Ligue Nationale de Rugby
The
Ligue Nationale de Rugby (
English:
National Rugby League) is the name of the national professional
rugby union league of
France. It is divided into two divisions:
*
TOP 14 (TOP 16 before 2005-06)
*
Rugby Pro D2The first French championship was held in 1892, with Racing Club de France beating
Stade Français, though the "stadistes" got their revenge the following year in a repeat of the final. More than a century later, those two Paris-based outfits are the only two teams from the North of France currently playing in France's professional league—Stade Français in TOP 14, and Racing's successor club Métro-Racing in Pro D2.
Traditionally in the first phase of the then-TOP 16, the teams were divided into two pools of eight. This was followed by a second phase, in which the eight highest-ranked teams played for semi-final spots and the bottom eight teams battled against relegation. The championship final, in which the Bouclier de Brennus was at stake, took place at the
Parc des Princes and more recently
Stade de France. Development players are given a chance in the Coupe de la Ligue, with its fixtures planned when the top players are with the national team.
In 2004-05, the top division consisted of a single pool of 16 teams, with the top four teams advancing to a knockout playoff at the end of the season to determine the champion. From 2005-06, the top division will be run with a single pool of 14 teams, again with a season-ending four-team playoff. The championship match continues to be held at Stade de France, and regularly sells out the 80,000-seat venue.
The competition has seen an enormous rise in popularity in 2005-06, with attendance up by 25% from 2004-05, and numerous sellouts. On 15 October 2005,
Stade Français drew a crowd of 79,502 at Stade de France for their home match against
Toulouse; this broke the previous French attendance record for a regular-season league match in
any sport (including
football) by over 20,000. That record was broken on 4 March 2006, when Stade Français drew 79,604 to a rematch of the 2004-05 final against
Biarritz at Stade de France.
*
Agen*
Albi*
Bayonne*
Biarritz Olympique*
Bourgoin*
Brive*
Castres Olympique*
Clermont Auvergne (previously known as
Montferrand)
*
Montauban*
Montpellier*
Narbonne*
Perpignan*
Stade Français*
Toulouse*
Auch*
Béziers*
Colomiers*
Dax*
Gaillac*
Grenoble*
La Rochelle*
Limoges*
Lyon*
Métro-Racing*
Mont de Marsan*
Oyonnax*
Pau*
Stade Bordelais*
Tarbes*
Toulon 2006 Biarritz
2005 Biarritz
2004 Stade Français
2003 Stade Français
2002 Biarritz
2001 Toulouse
2000 Stade Français
1999 Toulouse
1998 Stade Français
1997 Toulouse
1996 Toulouse
1995 Toulouse
1994 Toulouse
1993 Castres
1992 Toulon
1991 Bègles
1990 Racing C.F.
1989 Toulouse
1988 Agen
1987 Toulon
1986 Toulouse
1985 Toulouse
1984 Béziers
1983 Béziers
1982 Agen
1981 Béziers | 1980 Béziers
1979 Narbonne
1978 Béziers
1977 Béziers
1976 Agen
1975 Béziers
1974 Béziers
1973 Tarbes
1972 Béziers
1971 Béziers
1970 La Voulte
1969 Bègles
1968 Lourdes
1967 Montauban
1966 Agen
1965 Agen
1964 Pau
1963 Mont de Marsan
1962 Agen
1961 Béziers
1960 Lourdes
1959 Racing CF
1958 Lourdes
1957 Lourdes
1956 Lourdes
1955 Perpignan
1954 Grenoble | 1953 Lourdes
1952 Lourdes
1951 Carmaux
1950 Castres
1949 Castres
1948 Lourdes
1947 Toulouse
1946 Pau
1945 Agen
1944 Perpignan
1943 Bayonne
1939 Biarritz
1938 Perpignan
1937 Vienne
1936 Narbonne
1935 Biarritz
1934 Bayonne
1933 Lyon OU
1932 Lyon OU
1931 Toulon
1930 Agen
1929 Quillan
1928 Pau
1927 Toulouse
1926 Toulouse
1925 Perpignan
1924 Toulouse | 1923 Toulouse
1922 Toulouse
1921 Perpignan US
1920 Tarbes
1914 Perpignan AS
1913 Bayonne
1912 Toulouse
1911 SBUC
1910 Lyon FC
1909 SBUC
1908 Stade Français
1907 SBUC
1906 SBUC
1905 SBUC
1904 SBUC
1903 Stade Français
1902 Racing CF
1901 Stade Français
1900 Racing CF
1899 SBUC
1898 Stade Français
1897 Stade Français
1896 Olympique
1895 Stade Français
1894 Stade Français
1893 Stade Français
1892 Racing CF |
Between 1915 and 1919, due to World War I the "Coupe de l'Espérance" was played instead.
| Stade Toulousain | 16 |
| Stade Français | 12 |
| AS Béziers | 11 |
| SU Agen | 8 |
| FC Lourdes | 8 |
| Stade Bordelais UC | 7 |
| USA Perpignan | 6 |
| Racing Club de France | 5 |
| Biarritz Olympique | 4 |
| RC Toulon | 3 |
| Aviron Bayonnais | 3 |
| Castres Olympique | 3 |
| Section Paloise | 3 |
*
Heineken Cup*
European Challenge Cup*
France national rugby union team*
Official site*
French league results (in English)
