The 1979–80 French Rugby Union Championship was won by Béziers beating Toulouse in the final.
The group B was won by Chambéry beating Angoulême in the final.
Formula
For the first time, the clubs of the "Group B" didn't participate for the title, but play a proper championship.
The group A, like the group B was divided in four pools of ten clubs.
The eight better of each pool were qualified for the knockout stages.
Group A
Qualification round
In bold the teams qualified for knock out stages, ordered second the ranking.
Pool A Béziers Perpignan Graulhet Narbonne Grenoble Saint-Jean-de-Luz US Bressane Montchanin Thuir (Thuir) Racing Pool B Toulon Pau RRC Nice Montferrand Carcassonne Auch Mazamet Avignon Saint-Saturnin Périgueux Montauban Pool C Stade Bagnérais Tulle Bayonne Stadoceste Brive Biarritz Dax Boucau La Rochelle Limoges Pool D Agen Lourdes Oloron Toulouse Bègles Romans Aurillac Valence Castres Bourgoin-Jallieu
"Last 32" In bold the clubs qualified for the next round
Team 1 Team 2 Results Béziers Valence 41-6 Narbonne Carcassonne 9-6 RRC Nice Mazamet 22-15 Oloron Aurillac 6-9 Perpignan US Bressane 22-9 Graulhet Biarritz 14-7 Montferrand Grenoble 10-3 Stade Bagnérais Boucau 21-3 Tulle Dax 15-6 Lourdes Saint-Jean-de-Luz 28-3 Brive Stadoceste 12-9 Pau Auch 18-3 Agen Montchanin 21-11 Toulouse Bègles 17-7 Bayonne Romans 18-11 Toulon Avignon Saint-Saturnin 28-9
"Last 16" In bold the clubs qualified for the next round
Team 1 Team 2 Results Béziers Narbonne 21-10 RRC Nice Aurillac 29-9 Perpignan Graulhet 12-3 Montferrand Stade Bagnérais 11-13 Tulle Lourdes 15-9 Brive Pau 15-6 Agen Toulouse 4-9 Bayonne Toulon 25-14
Quarter of finals In bold the clubs qualified for the next round
Team 1 Team 2 Results Béziers RRC Nice 19-15 Perpignan Stade Bagnérais 30-15 Tulle Brive 19-22 Toulouse Bayonne 24-3
Semifinals Team 1 Team 2 Results Béziers Perpignan 16-6 Brive Toulouse 9-22
Final
Teams Béziers - Toulouse Score 10-6 Date 25 May 1980 Venue Parc des Princes, ParisReferee Jacques Saint-Guilhem Line-up Béziers Armand Vaquerin, Alain Paco, Jean-Louis Martin, Alain Estève, Michel Palmié, Jean-Marc Cordier, Pierre Lacans, Yvan Buonomo, Philippe Morrisson, Patrick Fort, Henri Mioch, Claude Martinez, Jean-Luc Rivallo, Michel Fabre, Jack Cantoni Replacements : Marc Andrieu, Philippe Cadenat, Michel Montsarrat Toulose Christian Breseghello, Patrick Bentaboulet, Serge Laïrle, Michel Coutin, Jean-Jacques Santos, Jean-Pierre Rives, Jean-Claude Skrela, Roger Viel, Gérald Martinez, Jean-Michel Rancoule, Guy Novès, Thierry Merlos, Marcel Salsé, Dominique Harize, Serge Gabernet Replacements : Hughes Comet, André Olhasque, Jérôme Rieu, Laurent Husson Scorers Béziers 2 tries Buonomo and Fabre, 1 conversion Cantoni Toulouse 2 penalties Martinez
Group B
Qualification round
In bold the teams qualified for knock out stages, ordered second the ranking.
Pool E Avenir Aturin Stade Beaumontois Mauléon Mont de Marsan Orthez Peyrehorade (Peyrehorade) Stade foyen (Sainte-Foy-la-Grande) US Tyrosse Lavelanet Saint-Girons Pool F Angoulême Arras Cahors Marmande Mérignac Stade Niortais Paris Université La Teste Bergerac US Salles(Salles) Pool G Albi Carmaux Castelnaudary Fumel Lombez Samatan Lannemezan Rodez (Rodez) US Vic-Bigorre (Vic-en-Bigorre) Gaillac Sarlat Pool H Chambéry Stade Clermontois La Voulte Le Creusot Montélimar Millau Vienne Nîmes US La Seyne Vichy
"Last 32" Team 1 Team 2 Results Angoulême Lannemezan 46-0 Lombez Samatan Montélimar 9-6 Marmande Fumel 13-9 Carmaux Stade Niortais 25-18 La Voulte Orthez 19-6 Stade Clermontois Rodez(Rodez) 10-6 Castelnaudary La Teste 32-9 Nîmes Peyrehorade (Peyrehorade) 30-6 US Tyrosse Arras 26-10 Stade Beaumontois Mérignac 15-16 Chambéry Millau 34-0 Mauléon Le Creusot 27-21 Albi Vienne 35-3 Cahors Avenir Aturin 36-16 (aot)aot = after over-time Mont de Marsan Stade foyen (Sainte-Foy-la-Grande) 47-0 Paris Université Vic-Bigorre (Vic-en-Bigorre) 23-17
"Last 16" Team 1 Team 2 Results Albi Cahors 35-12 Nîmes Castelnaudary 21-12 Stade Beaumontois US Tyrosse 15-6 Mont de Marsan Paris Université 16-7 La Voulte Stade Clermontois 36-0 Chambéry Mauléon 23-7 Carmaux Marmande 12-9 Angoulême Lombez Samatan 21-9
Quarter of finals
Team 1 Team 2 Results Angoulême Carmaux 48-6 Nîmes La Voulte 15-4 Albi Mont de Marsan 23-18 Chambéry Stade Beaumontois 21-12
Semifinals Team 1 Team 2 ResultsAngoulême Nîmes 30-7 Chambéry Albi 21-18
Final
Teams Chambéry – Angoulême Score 21-9 Date 18 May 1980 Venue Clermont-Ferrand Collection of l'Équipe rugby 1981
External links Compte rendu finale de 1980 lnr.fr
Notes and references