FORMER Bradford Bulls star Leon Pryce, who had a spell in Perpignan with Catalans during his playing days, has taken up a role as director of rugby with their fellow French side Montpellier Sharks.

Pryce told the T&A last week that he wanted to focus the majority of his energy on guiding his teenage son Will, who made his Super League debut for Huddersfield on July 1, in a 50-12 defeat to Catalans.

But this new role gives the Bradford flyer, who won three Super League titles, two Challenge Cups and two World Club Challenges with Bulls, a more formal role within the sport.

And almost immediately after his appointment in France, some good news for the club has been confirmed.

There was talk that Montpellier were set to bid to enter the Elite 2 Championship for the start of the 2021/22 season, and with that division now being extended from 10 to 12 teams, the Sharks have been accepted into it.

Montpellier have stepped up from the National Division alongside Gratentour.

The Elite 2 season was cancelled last year due to COVID, but it is set to resume again from September.

Aside from new boys Montpellier and Gratentour, the other 10 clubs in the division are Baho, Carpentras, Entraigues, Ille, Lescue, Lyon, Pia, Salon, Villefrance and Villegailhenc.

Meanwhile, Montpellier will take on the Cameroon national team as part of a new relationship between the club and the African country.

The game will take place as part of the 28th annual France-Africa summit in October 2021.