French Rugby League Championship

The French rugby league championship () 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.

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

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 10,0001940–44: 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 Stade des Sept-Deniers, Toulouse 8,000 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 ClubWinsRunnersupWinning years1 XIII Catalan 11 7 1935–36, 1939–40, 1956–57, 1968–69, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1993–942 AS Carcassonne 10 10 1944–45, 1945–46, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1991–923 Villeneuve Leopards 8 10 1934–35, 1958–59, 1963–64, 1979–80, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–024 AS Saint Estève 6 7 1970–71, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1997–985 RC Albi 5 1 1937–38, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1976–776 Toulouse Olympique 4 4 1964–65, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1999–20007 RC Roanne XIII 4 1 1938–39, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1959–608 St Gaudens 3 7 1969–70, 1973–74, 1990–919 Lézignan Sangliers 3 2 1960–61, 1962–63, 1977–7810 Le Pontet XIII 2 3 1985–86, 1987–8811= Bordeaux XIII 2 1 1936–37, 1953–5411= Lyon Villeurbanne XIII 2 1 1950–51, 1954–5513 Marseille XIII 1 4 1948–4914 Pia XIII 1 1 1994–9515 Limoux Grizzlies 1 0 1967–6816= SO Avignon 0 1 16= Union Treiziste Catalane 0 1

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

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

French Rugby League Championship

Bron en licentie