Elite 1 (rugby league)

Last updated

Elite 1
ELITE1.jpg
Founded2002;22 years ago (2002)
CountryFlag of France.svg  France
Number of teams 9
Level on pyramid1
Relegation to Elite 2
Domestic cup(s) Lord Derby Cup
Current champions LimouxRLcolours.PNG XIII de Limouxin (2022-2023)
Most championships CarcassonneRLcolours.PNG AS Carcassonne (12)
TV partners viàOccitanie, Sport en France
Website site
Current: Elite One Championship 2023–2024

Elite 1 is the top level rugby league competition in France, sanctioned by the French Rugby League Federation. The season runs from September to April, which is in contrast to the majority of other major domestic rugby league competitions worldwide. The clubs play each other home and away then they enter into a play-off series culminating with a Grand Final. The competition is the continuation and first division of the French Rugby League Championship, which has been in existence since 1934. [1]

Contents

The league is generally regarded as the third most important domestic championship in the world, behind Australia's National Rugby League and the United Kingdom's Super League, and ahead of the NZRL National Competition, PNGNRL, Balkan Super League and Rhino Cup.[ citation needed ]

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 2022–23 season

France location map-Regions and departements-2016.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Pia
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Red pog.svg
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class=notpageimage|
Teams currently Participating in the Elite One
Elite 1
TeamStadiumLocation
AlbiRLcolours.svg Albi Tigers Stade Mazicou Albi, Tarn
Soavignoncolours.png SO Avignon Parc des Sports (Avignon) Avignon, Vaucluse
CarcassonneRLcolours.PNG AS Carcassonne Stade Albert Domec Carcassonne, Aude
LezignanRLcolours.PNG FC Lézignan Stade du Moulin Lézignan-Corbières, Aude
LimouxRLcolours.PNG Limoux Grizzlies Stade de l'Aiguille Limoux, Aude
PiaRLcolours.PNG Baroudeurs de Pia XIII Stade Daniel-Ambert Pia, Pyrénées-Orientales
UtcRLcolours.PNG Saint-Estève Catalan Stade Municipal Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales
GaudensRLcolours.PNG Saint-Gaudens Bears Stade Jules Ribet Saint-Gaudens, Haute-Garonne
ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse Olympique Broncos Stade des Minimes Toulouse, Haute-Garonne
VilleneuveRLcolours.PNG Villeneuve Leopards Stade Max Rousie Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Lot-et-Garonne

Results

YearWinnersScoreRunners-upVenueAttendance
2002–03 VilleneuveRLcolours.PNG Villeneuve Leopards 31 – 18 GaudensRLcolours.PNG Saint-Gaudens Bears Parc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne8,000
2003–04 GaudensRLcolours.PNG Saint-Gaudens Bears 14 – 10 UtcRLcolours.PNG Union Treiziste Catalane Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan7,500
2004–05 UtcRLcolours.PNG Union Treiziste Catalane 66 – 16 ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse Olympique XIII Parc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne5,000
2005–06 PiaRLcolours.PNG Baroudeurs de Pia XIII 21 – 18 ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse Olympique XIII Stade des Minimes, Toulouse5,462
2006–07 PiaRLcolours.PNG Baroudeurs de Pia XIII 20 – 16 LezignanRLcolours.PNG FC Lézignan Stade Michel-Bendichou, Colomiers7,882
2007–08 LezignanRLcolours.PNG FC Lézignan 26 – 16 PiaRLcolours.PNG Baroudeurs de Pia XIII Stade de la Mediterranee, Béziers9,550
2008–09 LezignanRLcolours.PNG FC Lézignan 40 – 32 LimouxRLcolours.PNG Limoux Grizzlies Stade Albert Domec, Carcassonne11,263
2009–10 LezignanRLcolours.PNG FC Lézignan 32 – 22 PiaRLcolours.PNG Baroudeurs de Pia XIII Altrad Stadium, Montpellier6,612
2010–11 LezignanRLcolours.PNG FC Lézignan 17 – 12 LimouxRLcolours.PNG Limoux Grizzlies Parc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne11,874
2011–12 CarcassonneRLcolours.PNG AS Carcassonne 26 – 20 PiaRLcolours.PNG Baroudeurs de Pia XIII 8,980
2012–13 PiaRLcolours.PNG Baroudeurs de Pia XIII 33 – 26 UtcRLcolours.PNG Saint-Estève Catalan Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan6,732
2013–14 ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse Olympique XIII 38 – 12 LezignanRLcolours.PNG FC Lézignan 7,245
2014–15 ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse Olympique XIII 20 – 12 CarcassonneRLcolours.PNG AS Carcassonne Stade Michel-Bendichou, Colomiers5,800
2015–16 LimouxRLcolours.PNG Limoux Grizzlies 26 – 24 CarcassonneRLcolours.PNG AS Carcassonne Stadium municipal d'Albi, Albi5,420
2016–17 LimouxRLcolours.PNG Limoux Grizzlies 24 – 22 LezignanRLcolours.PNG FC Lézignan Parc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne8,270
2017–18 Soavignoncolours.png Sporting Olympique Avignon 30 – 28 LimouxRLcolours.PNG Limoux Grizzlies Stadium municipal d’Albi, Albi5,000
2018–19 UtcRLcolours.PNG Saint-Estève Catalan 32 – 24 CarcassonneRLcolours.PNG AS Carcassonne 1,500
2019–20 Competition abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France [2]
2020–21 LezignanRLcolours.PNG FC Lézignan 16 – 12 CarcassonneRLcolours.PNG AS Carcassonne Stade Ernest-Wallon, Toulouse3,200
2021–22 CarcassonneRLcolours.PNG AS Carcassonne 20 – 16 LimouxRLcolours.PNG Limoux Grizzlies Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne8,231
2022–23 LimouxRLcolours.PNG Limoux Grizzlies 34 – 24 CarcassonneRLcolours.PNG AS Carcassonne Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne8,221

Source: [1]

Winners

#ClubNo.Year(s)
1 Lézignan Sangliers 42007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2020–21
2 Pia XIII 32005–06, 2006–07, 2012–13
3 Villeneuve Leopards 22002, 2002–03
Toulouse Olympique 2013–14, 2014–15
AS Carcassonne 2011–12, 2021-22
Limoux Grizzlies 2015–16, 2016–17
6 SO Avignon 12017–18
Saint-Gaudens Bears 2003–04
Union Treiziste Catalane 2004–05
Saint-Esteve XIII Catalan 2018–19

Media coverage

Television

Unlike, for instance, the BBC, France Television didn't offer any program to the French public about Rugby League.

Sport en France cover the Championship across their television platforms nationwide. [3] Coverage includes the match of the week and one match from each week of the playoffs including the Grand Final.

From 2020, some Elite 1 games are televised by a local channel ViàOccitanie; this is a free-to-air channel in the South of France but they are also available on the internet and via the triple play internet devices. Therefore, they offer, indirectly, free nationwide coverage of the domestic championship. [4]

Presently, French clubs have to fund the broadcast of their own games or to televise their own matches themselves via the social networks or YouTube.

Radio

Radio Marseillette, a local Southern radio, has rugby league debate and news every Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00. They also have commentary on some Elite League games.

Press

The French national mainstream media barely follow the game. Very occasionally, some articles about the sport are published in newspapers such as Le Monde, Le Figaro or the national Sport newspaper L'Équipe.

Nevertheless, there is undoubtedly a French specificity: the Weekly Rugby Union magazine Midi Olympique has a one-page section devoted to Rugby League. However, only two local newspapers genuinely cover the game; L'Indépendant ( based in the South of France) and la Dépêche du Midi (based in the South west of the country).

The British Rugby League press cover this championship; for example magazines like Rugby Leaguer & League Express offer a weekly report of the games. In Australia, the monthly publication Rugby League Review offer a few columns about the games as well.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Championnat Elite 1". Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII (in French). Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  2. ↑ "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.
  3. ↑ "Elite 1 - Finale hommes". Sport en France (in French). Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "Rugby à XIII". viaoccitanie.tv. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
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