French Rugby League Championship

This article is about the premire rugby league competition in France between 1934 and 2002. For the structure as a whole, see French rugby league system.

"French Championship" redirects here. For other uses, see French Championship (disambiguation).

French Rugby League Championship

Sport| Rugby league
Founded| 1934
Ceased| 2002
Replaced by| Elite 1 and Elite 2
No. of teams| 20
Country|  France
Most titles|  XIII Catalan (11 titles)

The French rugby league championship (French: Le Championnat de France de Rugby à XIII) was the top tier of the French rugby league system from its inception in 1934 until 2002 when the league was split into two divisions; the Elite One Championship and Elite Two Championship.[1][2]

In all seasons except for the first, a play-off structure leading to a championship final has been used to determine the fate of the championship.

## List of Grand Finals

[edit]

Toulouse Olympique celebrating victory in 1973 and 1975

Season | Winners | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Attendance

|
|
|
|
|

1934–35 |  Villeneuve 1 | No final played, champion was first placed team in regular season
1935–36 |  Catalan | 25–14 |  Bordeaux XIII | Parc de Suzon, Bordeaux | 14,150
1936–37 |  Bordeaux XIII | 23–10 |  Catalan | 14,300
1937–38 |  Albi | 8–5 |  Villeneuve | 14,880
1938–39 |  Roanne | 9–0 |  Villeneuve | Stade Velodrome de Lescure, Bordeaux | 19,788
1939–40 |  Catalan | 20–16 |  Pau XIII | Stade des Minimes, Toulouse | 10,000
1940–44: Rugby league outlawed by Vichy regime
1944–45 |  Carcassonne | 13–12 |  Toulouse | Stade Jean Laffon, Perpignan |
1945–46 |  Carcassonne | 12–0 |  Toulouse | Stade de Gerland, Lyon |
1946–47 |  Roanne | 19–0 |  Carcassonne | 15,000
1947–48 |  Roanne | 3–2 |  Carcassonne | Marseille | 20,000
1948–49 |  Marseille | 12–5 |  Carcassonne | Stade Albert Domec, Carcassonne | 23,500
1949–50 |  Carcassonne | 21–7 |  Marseille | Perpignan | 18,000
1950–51 |  Lyon | 15–10 |  Catalan | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 21,933
1951–52 |  Carcassonne | 18–6 |  Marseille | 16,645
1952–53 |  Carcassonne | 19–12 |  Lyon | 22,000
1953–54 |  Bordeaux XIII | 7–4 |  Marseille | 8,000
1954–55 |  Lyon | 7–6 |  Carcassonne | 12,000
1955–56 |  Albi | 13–5 |  Carcassonne | 15,850
1956–57 |  Catalan | 14–9 |  Avignon | 9,000
1957–58 |  Albi | 8–6 |  Carcassonne | 16,163
1958–59 |  Villeneuve | 24–16 |  Lézignan | 13,000
1959–60 |  Roanne | 31–24 |  Albi | 13,800
1960–61 |  Lézignan | 7–4 |  Roanne | 6,998
1961–62 |  Albi | 14–7 |  Villeneuve | 12,068
1962–63 |  Lézignan | 20–13 |  St Gaudens | 12,200
1963–64 |  Villeneuve | 4–3 |  Toulouse | 5,166
1964–65 |  Toulouse | 47–15 |  Villeneuve | 8,837
1965–66 |  Carcassonne | 45–20 |  St Gaudens | 11,244
1966–67 |  Carcassonne | 39–15 |  St Gaudens | 10,779
1967–68 |  Limoux | 13–12 |  Carcassonne | 14,432
1968–69 |  Catalan | 12–11 |  St Gaudens | 8,326
1969–70 |  St Gaudens | 32–10 |  Catalan | 21,300
1970–71 |  St Estève | 13–4 |  St Gaudens | 8,179
1971–72 |  Carcassonne | 21–9 |  St Gaudens | 11,566
1972–73 |  Toulouse | 18–0 |  Marseille | 13,827
1973–74 |  St Gaudens | 21–8 |  Villeneuve | 5,696
1974–75 |  Toulouse | 10–9 |  St Estève | 5,015
1975–76 |  Carcassonne | 14–6 |  Lézignan | 14,000
1976–77 |  Albi | 19–10 |  Carcassonne | Stadium Municipal d'Albi, Albi | 18,325
1977–78 |  Lézignan | 3–0 |  Catalan | Toulouse | 10,358
1978–79 |  Catalan | 17–2 |  Carcassonne | 13,202
1979–80 |  Villeneuve | 12–7 |  St Estève | 10,029
1980–81  Villeneuve v  Catalan abandoned after six minutes due to fighting; no championship awarded.
1981–82 |  Catalan | 21–8 |  St Estève | Toulouse | 8,504
1982–83 |  Catalan | 10–8 |  Villeneuve | 10,628
1983–84 |  Catalan | 30–6 |  Villeneuve | 8,182
1984–85 |  Catalan | 26–6 |  Le Pontet XIII | 8,797
1985–86 |  Le Pontet XIII | 19–6 |  Catalan | 8,000
1986–87 |  Catalan | 11–3 |  Le Pontet XIII | 4,350
1987–88 |  Le Pontet XIII | 14–2 |  Catalan | 9,950
1988–89 |  St Estève | 23–4 |  Le Pontet XIII | Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitie, Narbonne | 9,936
1989–90 |  St Estève | 24–23 |  Carcassonne | 8,000
1990–91 |  St Gaudens | 10–8 |  Villeneuve | Toulouse | 6,031
1991–92 |  Carcassonne | 11–10 |  St Estève | 6,000
1992–93 |  St Estève | 9–8 |  Catalan | 10,000
1993–93 |  Catalan | 6–4 |  Pia | Stade des Sports Et de l'Amitie, Narbonne | 12,000
1994–95 |  Pia | 12–10 |  St Estève | 13,200
1995–96 |  Villeneuve | 27–26 |  St Estève | 10,000
1996–97 |  St Estève | 28–24 |  Villeneuve | 12,000
1997–98 |  St Estève | 15–8 |  Villeneuve | 12,000
1998–99 |  Villeneuve | 33–20 |  St Gaudens | Paris | 7,592
1999–00 |  Toulouse | 20–18 |  St Estève | 6,500
2000–01 |  Villeneuve | 32–20 |  Toulouse | Toulouse | 9,000
2001–02 |  Villeneuve | 17–0 |  Union Treiziste Catalane | Stade de la Mediterranee, Béziers | 8,000
From the 2002–03 season, the French Rugby League Championship split into two divisions: Elite One Championship and Elite Two Championship.

## Champions by club

[edit]

| Club  | Wins  | Runners
up  | Winning Years

|
|
|
|

1 |  XIII Catalan | 11 | 7 | 1935–36, 1939–40, 1956–57, 1968–69, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1993–94
2 |  AS Carcassonne | 10 | 10 | 1944–45, 1945–46, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1991–92
3 |  Villeneuve Leopards | 8 | 10 | 1934–35, 1958–59, 1963–64, 1979–80, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02
4 |  AS Saint Estève | 6 | 7 | 1970–71, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1997–98
5 |  RC Albi | 5 | 1 | 1937–38, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1976–77
6 |  Toulouse Olympique | 4 | 4 | 1964–65, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1999–2000
7 |  RC Roanne XIII | 4 | 1 | 1938–39, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1959–60
8 |  St Gaudens | 3 | 7 | 1969–70, 1973–74, 1990–91
9 |  Lézignan Sangliers | 3 | 2 | 1960–61, 1962–63, 1977–78
10 |  Le Pontet XIII | 2 | 3 | 1985–86, 1987–88
11= |  Bordeaux XIII | 2 | 1 | 1936–37, 1953–54
11= |  Lyon Villeurbanne XIII | 2 | 1 | 1950–51, 1954–55
13 |  Marseille XIII | 1 | 4 | 1948–49
14 |  Pia XIII | 1 | 1 | 1994–95
15 |  Limoux Grizzlies | 1 | 0 | 1967–68
16= |  SO Avignon | 0 | 1 |
16= |  Union Treiziste Catalane | 0 | 1 |

### Footnotes

[edit]

1. Won title on points: no play-off was used
2. Match abandoned after six minutes after the beginning due to fighting; no championship awarded.

## Books

[edit]

* Le Rugby à XIII le plus français du monde −1934 to 1996– by Louis Bonnery,
* The Forbidden game by Mike Rylance.

## See also

[edit]

* France portal
* Sports portal

* Rugby league in France
* National Division 1
* National Division 2
* Lord Derby Cup
* Coupe Falcou

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Championnat Elite 1". Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-03.
2. ^ "Championnat Elite 2". Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-03.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Infostreize Archived 2007-12-21 at the Wayback Machine
* Le monde du rugby à XIII

* v
* t
* e

Super XIII / Elite 2

Super XIII teams|

* Albi RL
* SO Avignon
* AS Carcassonne
* FC Lézignan XIII
* XIII Limouxin
* Pia XII
* Saint-Estève XIII Catalan
* Saint-Gaudens Bears
* Toulouse Olympique Broncos
* Villefranche XIII Aveyron
* Villeneuve XIII

Elite 2 teams|

* RC Carpentras XIII
* Ille-sur-Têt XIII
* RC Lescure-Arthes XIII
* Palau XIII Broncos
* Pamiers XIII
* Realmont XIII
* RC Salon XIII
* Tonneins XIII
* Villegailhenc-Aragon XIII

Elite 1 / Super XIII seasons|

* 2002–2003
* 2003–2004
* 2004–2005
* 2005–2006
* 2006–2007
* 2007–2008
* 2008–2009
* 2009–2010
* 2010–2011
* 2011–2012
* 2012–2013
* 2013–2014
* 2014–2015
* 2015–2016
* 2016–2017
* 2017–2018
* 2018–2019
* 2019–2020
* 2020–2021
* 2021–2022
* 2022–2023
* 2023–2024
* 2024–2025

Related competitions|

* French Rugby League Championship
* Lord Derby Cup
* Georges Aillères Cup

* v
* t
* e

Rugby league in France

Federation|

* Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII

National teams|

* Men's national team
* List of results
* Women's national team
* Wheelchair national team

Leagues|

| Current|

* Super XIII
* Elite 2
* National Division 1
* National Division 2
* Elite 1 (wheelchair rugby league)

|

Defunct|

* French Rugby League Championship
* France Rugby League

Lord Derby Cup|

* 1934–35
* 2017–2018
* 2018–2019
* 2022–2023
* 2023–2024
* 2024–2025

Other cups|

* Georges Aillères Cup
* Albert Falcou Cup
* Paul Dejean Cup
* Para Rugby XIII Cup

Rugby Football League teams|

| Current|

* Catalans Dragons (Super League)
* Toulouse Olympique (Championship)

|

Defunct|

* Paris Saint-Germain (Super League)

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