Stade Gilbert-Brutus – design description

How did the redevelopment of Stade Gilbert-Brutus begin?

Stade Gilbert-Brutus, located in the north of Perpignan, was opened in 1962. Originally the stadium had an athletics track, but from the beginning it was largely used for rugby league, with the XIII Catalan team playing here, and occasionally the French national team.

In 2000, XIII Catalan merged with AS Saint-Estève XIII to form Union treiziste catalane (UTS). In 2006, the team joined the English Super League, adopting the name Dragons Catalans.

Following the team's accession to the competition in England, an extension of Stade Gilbert-Brutus was undertaken. In 2006, as part of the first phase of work, the running track around the pitch was removed and the south stand (Tribune Bonzoms) was upgraded. The Dragons Catalans team returned to the stadium for the 2007 season (having previously played temporarily at the nearby Stade Aimé Giral).

What was the next stage in the redevelopment of Stade Gilbert-Brutus?

The next stage of the redevelopment was the removal of the curve on the west side and the construction of a new covered stand (Tribune Puig-Aubert) in this place, located just behind the goal line of the pitch. This phase was carried out in 2010.

As part of the changes taking place at Stade Gilbert-Brutus, an indoor swimming pool was built on the east side, two smaller temporary stands appeared on the sides of the north stand, floodlighting masts were erected in the corners and new car parks were created in the surrounding area.

What is planned for the third phase of the redevelopment of Stade Gilbert-Brutus?

The third and final stage of the stadium redevelopment is to replace the existing north stand (Tribune Guasch-Laborde) with a completely new, larger structure, connected at the corner to the west stand. Over the years, however, this objective has failed to materialize, although the club is still not giving up on its plans. According to the latest information, work is expected to start after the 2024 season, and the new stand should be ready for the 2026 season.

The construction of the new north stand will complete the stadium expansion plan, the implementation of which began in 2006. Since the construction of the new west stand (2010), the stadium's capacity has been 10,460 spectators, while with the new north stand it is expected to increase to 13,180 spectators (all seats under roof). Additional skyboxes will also be built in the new north stand.

The cost of building the new north stand is estimated at €15 million. The cost of the first phase (2006) was €3.8 million and the second phase (2010) €8 million, so in total the redevelopment will cost nearly €27 million.