Dragons and Warriors to do battle at Camp Nou
Barcelona's iconic stadium will host a rugby league fixture for the first time when Catalans Dragons face Wigan Warriors in May 2019.
Wigan Warriors will be the opponents when Catalan Dragons make history by staging a Super League game at Camp Nou in 2019.
The reigning Super League champions will take on the winners of the 2018 Challenge Cup in the first ever rugby league fixture to be held at Barcelona's iconic stadium.
Based in the French city of Perpignan, the Dragons were formally invited by the LaLiga club to move a regular season game 120 miles from their usual home after securing their first major trophy in August.
Wigan have confirmed they will be the opponents on Saturday, May 18 in round 16 of the competition, a week before the Magic Weekend event is staged at Anfield in Liverpool.
"We are extremely proud to officially announce we will organise a Super League fixture at the Camp Nou," Dragons chairman Bernard Guasch said.
"It's an honour to play at Barcelona's stadium and I think we do not realise yet the impact of this event for our club, our competition and our sport.
"The prospect of playing a game in one of the biggest stadiums in the world is exceptional and I would like to thank the [Barcelona] president Josep Maria Bartomeu for giving us this opportunity."
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CONFIRMED | will face at the Nou Camp on 18th May - Learn more: Ticket information coming soon... November 30, 2018
Warriors chairman Ian Lenagan believes the fixture will provide a "shot in the arm" for the revamped competition, with Super League voting to switch to a one-up, one-down promotion and relegation system for next year.
"This is landmark moment in Super League's history, and we are extremely proud to play our part in making history," Lenagan said in a statement.
"Having European rugby league's two current title holders face each other in the iconic surroundings of the Camp Nou is a mouth-watering prospect and is one that I truly believe will be an historic occasion for the sport.
"I applaud [Dragons chairman] Bernard Guasch and the Catalans Dragons for their ambition and innovative approach to growing the game and the profile of the Super League.
"It's a fantastic concept that will capture the imagination of sports fans across the continent of Europe, and I believe it will provide a shot in the arm for the new-era of Super League by underlining the competition's ambition."