Elite 1 (rugby league)

Elite 1 is the top level rugby league competition in France. The season runs from September to April. The clubs play each other home and away then they enter into a play-off series culminating with a Grand Final.

Main article: French Rugby League Championship

Elite 1
Founded2002 (2002)
Country France
Number of teams9
Level on pyramid1
Promotion to[lower-alpha 1]
Relegation toElite 2
Domestic cup(s)Lord Derby Cup
Current championsFC Lézignan (2020-21)
Most championshipsAS Carcassonne (11)
TV partnersviàOccitanie, Sport en France
Websitesite
Current: Elite One Championship 2021–2022

History

The French Rugby League Championship began in 1934, the first one being the only one where it was won by the team finishing top of the table on points and not by a play-off series. The Elite One Championship was founded in 2002 after the French Rugby League Championship was split into two divisions. The format stayed the same with teams playing each other home and away, before a play-off series would determine the Champions. The club finishing bottom would not be automatically relegated, it would be dependent on whether the club finishing top of Elite Two Championship either wanted to be promoted or their facilities were up to standard.

Teams for 2021–22 season
Elite 1
Team Stadium Location
Albi Tigers Stade Mazicou Albi, Tarn
SO Avignon Parc des Sports (Avignon) Avignon, Vaucluse
AS Carcassonne Stade Albert Domec Carcassonne, Aude
FC Lézignan Stade du Moulin Lézignan-Corbières, Aude
Limoux Grizzlies Stade de l'Aiguille Limoux, Aude
Saint-Estève Catalan Stade Municipal Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales
Saint-Gaudens Bears Stade Jules Ribet Saint-Gaudens, Haute-Garonne
Toulouse Olympique Broncos Stade des Minimes Toulouse, Haute-Garonne
Villeneuve Leopards Stade Max Rousie Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Lot-et-Garonne

Map
Teams currently Participating in the Elite One

Results
For previous winners, see French Rugby League Championship.
YearWinnersScoreRunners-upVenueAttendance
2002–03 Villeneuve Leopards 31 – 18 Saint-Gaudens BearsParc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne8,000
2003–04 Saint-Gaudens Bears 14 – 10 Union Treiziste CatalanePerpignan7,500
2004–05 Union Treiziste Catalane 66 – 16 Toulouse Olympique XIIIParc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne5,000
2005–06 Baroudeurs de Pia XIII21 – 18 Toulouse Olympique XIIIToulouse5,462
2006–07 Baroudeurs de Pia XIII20 – 16 FC LézignanStade Michel-Bendichou, Colomiers7,882
2007–08 FC Lézignan 26 – 16 Baroudeurs de Pia XIIIStade de la Mediterranee, Béziers9,550
2008–09 FC Lézignan 40 – 32 Limoux GrizzliesStade Albert Domec, Carcassonne11,263
2009–10 FC Lézignan 32 – 22 Baroudeurs de Pia XIIIAltrad Stadium, Montpellier6,612
2010–11 FC Lézignan 17 – 12 Limoux GrizzliesParc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne11,874
2011–12 AS Carcassonne 26 – 20 Baroudeurs de Pia XIII8,980
2012–13 Baroudeurs de Pia XIII 33 – 26 Saint-Estève CatalanStade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan6,732
2013–14 Toulouse Olympique XIII 38 – 12 FC Lézignan7,245
2014–15 Toulouse Olympique XIII 20 – 12 AS Carcassonne Stade Michel-Bendichou, Colomiers5,800
2015–16 Limoux Grizzlies 26 – 24 AS Carcassonne Stadium municipal d'Albi, Albi5,420
2016–17 Limoux Grizzlies 24 – 22 FC LézignanParc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne8,270
2017–18 Sporting Olympique Avignon 30 – 28 Limoux GrizzliesStadium municipal d’Albi, Albi5,000
2018–19 Saint-Estève Catalan 32 – 24 AS Carcassonne 1,500
2019–20 Competition abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France[1]
2020–21 FC Lézignan 16 – 12 AS Carcassonne Stade Ernest-Wallon, Toulouse 3,200

Winners
#ClubNo.Year(s)
1Lézignan Sangliers42007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2020–21
2Pia XIII32005–06, 2006–07, 2012–13
3Villeneuve Leopards22002, 2002–03
Toulouse Olympique2013–14, 2014–15
Limoux Grizzlies2015–16, 2016–17
6SO Avignon12017–18
Saint-Gaudens Bears2003–04
Union Treiziste Catalane2004–05
AS Carcassonne2011–12
Saint-Esteve XIII Catalan2018–19

See also

Notes
  1. Elite 1 is the highest level of the French rugby league system, however teams can apply to the RFL to play in tiers one, two, or three of the British rugby league system (providing they meet certain criteria) as this is generally considered a higher standard of rugby.

References
  1. "Coronavirus : la Fédération française met fin aux compétitions de rugby à XIII cette saison". lequipe.fr. Groupe Amaury. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
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