Dragons told to focus on Harlequins

Wednesday 10th February 2010

It was business as usual today for the five Catalans Dragons players at the centre of an alleged city-centre brawl as the French Super League club prepared to return to England for their next match.

The five unnamed players were arrested in Leeds following a fracas in the early hours of Monday and detained by police for an extra 24 hours before being released on bail.

They returned to Perpignan on Tuesday and resumed training on Wednesday morning in readiness for Sunday's game at Harlequins.

While police continue their investigations, Catalans chairman Bernard Guasch broke his holiday to lead the club's own inquiry into the incident in which five men in all were arrested and two taken to hospital for treatment to head injuries.

The Dragons players were thought to be celebrating a team-mate's birthday in the aftermath of the club's opening match of the season, a 28-20 defeat at Wakefield on Sunday.

In a statement the club said: "The five players arrested by West Yorkshire Police in Leeds on Sunday night are now all back in Perpignan.

"They have all met with chairman Bernard Guasch and members of the board and explained their side of the story.

"The players have been advised by the club to put this incident behind them and concentrate on their rugby league.

"The five players have been back in training this morning in order to prepare for their next Engage Super League fixture away at Harlequins this Sunday."