYOUB/THE WASHINGTON POST No less than three Visa d'or were awarded to Palestinian photographers from the Gaza Strip at the Visa pour l'Image photojournalism festival in the southern French city of Perpignan this weekend as the murderous war Israel has been waging in Gaza for the past 11 months following the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7 the winner of the young reporter prize awarded by the city of Perpignan for his work with The Washington Post; and Samar Abu Elouf New York Times contributor and winner of the Sipa daily press award; it was Mahmud Hams Hams' award-winning images show the tragic lives of Gazans: Entire families killed or buried under the bombing as well as people's desperate efforts to feed According to figures from the Hamas-administrated health ministry the conflict has claimed over 40,000 lives You have 89.89% of this article left to read Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se 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Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article Pour plus d’informations, merci de contacter notre service commercial. IN THE WARS: La Rochelle's Irish coach Ronan O'Gara looks on prior to the French Top14 rugby union match between USA Perpignan and Stade Rochelais at the Aime-Giral stadium in Perpignan, south-western France, on December 29, 2024. Pic:  Valentine CHAPUIS/AFP furious and physical Top 14 encounter at Perpignan that saw the visitors play the entire second half with a 20-year-old academy winger at scrum-half and starting fly-half Antoine Hastoy finish the match at centre for the first time in his senior career The prospect of defeat in darkest Pyrénées-Orientales was always baked into O’Gara’s strategy for La Rochelle’s final outing of 2024 He rested a number of key players for the trip – including Will Skelton Dillyn Leyds and Ihaia West – with one eye firmly on next Saturday’s match against Toulouse at Stade Marcel Deflandre But the longer-term cost may prove more damaging with crucial Champions Cup matches against Leinster and Benetton moving into view on the Rochelais’ horizon Argentinian international Joel Sclavi briefly left the field with a leg injury before the clock had ticked past 10 minutes but was definitively replaced by Georgian Aleksandre Kuntelia – back from suspension – shortly after the half-hour Medical joker Suliasi Vunivalu’s second outing ended as he limped off with a thigh injury after 25 minutes Tavite Veredamu had already finished off a flowing 50m move to score Perpignan’s first try And Ignacio Ruiz came up with the ball after a lineout maul for their second shortly before Sclavi went off for the second and final time Scrum-half Thomas Berjon struggled through to the break after picking up a leg injury in a tackle five minutes earlier who had earlier replaced Vunivalu to play in his ninth senior match switched to scrum-half at the start of the second period Tomasso Allan increased Perpignan’s lead from the tee before a limping Levani Botia crashed through Tom Ecochard to reduce the deficit as La Rochelle held firm against repeated attacks on their line Captain Jonathan Danty was replaced on the hour with Hastoy moving to midfield for the first time in his professional career 23-year-old fullback Martin Meliande nervelessly slotted an 80th-minute penalty to earn under-new-management Lyon a deserved 25-25 draw against Stuart Lancaster’s Racing 92 at La Defense Arena Lyon have won both their Challenge Cup outings and drawn both their Top 14 games – at home against Toulouse and at La Defense Arena since Karim Ghezal took charge of day-to-day first team affairs in early December Illness has forced Antoine Dupont to withdraw from Toulouse’s squad for the Top 14’s grandstand final match of the year against Stade Francais at Stadium Toulouse From as little as €1 a week with our digital introductory offer Already a subscriber? Sign in By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser You have accepted push notifications for this content. If you would like to manage your push notification preferences, you can do so here. © Examiner Echo Group Limited, Linn Dubh, Assumption Road, Blackpool, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 523712. Key forwards Denis Buckley and Joe Joyce will be available for Connacht’s Challenge Cup fixture away to Perpignan on Sunday (1pm). The pair have recovered from respective rib and foot injuries to ensure they can travel to Stade Aimé Giral for the second round clash, a week on from Connacht’s 43-12 opening win over Zebre. The bonus-point victory put the westerner’s top of pool one while the French side claimed two points from a 20-20 draw away to the Cheetahs in Amsterdam. Connacht defence coach Scott Fardy says despite Saturday’s home win, improvement is needed for their trip to France. “We were happy to get the five points, but there are plenty of things to learn from that game to get better in all areas, and we have to get better to go and get a result over there. “We were probably 80 per cent of everything – around some of the intensity. That is an improvement on the Bulls showing [28-14 loss in the URC on November 30th], but away in France, we have to be right.” Fardy, who is making his first visit to the French city, says Perpignan are a dangerous outfit. “We know playing them at home is always going to be difficult. They are a big, offloading side, they have dangerous individuals who play that typical French style of rugby, so we’ve got to be on our stuff and make sure we stick to what we do really well.” In 2018 Connacht recorded a solid 36-21 win over a disappointing Perpignan, but at that time they were a struggling side having lost 15 games on the trot. Listen | 40:37“I think we want to be bringing our level of intensity, and that’s the whole point of going away,” Fardy adds. “It is to not disappoint home fans no matter where we go, I think we’ll make changes if necessary, but as a whole it will be pretty similar to last weekend.” Fardy says the European competition is hugely beneficial for Connacht’s younger players, several of whom will be travelling with as part of the extended squad. “It’s great for different guys to get experience. I always remember those games, playing in France, or playing in South Africa, or playing wherever, away from home, and having the opportunity to do so. I think it’s a really special part of the game.” But the task at hand is by no means easy. “It is a huge challenge to get points away from home, which is massive in France. You can see, even in their own home leagues, it’s a struggle to win away from home.” JAMIE RITCHIE will leave Edinburgh to join USA Perpignan at the end of the season bringing to a close an 11-year association with the capital club Edinburgh had been in talks with the former Scotland captain about a new contract but were told a few days ago that he had decided to join the French Top 14 club instead He has signed a two-year deal with Perpignan became a full Scotland international in 2018 and in 2021 after that signed what was hailed as the longest contract in the club’s history Edinburgh would ideally have liked Ritchie to extend his stay further but needed to balance a  number of factors including the player wage budget and developmental opportunities for a number of exciting back-row prospects “I have literally grown up at this club over the last 10 years and this has been an incredibly hard decision for me and my family to move on,” Ritchie said on the Edinburgh website “I have absolutely loved my time here and I am extremely grateful to everyone who has been a part of that journey “I just feel that now is the time for a new challenge in a new country and for us as a family to experience a completely different lifestyle As always I will be fully committed to the team until the end of the season Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt added: “We have tried our best to keep Jamie at the club but we must respect his personal decision We wish him the very best in this move to Perpignan He joined us as a schoolboy and leaves as a proud centurion “There is still a lot of rugby to be played until the end of the season and we know Jamie will give his all every time he pulls on the Edinburgh jersey.” 6N: Roman Ntamack set to face Scotland thanks to dispensations on six-week supsension 6N: Scotland v Ireland: home squad get clean bill of health as two Irish forwards are ruled out ‘Washed-Up Warriors’ embark on epic cycling challenge an organisation that needs to trim budgets after declaring a loss of £11.3million in the 13 months to June 2024 Edinburgh have limited room for manoeuvre when it comes to negotiating with players They have already agreed new deals with Darcy Graham Duhan van der Merwe and Pierre Schoeman in recent months – players who are arguably the most important in the squad given the relative lack of competition in their positions not to mention their profile which helps with marketing while Ritchie will no doubt remain a valuable member of that squad for the rest of the season Everitt will still have a sizeable cohort of back-row forwards from which to pick next season And Ritchie’s departure should ensure more playing opportunities for some of the younger member of that cohort such as Liam McConnell Other back-rows who as things stand will still be at the club next season include Ben Muncaster A move to new surroundings could also provide a helpful new challenge for Ritchie who is battling to nail down a place in the Scotland team against the likes of Glasgow triumvirate Matt Fagerson Perpignan are currently 11th in the French top flight so Ritchie can expect to be playing tough games week-in and week-out if they avoid the drop this year L’USAP et son président François Rivière sont fiers de vous annoncer la signature d’une nouvelle recrue à partir de la saison prochaine pour 2 ans 🤝 Bienvenue ✌️ pic.twitter.com/0WO1hCCpVq — USAP (@usap_officiel) February 6, 2025 ‘Washed-Up Warriors’ embark on epic cycling challenge Our Edinburgh-based experts advise both individuals and businesses across a range of sectors Saffery is the 15th largest accountancy firm in the UK by turnover and has had a presence in Edinburgh for over 30 years Website: www.saffery.com this is a fantastic move for him (arguably should have done it a couple of years ago but is still only 28) Ritchie is ridiculously underrated by the fans One of our few abrasive and combative forwards he and Darge will be even more important than Finn I love him and wish him every success in France He’s been a good servant but like many other Edinburgh stalwarts it’s gone stale and time to move on Edinburgh don’t even need to sign a back row to replace him as they have several young options who need minutes I do hope it all works out for you and your family I’ve lived in many countries around the planet Probably a sensible decision for him to enjoy some sunshine in South of France and probably a sensible decision for Edinburgh not to push the boat out too far to keep him As for whether moving will improve his form – I do think we need to remember that Perpignan is definitely not Toulouse (they are hovering around the bottom of the Top 14 currently saved only by the dire form of the Parisian sides) Good luck to him though – certainly better for Scotland that he move there than make a shift to Japan Best news off the week – hopefully Edinburgh use cash wisely He has been cruising for some time including last Saturday Let’s hope he improves as much as Kinghorn has done in France Right now I would not have him in the starting Edinburgh team if everyone else is fit No cash for Edinburgh as Jamie’s contract with Edinburgh expires at the end of this season There’s cash in terms of not having to pay a (no doubt expensive) former-Scotland captain’s player salary next year and beyond That’s money that can be spent on other areas where it is more urgently needed Probably enough to pay for a couple of more up an coming talents if you choose carefully good food … and only a 2 hr drive to Barcelona for a day out JR’s style of play will go well in French rugby and no doubt he will make a few bob along the way The boy done well and fully deserves it – I hope he still has the desire to play for Scotland because when he’s “on it” he is a top player A good servant to Edinburgh and it probably is time to experience life elsewhere I believe Chris Cusiter speaks very highly of his time at Perpignan Great move for him – hopefully he’ll improve as much as BK did moving to Toulouse All the best JR; I’m sure you and your family will love it down there Don’t forget the sunblock before each game 🤣👍 He is reportedly on £500k at Edinburgh so him moving to France should help the SRU finances I really doubt he was on quite that much tbh But’ll certainly have been pushing £300-£400k as with several of the other big names Ultimately it’ll mostly be money freed up for Edinburgh to spend on other players Not heard anyone in Glasgow or Edinburgh getting that much Mata was the highest paid player at Edinburgh last year on £400k a year so Ritchie was a bit beneath that I believe Tuipolotu is the highest paid in Scotland and gets around £450k per season I hope this will help get him back to his best You can see how much a move to the Top 14 has invigorated the likes of Blair Kinghorn This will be a loss from their strongest 23 perspective but give opportunities to the young guns coming through I hope he thrives in a new environment and the warm French sunshine I think it will be very positive for him as a player and person it worked for others and he is abrasive enough to thrive in the Top14 A lot of young talent coming through as listed in the report not to mention the next intake of players turning 18 this year need to get some more talent onto Edinburgh (and Glasgow’s) books Henno Bowe and Evan McDonald all leaving the age grade system this year I truly believe Ritchie has a lot more to give both for his club and for Scotland but was far too comfortable at Edinburgh like a lot of the players We can have new blood given the opportunity at Edinburgh and Jamie can fully push himself in France and take his game to a new level Best of luck to him he’s been a great player As the article states budgets need to be cut and there are enough younger and cheaper back row options available so this was a likely out come Great servant to Edinburgh and wish him luck We have seen the difference in BKs game since he moved to Top 14 Also think ultimately it’s good for Edinburgh they have an aging / settled team that isn’t delivering and lots of back row talent coming through that need gametime Did you watch B Kinghorns performance for Scotland today Great player on his day and has really contributed to Edinburgh over the years Hope he’s got a good deal and enjoys the challenge Someone commented the other day that 24-28 was the peak for back rowers All depends on the number of injuries they surfer I suppose Warburton played near enough as many games for Wales as he did Cardiff in his later years and he retired quite young so maybe not the case for every back row But he knows more about playing international rugby then me so hey ho Stuart Hogg facing lengthy lay-off and … “If Langholm proves anything, we have to stay focused. As far as the title race goes, it was huge for us that Kelso got only three points at Earlston.” … “We did well to fight back at times, but we gave away some silly penalties, allowed them far too easy access into our 22. When you give them access to the 22 time and time again, it’s difficult to put that amount of effort in.” … Enjoyed this article? Quality journalism like ours is made possible by readers like you. If you value our in-depth coverage of Scottish rugby at all levels and want to see more, please consider supporting us with a subscription or donation It helps us keep delivering the news you love Thank you for being a part of The Offside Line community independent and up-to-date coverage of all aspects of Scottish rugby photographers and business minds bring their talents and enthusiasm to our unrivalled coverage of the game © 2016-2025 Scottish Rugby News from The Offside Line | Kept onside by webporty the "Splendeurs de Chine" festival is organizing special celebrations for Chinese New Year “Splendeur de Chine” goes Beijing time numerous celebrations await to fill young and old alike with wonder The Château d’Aubiry park and Céret town hall invite you to discover two photo exhibitions organized by the China Tourist Office will be on display during giant processions All accompanied by a distribution of gifts rose cake… New Year’s Eve has never tasted so good John Cartwright has reflected on his side’s memorable win in the South of France as they kicked off their Betfred Super League campaign in style on Friday night An incredible defensive effort saw the Black & Whites run out 24-4 winners in Perpignan in what was Cartwright’s first league game in charge Cade Cust and Tom Briscoe put FC in a commanding position at the break before Man of the Man Cust added a second after the break Cartwright said: “I’m really excited for the players There’s a mixture of guys who were there and guys who weren’t – but we’re basically a new side and we came here tonight not really knowing what to expect but we probably exceeded what I thought we could do We just seemed to be coming out of our end They played really well – they made no errors so it was one-way traffic for the first thirty minutes but to keep turning them away – there were a couple of times where we thought they were over the line We then managed to score a few of our own off the back of it as that’s what good teams tend to do He continued: “It’s about competing – it’s all about competing with and without the ball A huge compliment goes to the two coaches I have working with me Simon Grix and Andy Last – they have been relentless in everything that they’ve done They’ve really helped me become accustomed to the game here and I’m so happy that they’re on board with me so we were playing under heavy fatigue a lot The outside backs did an enormous job just to get us back into the game and get us out of our end “I thought Cade Cust was exactly what I thought he would be He’s effort-based; he’s like a terrier – he chases everything and John Asiata led with Aidan from the front and when we got a bit of possession and we had a bit of fuel in the tank I thought we were pretty sharp with John around the ball.” They’ve recruited really well – high-profile State of Origin players – they’ve got a lot of offloading and they’re really hard to defend too Luke Keary keeps you honest – he always keeps you honest That was the most pleasing thing (defensive attitude) but to get the win in the bank away from home I’m sure we’ll be better for the run I don’t think a lot of sides will come down here and get two points “The first half in particular – they played really consistent footy They’re a big strong side; they had possession and they really kept us working hard to come out of our own end Those carries; a line of 12 coming at them but they just kept bringing the ball back at them all night “I’m pretty sure Jed won’t be available and we’ll have to check on the HIA boys but we’ll just enjoy tonight We’ve got a really tough game next week but it’s one we’re excited for They’re probably the best team in the world at the moment so it’s going to be a huge challenge for us.” Cartwright provided an update on son Jed who left the field with injury in the first-half as we couldn’t get him off the field We’re hoping it’s just a lower-grade strain We’ll get a scan when we get back and go from there and he didn’t come back on the field so he’ll have to go through the protocols there Cardiff salvaged a losing bonus-point as Perpignan hung on for a hard-fought victory in the European Challenge Cup.  The Blue & Blacks trailed 10-3 at half-time following a powerful performance from the hosts who scored all their points through Tomasso Allen.  Cardiff made more of their opportunities count in the second-half and tries from Rey Lee-Lo and Johan Muller as well as the boot of Tinus de Beer saw them within touching distance in the closing stages but they ran out of time and were unable to overturn the deficit Matt Sherratt made nine changes for the encounter with rotation and injuries beginning to mount Regan Grace was handed his debut just days after joining the club from Bath while Rhys Barratt made his first start.  The Blue & Blacks had not faced Perpignan since the 2005-06 season where the powerful Catalan outfit claimed a Heineken Cup double Cardiff knew they would need to get something at Stade Aime Giral as they target a place in the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup Cardiff played against a strong wind in the first half and the hosts took the lead after three minutes thanks to the boot of Italy international Tomasso Allen.  The Blue & Blacks responded well and an opportunity was quickly created down the right flank but Cam Winnett was clattered with a thunderous hit A clever kick to the corner put Perpignan on the ropes but the hosts escaped thanks to a clever trick play and soon went on the attack thanks to their powerful set-piece.  The opportunity came after a slight fumble from Regan Grace with the ball trickling over the try-line after it caught the wind The hosts set up camp and piled the pressure on Matt Sherratt’s side but twice made mistakes in midfield as Cardiff survived Cardiff enjoyed good periods with both Tom Bowen and Grace looking dangerous with ball in and and the forwards offloading to good effect.  It was an offload from Alex Mann that sent Josh McNally galloping into space mid-way through the first-half but he was dragged down by Allen which forced the hosts to take the ball over their own line with Grace working hard to ensure Cardiff earned a scrum five.  Now it was Cardiff piling on the pressure at the set-piece with their scrum rumbling forward to earn a penalty and De Beer kicked to the corner.  The Blue & Blacks opted for a shortened line out and after the maul failed to make significant yards Cardiff went through the phases but Perpignan forced a turnover after making the breakdown a free for all on the left.  which almost saw Rey Lee-Lo breakthrough and forced Perpignan to infringe at the breakdown.  With the strong wind continuing to swirl behind the hosts backs handing Cardiff the opportunity to split the field with a half-way scrum.  They launchd the attack don the left but were penalised when Rory Jennings was deemed not to have released the ball after he was not held in the tackle.  Now it was the Catalan’s opportunity to go on the attack but they continued to spill possession and Tom Bowen went on the counter.  However it soon stuck for the hosts where they attacked down the right and with Alex Mann carrying and injury and a shortage of numbers they created an overlap.  Winnett bravely tackled giant Fijian wing Tavite Veredamu but he was able to offload to Allen who crossed and converted to take his tally to 10-0 on the stroke of half-time.  Cardiff forced a penalty early virtually straight from the restart and kicked to the corner which saw Aled Davies find Alun Lawrence on the wrap around but he was stopped in his tracks.  They went through the phases and after tapping another penalty and going through another succession of phases slim hands from Jennings put his centre partner Lee-Lo powering over for his 30th try in Cardiff colours De Beer added the extras to level the scores but minutes later Allen nudged the hosts back in front with a simple penalty.  Perpignan landed a hammer blow as Apisai Naqalevu made an outside break and found plenty of support on his right The ball was spread through the hands to Tavite Veredamu for a simple finish in the corner Allen failed to maintain his 100 per cent strike rate from the touchline and when Perpignan dropped the restart Grace almost pounced for a sucker punch try the Blue & Blacks were soon given a penalty and De Beer made it 18-13 A loose pass in midfield almost saw Cardiff shoot themselves in the foot The attack saw Grace and Davies require treatment with the former helped off following a lengthy TMO intervention.  replays showed Perpignan had failed to score and Cardiff defended the next five minutes manfully but Davies soon followed Grace off the pitch they just could not get away from their line as Perpignan turned the screw and Lucas Velarte eventually crossed from the back of a powerful scrum.  and the hosts were reduced to 14 men when Jake McIntyre was rightly sent to the bin for cynically slapping down a Cam Winnett pass Cardiff kicked to the corner but were unable to rumble over and were soon turned over but they came roaring back.  as he took the ball to the line and offloaded to De Beer at pace The fly-half could probably have made the line but he put his South African compatriot Johan Muller over with an inside pass for his first Cardiff try.  De Beer landed the conversion despite the best efforts of the swirling wind and Cardiff now trailed by just three points at 23-20.  The home side were able to wind down the clock in the closing stages "They're a big part of that, so I think at this stage, it seems to be going okay. It was a good achievement tonight, the most games we've won in Super Rugby, so that's an achievement that won't be missed by us, but we know we've got three more games to keep building on that." Is the Queensland boss the right man to lead Australia forward? And will Joe Schmidt be tempted to stick around for Rugby World Cup 2027? It's all over! The referee has blown their whistle to end the game. Tommaso Allan makes no mistake with that penalty goal attempt. USAP are stopped just a few metres from the try line but Seilala Lam picks up from the base of the ruck to score the try. John Porch (Vannes) is shown a yellow card A series of passes by Vannes results in a try for Robin Taccola A gap opened in the defence and John Porch took full advantage. Vannes decide to make a substitution, with Stephen Varney getting some game time. Vannes decide to make a substitution, with Salesi Rayasi being replaced. A gap opened in the defence and Tavite Veredamu took full advantage. USAP make a substitution with Adrien Warion coming on. USAP make a substitution with Mathieu Tanguy coming off. USAP make a substitution with Jake McIntyre coming on. USAP make a substitution with Valentin Delpy coming off. Vannes make a substitution with Pierre Boudehent coming on. Vannes make a substitution with Filipo Nakosi coming off. USAP make a substitution with Apisai Naqalevu coming on. USAP make a substitution with Jefferson Joseph coming off. The defensive line has been broken as Alivereti Duguivalu goes through the gap. Vannes sub Matthieu Uhila comes onto the field. Vannes sub Timothe Mezou comes onto the field. USAP sub Bruce Devaux comes onto the field. USAP sub Seilala Lam comes onto the field. USAP have a drop goal attempt, but its pushed to the right. What a run here by Alivereti Duguivalu as they get over the gainline! Valentin Delpy steps up to take the penalty but pulls it wide and to the right. What a run here by Valentin Delpy as they get over the gainline! Maxime Lafage does the business as their penalty goal attempt goes over. What a run here by Filipo Nakosi as they get over the gainline! Simon Augry makes the break as the defence re-enacts the parting of the red sea. Vannes decide to make a substitution, with Mako Vunipola getting some game time. Vannes decide to make a substitution, with Thomas Moukoro being replaced. Vannes make a substitution with Cyril Blanchard coming on. Vannes make a substitution with Pat Leafa coming off. Vannes make a substitution with Francis Saili coming on. Vannes make a substitution with Pierre Boudehent coming off. Fabulous play by Vannes has led to John Porch being able to wriggle through a gap. The half-time whistle blows and both teams head for the dressing rooms. Fabulous play by Vannes has led to Salesi Rayasi being able to wriggle through a gap. Fabulous play by Vannes has led to Simon Augry being able to wriggle through a gap. The Vannes supporters go wild as Maxime Lafage successfully kicks the penalty goal. A wonderful passing move by USAP is finished off by Jeronimo de la Fuente This is dangerous for the defence as Tavite Veredamu bursts through to advance the USAP attack. Valentin Delpy does the business as their penalty goal attempt goes over. Vannes are only a few metres out, surely they must score! And they do with Thomas Moukoro touching down. We are underway as the referee blows their whistle. Join free and tell us what you really think! While Vannes and Perpignan battle to avoid the drop, Stade Français and Racing 92 are also scrapping for survival. Racing 92 scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec has issued an apology following his infamous dive against Perpignan in the latest round of T… The Ligue Nationale de Rugby has elected its new board, with Lyon OU president Yann Roubert succeeding René Bouscatel as LNR chai… L’Equipe have reported that scrum coach Freshwater, the ex-Leicester front-rower who won the 2009 Top 14 with Perpignan as a pla… European Challenge CupPerpignan v Connacht, Stade Aimé Giral, Sunday, 1pm, Premier SportsPete Wilkins’s Connacht are gearing up to face a typically big French outfit in Perpignan in round two of the European Challenge Cup on Sunday. The Irish province travel to the south of France knowing a win away would put them in a strong position to qualify from pool one, with games still to come against Lyon (home) and Cardiff (away). Connacht were impressive in the opening round, winning 43-12 over fellow URC opponents Zebre in Dexcom Stadium. However, French clubs are not as accommodating on home soil, and Perpignan, having drawn 20-20 with the Cheetahs in Amsterdam, are still very much in the hunt. Much will depend how USAP approach this European fixture as they struggle in the French Championship, with just four wins from 11 games. However, they will be backed by the traditional vociferous home crowd in what is typically a hostile French environment, and head coach Pete Wilkins knows the impact it can make. “This will be a great challenge for the group and one we’re looking forward to,” he says. “Perpignan have a long and proud history with a passionate fan base behind them, so it’s a different test to what we’ve had so far this season. “We’ve made a good start to the competition, but these away games are very important in terms of our final standing in the pool, so I’m sure the group will relish the opportunity of picking up another win, albeit against a strong team.” Connacht travel with a much-changed squad from their opening-day fixture. Andrew Smith will make his first appearance of the season on the left wing, with centre Byron Ralston and scrumhalf Matthew Devine also named on the starting XV. There are six changes to his pack, including the return of experienced campaigners Denis Buckley and Joe Joyce, who have recovered from respective rib and foot injuries. Perpignan’s match day squad is something of a mixed bag – from hugely experienced campaigners such as 35-year-old former Fiji player Apisai Naqalevu, and 36-year-old captain Seilala Lam, cousin of former Connacht coach Pat Lam, to talented youngsters such as U20 Six Nations players Riestan Chinnaro and Noe Della Schiava, with a number also on the bench. It could suggest the home side’s priority is the French Championship, while Connacht, as always, are taking this competition seriously and cannot take anything for granted. USAP: A Crossdale, J Joseph, R Buliruarua, A Naqalevu, M Granell, A Aucagne, J Hall, L Boyer-Gallardo, S Lam (c), N Roelofse, A Ortombina, A Warion, N Della Schiava, M Hicks, A Dvali. Replacements: V Montgaillard, J Barcenilla D’Onghia, K Brookes, B Chinarro, S Fa’aso’o, G Aprasidze, T Tommaso Allan, F Duguivalu. CONNACHT RUGBY: S Cordero, C Mullins, B Ralston, C Forde, A Smith, J Carty, M Devine, D Buckley, E de Buitlear, S Illo, D Murray, J Joyce, C Prendergast (c), S Hurley-Langton, S O’Brien. Replacements: A McBurney, J Duggan, J Aungier, O Dowling, P Boyle, B Murphy, D Hawkshaw, C Oliver. FIVE POINT WIN: Connacht's Chay Mullins after scoring his fourth try in two games Connacht dug deep to produce a five tries to two win in Perpignan which keeps them firmly on course for a place in the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup Pete Wilkins’ side are now the only side in the competition with maximum points after two games and will hope to secure a home knockout spot in January when they host Lyon and travel to Cardiff for their remaining pool games They never trailed and in the end held off a spirited rally from the Top 14 side to back up their opening round win over Zebre Connacht built on a great start to lead 19-8 at the break and should really have had the bonus point in the bag such was their dominance in the opening half The lead was built despite losing two players to injury with No.8 Sean O’Brien going off after less than four minutes while winger Andrew Smith saw his game of the season end after 22 minutes with a hand injury By then Connacht were 14-0 ahead in the winter sunshine at Stade Aimé Giral with Byron Ralston getting them off the mark after four minutes from second phase after a tapped penalty They opted for the corner from a penalty in front of the posts six minutes later and were rewarded for their ambition when they got the drive after a lineout take from Darragh Murray and hooker Eoin de Buitlear finished Jack Carty added his second conversion but Perpignan hit back and loosehead Lorencio Boyer-Gallardo scored after several drives Aontoine Aucagne missed the conversion but cut the gap to 14-8 with a penalty from the 22 after 28 minutes But he was the guilty party as Connacht got their third try dropping a long pass back inside his 22 and from the resultant scrum half-backs Matthew Devine and Carty sent full-back Santiago Cordero away and the Argentine international put Chay Mullins over in the right corner That should have been the second try of the game from the Irish sevens international who scored a hat-trick on his debut last weekend against Zebre but moments earlier he dropped a superb cross-kick from Carty when he just needed to catch it and fall over the line Perpignan hit back after the restart with a penalty from Aucagne being followed by a try from winger Jefferson Joseph as Connacht were punished for a series of penalties Aucagne converted from the right touchline to cut the gap to 19-18 after 52 minutes But Connacht responded well and the experienced Paul Boyle got over for the bonus point after 58 minutes after several drives with the TMO ruling it wasn’t a double movement as the Wexford man Carty pushed the lead out to eight with the conversion and that was crucial as Perpignan finished strongly Connacht defended superbly and countered from deep through Cordero and Hawkshaw they got the drive and replacement hooker Adam McBurney crowned his debut with their fifth try CONNACHT: S Cordero (Devine 58-67); C Mullins M Devine (B Murphy 52); D Buckley (J Duggan 62) more connacht rugby articles DERBY: Peter O’Mahony is looking forward to a “spicy” derby when he returns from injury for Munster’s must-win URC derby with Ulster at Thomond Park on Friday. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie You have accepted push notifications for this content. If you would like to manage your push notification preferences, you can do so here Owen Farrell made more than 100 appearances for EnglandRomain Perrocheau / AFPFormer England captain Owen Farrell (33) scored his first French Top 14 try on Saturday to help Racing 92 defeat Perpignan 30-23 before finishing the game in the sin-bin.Fly-half Farrell's sixth-minute touchdown helped his side move up to eighth place in the table on his seventh club appearance The 33-year-old, however, endured a disappointing end to his afternoon when he was yellow-carded for palming Perpignan prop Giorgi Beria in the face with two minutes left to play The Catalans drop down to 12th with their fifth loss of the season Farrell joined Racing this season ending his international career by playing club rugby abroad but could still be selected for the British and Irish Lions' tour of Australia later this year England's record points scorer was joined on the scoresheet by France scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec and South African No The home side held on for victory with a late Le Garrec penalty Farrell's fellow ex-England international Mako Vunipola also celebrated a try as the prop forward claimed his second five-pointer of the season in promoted Vannes' 34-28 win over Castres Bordeaux-Begles moved back above Toulouse to top spot with a 19-6 win over Pau before struggling 14-time champions Stade Francais host Clermont in the final game of the day On Sunday, Antoine Dupont starts for Toulouse as they welcome Toulon in his final club appearance before France's November internationals France start their autumn campaign on November 9th against Japan The French city wanted to demolish large portions of its St Jacques neighbourhood as part of a wider development plan Never schedule a demolition in St Jacques for the afternoon. Nothing much stirs in the morning in this mainly Gypsy neighbourhood of Perpignan, south-west France when the diggers turned up at Place du Puig furious at what they saw as mystifying recent demolitions in other parts of the neighbourhood and worried about a conspiracy to force the Gypsy community out of the heart of Perpignan refused to let the workman pull another lever a former St Jacques bad boy with two nicknames but his fierce and deep-tanned face exudes the charismatic vehemence that fits his second “We’ve told the supervisor that if they don’t stop things are going to get nasty,” Gimenez said The demolition plan was meant to be just one small piece in the wider regeneration of Perpignan a city of 120,000 people about 20 miles (32 km) north of the border with Spain seeking to address decrepit living conditions in St Jacques – one of France’s poorest neighbourhoods where 60% of households live in poverty – and other areas of the city the national government invested in a €100m (£91m) project to renew the historic centre Then, in November 2018, two buildings collapsed in the Noailles district of nearby Marseille killing eight people and provoking international horror at poor housing conditions in major French cities The Marseille disaster underlined the urgency in Perpignan and the city pressed ahead with its plan to demolish 483 buildings in St Jacques by 2024 who until recently was in charge of the regeneration The medieval street grid of St Jacques is the Gypsies’ raucous enclave where they make up roughly three-quarters of a population somewhere between 3,000 and 7,000 depending on who you ask: the census can’t accurately assess the neighbourhood It is not till late afternoon that the streets of St Jacques come to life shuttered premises opening up to reveal bars and corner shops overspilling with chatter in the local dialect of gitan (a form of Catalan mixed with the Romani language caló) “It’s another universe up there,” a lifelong Perpignan resident tells me The bulldozers were trained specifically on Ilot Puig (“the Puig block”) a clump of nine buildings that was already earmarked for the wrecking ball after the collapse of a social centre here in 2006 in which one person died and 13 children barely escaped View image in fullscreenA woman walks past the steel sheets sealing off the Ilot Puig The attempted destruction of this set of houses on a corner of the Place du Puig – a popular meeting point for the community – sparked protests against large-scale demolitions in St JacquesThe locals had other ideas They didn’t like the vagueness of the city’s regeneration plans – the fuzzy timelines the lack of information about prospective rents and above all the total lack of construction to date on 50 other buildings in St Jacques that had already been bulldozed Was all the urbanism talk emanating from city hall of greater mixité (social mix) and “de-densification” really just a euphemism for de-Gypsification “‘We have to make 20% of the Gypsy and north African population leave minimum.’ But they haven’t said the maximum.” It is unclear where he got the number from: the city’s own figures state that 30 families will be rehoused outside the neighbourhood What was built wasn’t exceptional – it’s not palaces or anything – but it has an overall sense of historyJean-Bernard MathonRooted in paranoia or not Gypsy representatives teamed up with counterparts in the neighbourhood’s north African population with whom there had previously been little love lost after a violent confrontation between members of the two communities in 2005 They were also joined by an assortment of local middle-class groups who are keen to preserve St Jacques’ ragtag architectural heritage and carnival atmosphere: the city is bidding for Unesco world heritage classification a process that could not be seen to sideline the city’s Gypsies So when the protesters blocked the bulldozers and barricaded the building site the wider coalition quickly rallied in support insular Gypsies had successfully campaigned and cooperated with outside groups The thing outsiders tend to focus on in St Jacques is the rubbish But the neighbourhood overflows in other ways too rumba music courses out of the occasional top window Anais – are scrawled in permanent marker on doors and walls giving them a veneer of love and friendship mementoes Women pushing buggies look almost like orthodox Jews in full-length black shirts except for the cardigans covered in sequinned slogans Four-year-olds zip past on motorised minibikes A cool-looking guy with a guitar says hello: a member of Perpignan Gypsy supergroup Tekameli The area is incongruous, shambolic, exciting – and it is this unique ambiance that St Jacques’ defenders want to preserve. From its vantage point on the hill, you can look down over the rather gloomy historic centre of Perpignan, a raffish and secretive city caught between republican France and Catalonia. Generally marginalised and free from most multinational chain stores, it is only Visa Pour l’Image that puts the city on the international map the collective wants to preserve St Jacques’ built environment: its tumbledown stacks of rough-hewn townhouses which prop each other up on 14th-century earth foundations View image in fullscreenGypsies make up roughly three-quarters of St Jacques’ population which is somewhere between 3,000 and 7,000“What was built wasn’t exceptional – it’s not palaces or anything – but it has an overall sense of history where every edifice has its own particularities,” says Jean-Bernard Mathon head of the Association for the Preservation of Roussillon Artistic and Historic Heritage Mathon’s group wants to see renovation, not demolition. It is aghast at the prospect of the brusque, Hausmannian overhaul proposed by the government with the town hall and regional bodies providing much of the rest The locals don’t trust the authorities either At the end of the gully of Rue de Quinze Degrés a series of concrete blocks shields a building site with a matrix of wooden beams bracing the buildings on either side An irate-looking pensioner on his porch shakes his walking stick at it: “It’s been like that for a year and they do nothing.” Does he trust the municipality to renovate The problem for the heritage brigade is the Gypsy community’s own lack of unequivocal support Whereas the wider collective want to see the decrepit buildings renovated instead of demolished many Gypsies’ stance is less cut and dried He says his community would be happy to accept demolition as long as new social housing replaces it as promised “We’re not bothered about heritage,” he says This bet-hedging gives the impression that the Gypsy community sees the heritage campaigners as useful allies in a bigger battle: to keep control of the neighbourhood It is undeniable that St Jacques is a refuge for Gypsies And it has always been a place for the excluded it became the Jewish ghetto after the expulsion of Jews from Spanish Roussillon in 1492 Some current inhabitants claim Gypsies have been on the hill cresting where the turreted 13th-century Catholic church stands Recorded history suggests most families arrived in the 1940s after the Vichy regime banned nomadism The community’s isolation truly began in the 1960s and 1970s as the historic Gypsy trades – horse-breeding A kind of underclass alienation started to creep in cutting them off from other nearby Gypsy enclaves “It’s not that joyful nomadic rootlessness,” emphasises David Cook “Where you’re always free to move and discover something else.” they teach us to make pancakesAlain GimenezDeprivation has slowly and indelibly pockmarked St Jacques The average life expectancy here is just 47 Diets dominated by processed food have resulted in widespread obesity and diabetes but school enrolment rates are also feeble: only 25% of children attend regularly was created in 2007 to ease St Jacques youth into the education system but some argue it has deepened the ghettoising effect of Gypsy-specific classes Gypsies and Arabs all mixed,” Alain Gimenez says people in the region will not hire Gypsies Keeping them further locked into this dependency is their dysfunctional relationship with Perpignan officialdom There has been a longstanding practice of hiring influential community members for key town-hall roles: Nick Gimenez organised St Jacques street-cleaning for several decades St Jacques was awash in brand-new scooters and fridges offered in exchange for the community vote Jean-Paul Alduy today dismisses the idea as “completely crazy”; he says some Gypsies used their allocation de rentrée scolaire a state benefit for the September return to school It’s always something that comes from the town hall,” he says the origin of the rumour it was the town hall who had bequeathed the new swag “One has to admit that everybody has always practised clientelism here,” says Amiel I don’t want to incite [the Gypsies] to violence but it’s necessary to put [the prefecture] under pressureRomain GrauSome of the St Jacques Gypsies without true democratic representation through which to improve living conditions have sometimes bridled at this deal: in the 2014 municipal elections Nick Gimenez abruptly switched his political endorsement to the far-right Front National a party not exactly known for its love of Gypsy culture allegedly over a dispute with Jean-Marc Pujol regarding Gimenez’s annual party at the Visa Pour l’Image festival This toxic interdependency of Perpignan’s political class and the Gypsy community has so far hindered true reform in the neighbourhood. Even over the Ilot Puig block, there were Machiavellian forces at play. The French alternative news site Mediapart reported that the local representative for the République En Marche party who is the current frontrunner for the city’s 2020 mayoral elections had encouraged the St Jacques collective to protest Grau claimed this was necessary to make the prefect intervene on their behalf; “I don’t want to incite [the Gypsies] to violence but it’s necessary to put [the prefecture] under pressure,” he said But the report implied he was also using the community to embarrass his political rivals were still a handy pawn in Perpignan’s political game is adamant that the pas de deux between city and Gypsies must come to an end “If the community continues to participate in clientelism it’s suicidal in view of the social and economic situation,” he says in the Café de la Loge across the street from the 14th-century town hall it’s criminal: we’d be guilty of killing a community.” Amiel has been the figurehead of the regeneration plans The protest “has become something partisan View image in fullscreenMen and children gather on a corner of the Place Du Puig on a hot summer night The gap in the background is caused by a house that fell apart during construction works this let to theattempted demolition of the so-called Ilot Puig which set off the community protest Photograph: Jesco Denzel/www.jescodenzel.comHe is not afraid to name names: he accuses Alain Gimenez of rousing the community in revenge for being refused a job with the municipality Gimenez rejects the accusation: he insists that far from wanting a job he turned down several job offers at town hall that he says were offered to him after the protests to buy him off another destitute city that tried to bounce back he wrote a manifesto for “positive gentrification” Judging by a video he produced for the municipality his vision of St Jacques reborn is the stuff of regeneration projects Europe-wide: lots of sanitised When asked about the lack of reconstruction so far in St Jacques Amiel says the demolitions must happen first He claims that renovating the entire neighbourhood would be too expensive citing an average price of €3,000 per square metre to overhaul the social housing which would be too much for Gypsy tenants living in poverty to recoup in rent Demolition and reconstruction would be half the cost The reality, which no one wants to recognise, is that no one wants to buy in St JacquesJean-Marc PujolBesides, he says, beyond preventing other Marseille-style house tragedies he sees regeneration as a broader social project: a way of ending the ghettoisation of St Jacques and the permissive misrule that he thinks has spread in the neighbourhood Amiel proposes greater mixité – mixing – as the solution which is reinforced by the wider prejudice toward its population across southern Europe has a powerful social gravity all of its own Aspects of Gypsy culture don’t mix easily with mainstream French culture girls are often pulled out of school early to ensure they don’t mix with boys Many of the St Jacques Gypsies say these practices are a part of a culture that nourishes them with an irreplaceable solidarity is better than yours,” Alain Gimenez tells me “I say this to French people: go to a retirement home and you’ll see no Gypsy in there This insularity even manifests itself physically on the streets in what David Cook calls the Gypsies’ “strange relationship between inside and outside But all this rubbish must leave this clean space immediately – so out of the window!” The Gypsy community has established safe boundaries in the neighbourhood hence the acute suspicion about the town hall’s intentions particularly the idea of non-Gypsies moving into new apartments “There’s a kind of critical mass of population that if they fall below it View image in fullscreenYouths gather in a car park behind the Caserne St Jacques on the Place du Puig now houses low-income families in council-owned apartmentsTo break down this entrenchment the Gypsy community will need to be convinced that the St Jacques plans will benefit them That is where the town hall’s communication strategy comes in full of complex figures and acronyms that are difficult to understand for anyone there is little functional detail about the new housing to excite any future inhabitants Amiel mentions a series of public consultations via community figureheads such as Gimenez and local evangelical pastors But that leaves plenty of scope for misinterpretation and manipulation is suspicious of Perpignan’s master regeneration plan He says there has been widespread use of “insalubrity orders” which force landlords to renovate a property but only subsidise 70% of it; if the repairs are not done the municipality can buy up the property at market rates He suspects the city wants to demolish as many properties as possible and hand rebuilding straight over to developers He believes it can be done cheaper than the town hall’s estimates and has asked for an independent evaluation He also disputes the idea that his group is solely motivated by a middle-class preoccupation with preserving the past: “Beyond the questions of demolition or renovation you have to take into account the psychological aspect – people are terrorised by demolition.” insists the city would prefer not to demolish and instead to sell expropriated properties to people who would fix them up is that no one wants to buy in St Jacques.” there is a small real-estate buzz at the neighbourhood’s edge; a Paris property company is rumoured to be canvassing residents about selling their houses nearly two-thirds of the 236 new buildings planned for St Jacques will be sold on the open market but many of the Gypsies believe that it in reality they are destined to be student accommodation: the University of Perpignan’s huge new Campus Mailly development is bringing 1,350 law students right next door to St Jacques in 2020 saying the floorplan of the proposed social housing is too large for student use Perpignan’s stealth-gentrification conspiracy theory has taken hold: an insidious plan to raise property values in a dilapidated but historic section of Perpignan while slowly siphoning off its populace a kind of murky light broke over the Ilot Puig The Office Public de L’Habitat Public (OPH) the French body responsible for social housing announced that bids for Perpignan’s redevelopment had gone out to tender – and also said the option of renovation is back on the table “We’ve won,” says Alain Gimenez at an outdoor cafe table at Place Cassanyes the main representative for the collective’s north Africans is simultaneously sorting out Gimenez’s internet subscription on the phone and selling globe artichokes from a car boot View image in fullscreenThe streets of St Jacques, such as Rue d’en Calce, pictured, come alive in late afternoonHowever, it also turns out that Gimenez and Nasser have been offered jobs with the OPH – and both accepted. Gimenez previously insisted he had refused multiple job offers during the campaign. Does this mean he has now been bought? No, he says, slapping the table – those who’ve suggested this have got it wrong. “They don’t know how we came to an agreement. We gave the town hall two conditions for the Ilot Puig: one, you renovate the houses there. And two, it’s us who’ll take care of the work and decide who gets to live there. I said to them: don’t try greasing my palms, or I’ll have the mayor for breakfast.” He waves to his grandchildren, who are passing by in a car. The OPH declined to comment on the circumstances and conditions of Gimenez and Nasser’s hiring. The town hall did not respond to questions on the matter. the fate of Ilot Puig remains uncertain; the results of the tender will be announced in September Gimenez never argued unequivocally for renovation: could he just be claiming it as a possibility now in order to declare a “victory” and save face with the rest of the collective And what of the future of the rest of St Jacques Gimenez claims he will not stop fighting the demolitions – “No The fight will carry on until Pujol has left and maybe under the next mayor” – but now that he’s working for a government housing agency intrinsically involved in the redevelopment The Ilot Puig campaign looked like a shot at self-determination for the wider Gypsy community not just those members who enjoy privileged access to power If the leaders of the protest abandon it for preferential treatment this brief window for civic engagement could quickly slam shut Whether St Jacques is regenerated or renovated free from manipulation by ambitious politicians or from the short-term demands of the daily grind the informal nightlife economy continues to thrive in full view of the old police station the town hall is still claiming it wants to save the Gypsies and the mantra of the TV show The Wire continues to apply in Perpignan as it does in cities across the world: it’s all in the game Tickets are now on sale for our Betfred Super League Round One fixture against Catalans Dragons The Black & Whites travel to the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan on Friday 14th February for their first league outing of 2025 under new head coach John Cartwright Tickets are available from Hull FC’s retail stores at the MKM Stadium and St Stephen’s shopping centre, and online at hullfcshop.com by clicking here All you need to know: Connacht v Edinburgh Privacy Policy Manage My Data Byron Ralston scored Connacht's first try against Perpignan Connacht have put themselves in a great position to secure a knockout place in the Challenge Cup after securing another bonus point win with a solid display in Perpignan They are now the only side in the competition with maximum points after two games and will hope to secure a home knockout spot in January when they host Lyon and travel to Cardiff for their remaining pool games Pete Wilkins’ side never trailed and in the end held off a spirited rally from the Top 14 side to win by five tries to two The lead was built despite losing two players to injury with No.8 Seán O’Brien going off after less than four minutes Scorers – Perpignan: Tries: L Boyer-Gallardo J Hall (G Aprasidze 55); L Boyer-Gallardo (K Brookes 62) N Roelofse (Barcenilla D’Onghia 78); A Ortombina Connacht: S Cordero (Devine 58-67); C Mullins so that's an achievement that won't be missed by us but we know we've got three more games to keep building on that." Is the Queensland boss the right man to lead Australia forward And will Joe Schmidt be tempted to stick around for Rugby World Cup 2027 Former Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie will leave Edinburgh Rugby to sign for Perpignan it has been confirmed this morning He will join the French club next season following the end of his Edinburgh contract It will bring to an end 11 seasons at the club Ritchie was educated at Strathallan School after being awarded a Judo Scholarship when he was at U13s level before he fell in love with rugby under the guidance of DoR Andy Henderson In the latest episode of Boks Office the guys speculate as to why England are struggling to win Watch nowWhy can’t England win the tight games | RPTVIn the latest episode of Boks Office the guys speculate as to why England are struggling to win window.scriptsToInit.push('BrightCoveEmbeddedScrollVideo.init("6368310681112");'); the back-row made his senior debut in 2014 and has spent his entire professional career with the Scottish capital side reaching the 100-cap mark last season to become the team’s 40th centurion Ritchie told the club website: “I have literally grown up at this club over the last 10 years and this has been an incredibly hard decision for me and my family to move on I have absolutely loved my time here and I am extremely grateful to everyone who has been a part of that journey As always I will be fully committed to the team until the end of the season.” A product of Howe of Fife RFC, Ritchie further underlined his leadership credentials by co-captaining the side alongside Grant Gilchrist during the 2022/23 campaign Head Coach Sean Everitt added: “We have tried our best to keep Jamie at the club but we must respect his personal decision Perpignan are currently 11th in the Top 14 News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now Join free and tell us what you really think Is the Queensland boss the right man to lead Australia forward Northampton Saints found a way of beating the fabled Jacques Nienaber blitz and inflicting another 'horrific' Champions Cup loss on the Leinster giants Warren Gatland forged a sense of togetherness in his 2013 Lions but faced personal 'vitriol' after leaving out a legend I was able to recover all of my money from this fraudulent binary options company after losing over $300,000 to binary options in this fake investment platform A hard read this time Nick but as always backed by observations One of the big problems in coaching Australia seems to be speaking nicely but carry a big stick I think Les will do the nicely bit and add some variation to play but the Wallabies can easily slip back into old habits unless they are held to account Schmidt has a reputation that anyone in rugby could appreciate Not sure the current players will give Les that understanding when tough decisions need to be taken I suspect he will be a bit like Ewen McKenzie The saving grace will be that the ARU are not the soft and useless bunch Ewen had to deal with Les will also have the support of Qld and the hatred of NSW and since NSW seem to heading in their standard direction of failure BTW he needs to dramatically improve Qld D and not just Ryan Not shutting the Drua down early by utilising an umbrella(?) D and letting them run is always a recipe for disaster Wasn’t the 3 option a 50/50 hard for a breakout season 10 to go all the way and claim the title for his team Let them/him build over the next few seasons Noting the scrum too after you said that JGP did have a bit of a quite game for his standards Can Les give the Wallabies the Kiss of Life?',1);"> The very predictable and inevitable let’s bag Less Kiss article from the hasbeen Welsh analyst trying to get his other mate and employer the failed pommie Lancaster a job in Australia so that the hasbeen welshman can score some employment off him Try and spend more time trying to help your own country instead of constantly undermining them by supporting your former employer NZ rugby Yeap nip them in the bud that’s just one guys opinion which I’m sure would have been more widely known if true (points by quarter) that they just need to run these guys into the ground and cross their fingers they get through Is that how they started off winning Champs do you know This is the same line up they’ve gone with in previous games right Surely because he doesn’t have the same cohesion Sam and Jordie seemed to have a good combo going though I doubt it would have looked any different than when Jordie was on the park myself To think that the best in Europe will not be able to keep up with Aus because Aus play in SRP This is the B & I Lions we are talking about playing against Aus the #8 team on the rankings I suppose upsets do happen but how can anyone see anything less than a 3-0 to the Lions No national team made up of SRP players will be able to match the Lions on a rugby field imho If they were playing basketball maybe but not rugby They didn’t seem to have any trouble accruing points in the second half GD Sorry to hear this In the end it all came down to whether Leinster could convert that penalty to points and then Pollock pilfered the ball after going to ground lol Yes it is possible to recover your lost Bitcoin with the assistance of professional recovery experts Regardless of how long your Bitcoin has been stolen or the circumstances surrounding its loss they can help you retrieve it all just like they helped me recover my scammed $624,000 USD back to me within 48 hours they has the expertise to assist you in recovering your lost funds contact them on: Recoveryeagles009@gmail.com Have you ever fallen victim to a Bitcoin investment scam or had your assets stolen To hire a recovery expert who can help you get your assets back Don’t know where you are getting the idea that the Europeans are going to be any better than Taniela Tupou or Angus Bell at scrummaging tbh Yeah boss If the Wallabies force the Lions into playing a fast game I think the Wallabies have the edge with experience at high pace but it is easier to slow down a game than to speed it up Tizzano Conan Porter and Barrett all start in their strongest XV for that game starting Baird over McCarthy would have been a better move too Also unlikely that Byrne or even Frawley are Prender-gassed on the outside by Pollock either Saints were long shots to make up 6 8 & 9 pt deficits on the three teams ahead for bottom spot in the play offs even before Saturday and if Dowson has any smarts particularly with the injuries they’re also carrying Pretty likely that Saints first XV atm has Threeman in the centre with back 3 of Furbs Great to see you recognise that Leinster were at full strength The Scotland international has signed a two-year deal with French Top 14 club Perpignan marking the end of a significant chapter at the Scottish capital club Ritchie has made over 100 appearances since his debut in 2014 and versatility have made him not just a key player but also a captain for Scotland notably during the 2022 end of year internationals He has earned over 50 caps for Scotland during his career The move to Perpignan represents a new challenge for Ritchie offering a chance to immerse in a different rugby environment will gain from his experience and physical presence in the back-row shared his sentiments on Ritchie’s departure “We’ve tried our best to keep Jamie at the club He’s grown with us from a schoolboy to a club centurion and a Scottish captain We wish him well in his new adventure.” Ritchie himself has voiced the emotional weight of his decision “Leaving Edinburgh has been incredibly hard for me and my family But now is the right time for a new challenge both for my career and for our family life.” The announcement has elicited a range of reactions from Edinburgh Rugby fans Many fans expressed their gratitude and support for Ritchie’s decision “Absolutely blinding move for Jamie Ritchie younger players will get a chance – wins all round!” There’s also a sense of loss among the supporters I think Jamie Ritchie leaving for Perpignan might actually be a good thing for Edinburgh There’s something deeply wrong with the culture at the club and that probably means moving on from leadership figures on and off the field.” Ritchie’s commitment to Edinburgh for the remainder of the season is unwavering with his focus on contributing to a strong finish in both the United Rugby Championship and the European Challenge Cup His exit will open doors for emerging talents within Edinburgh’s ranks Subscribe to the SCRUM digital magazine for the must-know rugby stories.