The Rugby Football League Championship, is the second highest division of rugby league in Britain after the Super League.
Toulouse Olympique or TO XIII is a professional rugby league club in Toulouse, south-west France. Founded in 1937, two years after the French Rugby League Federation, the club is a six-time winner of the French Rugby League Championship.
Rugby league has been played in France since 1934. As with rugby union, rugby league was introduced by the English and the heartland of the game is in the south of France.
Wheelchair rugby league is a wheelchair-based version of rugby league football, one of two recognised disability versions of the sport. It was developed by French rugby league player, coach, and official, Wally Salvan in 2004. Unlike other wheelchair sports, people without disabilities are allowed to compete in top-level competition. The sport is also unique in the fact that men and women of any age can play against each other in top-level competition.
Paris Rugby League, doing business as Paris Saint-Germain Rugby League or PSG Rugby League, was a French professional rugby league football team that operated between 1995 and 1997, as a member of the Super League, Europe's highest tier.
The British rugby league system is based on a five-tier structure administered by the Rugby Football League.
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.
Elite 2 is the second tier semi-professional rugby league competition in France below Elite 1, but above the National Division 1. The season runs from September to April. The clubs play each other home and away before entering into a series of play-off matches resulting in a Grand Final. The winners can gain promotion to Elite 1 providing they meet a minimum criteria. Occasionally the runners-up could be offered promotion.
The Rugby Football League One is the third-highest division of rugby league in Britain. It is also the lowest level of professional rugby league in Britain.
The Super League is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of which ten are from Northern England, reflecting the sport's geographic heartland within the UK, one from London and one from southern France.
Antoni Maria is a French rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for FC Lezignan in the Elite One Championship and France at international level.
Tony Gigot is a French professional rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback, stand-off, centre or scrum-half for France at international level and Albi XIII in the Elite One Championship and France at international level.
The 2011 Rugby Football League Championship is known as Co-operative Championship due to sponsorship by The Co-operative Group.
Gregory White is a dual rugby union and rugby league utility with French, English and Australian nationalities. He was named in the French Rugby League squad to play England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in October 2011.
Éloi Pélissier is a French professional rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Championship and France at international level.
The 2012 Rugby Football League Championship, also known as Co-operative Championship due to sponsorship by The Co-operative Group, was a semi-professional rugby league football competition played in the UK, one tier below the first tier Super League. The two worst performing teams during the season usually are relegated to Championship 1, however for the 2012 season, no relegation took place, due to the expansion of the Championship to 14 teams in 2013. The winners of the division is decided by a play-off system involving the top 6 teams at the end of the regular season with two teams eventually progressing to the Grand Final. The final was won by Sheffield Eagles, who beat Featherstone Rovers 20–16 at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Lucas Albert is a French rugby league footballer who plays as a scrum-half or stand-off for AS Carcassonne in the Elite One Championship and France at international level.
Since the formation of Super League in 1996, the Rugby Football League (RFL) has continually expanded the top three divisions of rugby league in Britain with an aim to expand the competitions outside the traditional heartlands.
Season 2011/12 in the French Elite One Championship, the top level rugby league competition in France saw 10 teams play home and away matches before the top six progressed to the play-offs. The season ran from September to May. There were two new clubs, Toulouse Olympique returned to the competition after they had participated in the British rugby league second tier Championship and RC Lescure-Arthes XIII who had won promotion from the French second tier Elite Two Championship. Pia XIII finished top after the regular season and went on to reach the grand final, but they were beaten by AS Carcassonne in that final at Narbonne 26-20. The same two teams had already met in the Lord Derby Cup final with AS Carcassonne enjoying a league and cup double after winning 14-12. At the other end of the table Montpellier Red Devils opted for relegation thus saving new boys RC Lescure-Arthes XIII who had finished bottom.
Mathieu Jussaume is a professional rugby league player with Toulouse Olympique in Super League. He plays centre and is a product of the Toulouse academy system.
