Bernard Guasch
{{short description|French businessman & former rugby league player (born 1960)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bernard Guasch
| image = Bernard Guasch.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|4|3|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Perpignan, France
| title = Chairman of the Catalans Dragons
| module = {{infobox rugby league biography
| embed = yes
| position = {{rlp|SO}}
| club1 = {{nowrap|XIII Catalan}}
| year1start = 1977
| year1end = 82
| appearances1 =
| tries1 =
| goals1 =
| fieldgoals1 =
| points1 =
| club2 = {{nowrap|Saint-Estève XIII}}
| year2start = 1982
| year2end = 89
| appearances2 =
| tries2 =
| goals2 =
| fieldgoals2 =
| points2 =
}}
}}
Bernard Guasch (born 3 April 1960){{Cite web|url=https://dirigeants.bfmtv.com/Bernard-GUASCH-4361835/|title=Bernard Guasch - Dirigeant de la société Perpignan Saint Esteve Mediterranee - BFMBusiness.com|website=dirigeants.bfmtv.com|access-date=2020-01-30}}{{Cite web|url=https://dirigeant.societe.com/dirigeant/Bernard.GUASCH.51630020.html|title=M. Bernard Guasch, Gérant de Societe Civile Immobiliere de la Basse sur Dirigeant.com|website=dirigeant.societe.com|access-date=2020-01-30}} is a French former rugby league player, who played as stand-off and the current CEO of the Super League and French Rugby League Championship team, the Catalans Dragons[http://www.catalansdragons.com/fr/organigramme.php Catalans Dragons] and has been since their formation in 2001.
Biography
Guasch's grandfather, José Guasch, was a Catalan politician, mayor of L'Espluga de Francolí during the Spanish Second Republic and, after fleeing to Northern Catalonia due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, he was taken prisoner to the Argelers concentration camp.{{Cite web |title= Bernard Guasch: "Si l’equip es deia Dragons Catalans, l’himne havia de ser ‘Els segadors'" |url=https://www.vilaweb.cat/noticies/bernard-guasch/ |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=VilaWeb |language=ca}} His parents and siblings also moved as refugees to join their grandfather. José became a rugby union player for USA Perpignan, notably disputing the final of the 1951-52 French Rugby Union Championship. Wanting to open a butchery, he asked for a loan for USAP, however, the latter refused and XIII Catalan supported his initiative if he played rugby league, which was what he did.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Article/Les-dragons-portent-la-flamme-du-xiii/794734|title=Les Dragons portent la flamme du XIII - Rugby|website=L'Équipe|language=fr|access-date=2020-01-30}} He speaks Catalan fluently.
Playing career
Guasch played as stand-off for XIII Catalan between 1977 and 1982 and for Saint-Estève XIII between 1982 and 1989. His brother, Bruno Guasch, played for XIII Catalan, and his son Joan Guasch played for Dragons Catalans and Saint-Estève XIII Catalan.
The Catalans Dragons project
The Rugby League authorities complimented Guasch for his "leadership skills".{{Cite web|url=https://www.lexpress.fr/informations/les-50-qui-font-bouger-perpignan_650217.html|title=Les 50 qui font bouger Perpignan|date=2002-12-12|website=LExpress.fr|language=fr|access-date=2020-01-30}} In 2000, two great French clubs, XIII Catalan and Saint-Estève, merge to form Union Treiziste Catalane, which dominated the French Rugby League Championship, later the club became Catalans Dragons before its integration into Super League, becoming in 2006 the only French elite team in the Northern Hemisphere. It was a sports success as the club qualified for both the 2007 Challenge Cup final and the 2008 Super League play-offs, as well as an economic success the club achieved greater than 8,000 spectators at home, which convinced GL Events to invest into the club by taking shares and Nike became the kit supplier in 2009.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2008/09/15/475690-dragons-catalans-bernard-guash-monsieur-plus.html|title=Dragons catalans. Bernard Guash, Monsieur Plus|website=ladepeche.fr|language=fr|access-date=2020-01-30}}
Creation of a moral agreement with USA Perpignan?
Since the late 2010s, it was attributed to him the wish to "create a moral agreement with USA Perpignan, done like on the other side of the Channel{{Cite book|last=Mouret |first=Aimé |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/779739872|title=Le Who's who du rugby à XIII |date=2011 |publisher=Éd. de l'Ixcéa|others=Impr. Jouve)|isbn=978-2-84918-118-8 |location=Toulouse|oclc=779739872}}". However, the rugby union club did not seem to answer concretely to this will.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Catalans Dragons}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guasch, Bernard}}
Category:AS Saint Estève players
Category:French rugby league administrators
Category:French rugby league players
Category:French people of Spanish descent
Category:Rugby league chairmen and investors
Category:Rugby league five-eighths
Category:Sportspeople of Spanish descent
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