Remi Casty: Heart of a dragon

"It was very unprofessional when I first started at the club; you would not have expected back then that we would have developed into a club that could play a match at the Camp Nou.”

The Catalans Dragons captain Remi Casty is a curious mix of insider and outsider.

Growing up in Narbonne, he found a pocket of rugby league in the middle of a French rugby union heartland, and the sport has never left him.

How he draws the next generation of young French kids to the game is a priority for the 35-year-old once he retires – but his immediate focus is on this season and achieving something special for the club which gave him his break more than a decade ago.  

The amiable prop has been a constant for Catalans since then – apart from a brief detour to the NRL in 2014, but he soon returned - Perpignan and the Dragons is where his heart and head feel most at home.

The sense of belonging he feels at his beloved club means everything.

Casty said: “I am very proud of my story.

“I grew up in a little village where the only sport was rugby league. 

“My father and grandfather both played, and they always took me to games.

“I was always trying to arrange a team and matches when I was at school.

“When I left, I went to play in the French Championship and grew up dreaming of playing rugby league professionally in big stadiums.

“There is a lot of rugby union in France - but I still believed rugby league was for me and something I could do well in. 

“You need that dream to have a motivation.

“Then I got a call from Catalans, who were preparing for their first year, and that’s how it all played out.??

Dragons up and running in 2020 ???

A @samtomkins1 hat-trick helps @DragonsOfficiel to a 36-18 win over @CTRLFC 🤩#SuperLeague #WePlayLeague pic.twitter.com/jWIwWrWsBo
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) February 16, 2020

That was back in 2006 when the club was unrecognisable in terms of its professionalism compared to now. 

Despite those modest beginnings, ambition has never been in short supply at Stade Gilbert Brutus, largely thanks to Dragons’ enigmatic owner Bernard Guasch.

In the past few years, the businessman has delighted in seeing a return on his significant emotional and financial investment. 

A Challenge Cup win in 2018 and watching his side play at the Camp Nou in front of the biggest-ever regular season attendance are evidence that he is moving the club in the right direction.

The next challenge is for Super League silverware, but it won’t be easy, even if the club are making all the right noises early in the season.

Star names such as James Maloney and Israel Folau - albeit players who have raised eyebrows for different reasons - have unquestionably added some flair and finesse to an already talented squad.

One could argue that even this season, given the influx of quality players to Super League, not least the signing of Sonny Bill Williams by the even newer new boys, that it’s the Dragons who have once more stolen a march on the competition. 

It was all very different when the Perpignan project began.

Casty, of course, saw it all as a youngster; now he is the skipper who glues the old and new together, maintaining high standards and upholding the values of the club.

“It was very unprofessional when I first started at the club,?? he explained. 

“We played matches at a stadium - but didn’t really have a permanent training base.

“There was a place for us to train and do weights, but it was small, almost old school and not good for a professional club.

“We had a base at Saint-Esteve, where the reserves play now, but trained in a few different camps and villages around Perpignan.

“It all felt very amateurish at the time.

“You would not have expected back then that we would have developed into a club that could play a match at the Camp Nou.??

The Dragons have been the outliers of Super League, in a geographical sense, since their inclusion – that tag now falls to Toronto Wolfpack.

Similarities can easily be drawn between the two clubs.

Both are fresh, ambitious and confident, although the Wolfpack’s confidence will have surely taken a hit after five consecutive defeats to start their 2020 campaign. 

Casty can empathise with their situation – and knows exactly what is needed for the team to turn things around.

“If I had any advice for Toronto, it would be to cut out any excuses for poor performance,?? he said.

“It can be easy to do that sometimes with things such as travelling.

“You are not always in the same country, so there is the pressure around moving between countries.

“You need to be professional about it.

“There is so much data around now that gives you information about when you can eat and sleep, and you need to get that right so you can perform to your best.

“If Toronto can do that, then they have a great chance of doing well.??

The Wolfpack were founded 10 years after Casty made his own professional debut, and as he reflects on his lengthy career, his thoughts turn to what happens next. 

His wider sense of purpose is now focused on giving back - to the game he fell in love with growing up in Narbonne, to the club he adores 40 miles down the road in Perpignan, and to sorting out the internecine politics which he believes is holding back the sport in his homeland. 

It’s a formidable challenge – but one Casty is keen to take on, such is his concern about what the future looks like for rugby league in France.

He said: “There is simply so much work to do. 

“There is too much internal fighting going on, and there is no agreement on the direction we can take the game in.

“Furthermore, there isn’t enough media coverage of our matches. 

“We are so far away from the other teams, so sometimes I think we get forgotten a little bit.

“People are trying - but it’s hard at the same time. 

“We need everyone to get on the same page to drive French rugby league forward.

“With social media these days you can relay everything on the internet as quick as possible - but the French federation haven’t used it well.

“I would use it as a means to promote the game and find sponsorship.

“Promote everything and it can help you build a strong basis of professionalism.??

All wise words from a man those at the top of French rugby league would do well to listen to.

Casty has seen so much in the last 14 years – you feel even after his playing days have passed – he is destined for a long career in rugby league, one way or another.

He is the outsider who has the inside track.

By Oli Lathrope