Rugby union: insults, middle fingers, general brawl… How the Catalan public, self-proclaimed best public in France, behaved like thugs on Saturday in Pau

Une partie du public catalan s’est salement distinguée samedi à Pau, déclenchant une bagarre générale en tribunes. MAXPPP – MICHEL CLEMENTZ

Usap supporters are still being talked about for their bad behavior. The Catalan club could be sanctioned again.   

Best audience in France, Perpignan ? When Usap wins and parades on the field, certainly, as evidenced by the wonderful atmosphere surrounding Aimé- Giral this season. But this popular and good-natured atmosphere is clearly not there when the team's results are contrary to expectations.

Thus the Pau-Perpignan match (36-24), Saturday evening at the Hameau, scene of a general brawl between supporters of the two camps. With this defeat, the Catalan club saw its last hopes of qualifying for the final stages of the Top 14 extinguished. Frustration, spite, anger?

Still, the public "blood and gold" distinguished himself badly in the N square of the East stand (Terega), at the corner post. Scuffles which led the security service to intervene, accentuating the violence in the stadium, despite calls for calm from the speaker.

Hier soir "fâcheuse récidive de bagarre" pour les supporters de Perpignan, la 3eme fois en un mois 😄https://t.co/ctbx59hGVr

— Martial Goarnisson (@Martial_G_) June 9, 2024

Deplorable image, sanctions to be expected

According to witnesses at the scene, tension rose as the match progressed, with invectives and middle fingers in support. After a Usap try in the second half, Perpignan supporters would have climbed onto a low wall of the stand to harass and insult their Béarn counterparts, presenting a deplorable image. So, bad player, the Catalan public ?

The problem is that he is a repeat offender in this area. A "locker" that the League (LNR) cannot ignore after having already sanctioned Perpignan with a fine of 25,000 euros after the Usap-Clermont match (28-35 defeat, May 11), the outcome of which the Aimé-Giral public copiously insulted the referee Jérémy Rozier, who escaped a thrown cup and had to leave the stadium escorted by a security service ;order. This fine echoed the previous one of 10,000 euros imposed for similar incidents (smoke), on April 27 in Montpellier (20-25 on April 27). Regrettable and unacceptable.

President François Rivière now has no choice: he must clean up and remove these pseudo-supporters who are harming the image of the club, under pain of seeing financial sanctions increase, being banned from traveling, or worse, ending up playing behind closed doors at home.