Catalans Dragons have agreed full-time contracts with young rising players of the reserve team.

10 products of the Catalans Dragons Academy system have committed their future to the club.

Reserve team players Romain Franco, Mathieu Cozza, Tiaki Chan, Valentin Zafra, Bastien Scimone and Ugo Martin and Juniors reserve team players Romain Khedimi, Maxime Jobe, Joe Chan and Alan Baby signed their first contract for the club.

The club also signed a first player to strengthen the reserve team squad.

Young rising star Jayson Goffin, who impressed this year for his first season in the French Elite Championship at only 18 years old, will join the club’s reserve team.

The young back rower scored 10 tries this season with Villeneuve sur Lot and played against the Dragons in January with the President’s XIII.

Tom Azéma, 18, who came through the Rugby Union Club ASM Clermont Auvergne Academy System, will also join the club on trial. The son of Franck Azéma, the current Headcoach of ASM Clermont Auvergne, who also played for UTC in 2001, will start the preseason in August with the reserve team.

Young Carpentras playmaker Hugo Bravo will also join the club’s reserve team on trial.

Stéphane Guasch, one of the Directors in charge of Youth and Development said: “We are delighted that these young players have signed their first contract with the club. We are working closely with Steve McNamara and his staff to build the reserve team squad who will play in the French Elite 1 Championship next season.

We’ll keep a big part of the players who won the title and we will strengthen the squad with some Juniors players with a strong potential who will be promoted in the reserve team and with promising talents like Jayson Goffin.

Our goal will remain the development of young French players. All these young kids will start the preseason in August and will have an individual program. They have a bright future ahead of them and we all look forward to seeing them continue to develop within our reserve team to eventually gain a place in the Super League squad in the future.”