List of when every club is heading to France in 2023
Picture by Fabrice Rodriguez/SWpix.com
For many fans, the release of the fixture list prompts a scramble to check the best deals for getting over to support their team in France.
Toulouse’s relegation back to the Championship means that all 24 English clubs in the top two divisions will travel across the Channel, the most journeys being made since the last full season before COVID in 2019.
Keighley fans will be looking forward to their first trip since June 2016, while Leigh and Hull KR will both visit Catalans twice in 2023.
MORE: Championship and League 1 2023 fixtures revealed
Despite the regular journeys between here and France throughout the year, direct flights are still as rare as hen’s teeth.
We’ve tried our best to price up return flights for each game below, with Manchester to Carcassonne being the most obvious route to Toulouse from the north west. No doubt fans of Newcastle, York and Whitehaven will have been frustrated at the lack of options in terms of flights for February and March.
Carcassonne is a potential destination for the Catalans away days too, though Girona and Barcelona airports are also within reach. You can get direct to Perpignan from Birmingham and London Stansted too, if you prefer to do your excess travelling this side.
The upcoming IMG review is going to put the onus on Catalans and Toulouse to pay the travel costs of their opponent clubs, something which Toulouse have done anyway in their time in the structure. That is until they can contribute to the central funding pool, either through broadcast or other commercial deals.
But it seems strange that after 17 years of cross-Channel competition, rugby league hasn’t been able to attract sponsorship from the travel industry, whether it be airlines, hotels or otherwise.
Even just taking in to account players and officials, there will likely be around 80 flights every week from the start of February until the end of September. At a very modest average of 100 fans per club, there’s another 2,400 flights and hotel stays too.
Of course, in the current cost of living crisis, the overseas trip may have to be culled. Indeed, some of the return flights priced up below are more expensive than an entire season ticket for the same club.
When is your club heading to France?
(all prices based on Manchester to Carcassonne Fri-Mon unless stated otherwise)
Castleford Tigers
Saturday 1st April – £188
Huddersfield Giants
Saturday 8th July – £189
Hull FC
Friday 3rd March – £115 (Fri-Sun)
Hull KR
Saturday 18th March – £146 (Fri-Sun)
Saturday 10th June – £116
Leeds Rhinos
Saturday 16th September – £132
Leigh Leopards
Saturday 25th February – £211 (Fri-Sun)
Saturday 24th June – £230
Salford Red Devils
Saturday 29th July – £239
St Helens
Friday 5th May – £139
Wakefield Trinity
Friday 26th May – £329
Warrington Wolves
Saturday 8th April – £302
Wigan Warriors
Saturday 26th August – £427
Barrow Raiders
Saturday 26th August – £427
Batley Bulldogs
Saturday 15th July – £175
Bradford Bulls
Saturday 24th June – £230
Featherstone Rovers
Saturday 16th September – £132
Halifax Panthers
Saturday 3rd June – £178
Keighley Cougars
Saturday 29th July – £239
London Broncos
Friday 7th April – £77 (Thurs-Sun from London Stansted to Toulouse)
Newcastle Thunder
Saturday 11th February – N/A
Sheffield Eagles
Saturday 17th June – £162
Swinton Lions
Saturday 19th August – £218
Whitehaven
Saturday 4th March – N/A
Widnes Vikings
Saturday 1st July – £114
York City Knights
Saturday 18th February – N/A
Will you be making the trip when your club is heading to France? Let us know in the comments below and add any travel tips too!