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.
Éric Anselme is a French former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, former head coach of RC Albi XIII in the Elite One Championship and current head coach of the U19 National French Team. He played at club level for Toulouse Olympique and Leeds Rhinos Heritage number 1373. He has previously played for St Gaudens and Racing Club Albi XIII in the French Rugby League Championship competition.
Andrew "Andy" Bentley is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker, second-row or loose forward for Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Championship.
The 2007/08 season was the fifth year of the Elite One Championship, the top level rugby league competition in France. The season commenced on 6 October 2007 and like the previous season, there were 11 teams with one team missing a round each week. A total of 22 rounds were played, with the last finishing on 12 April 2008 before the play-offs, that determined who played in the Grand Final. RC Albi were the league's new club having been promoted from the Elite Two Championship. Pia XIII were the defending champions having beaten Lézignan Sangliers in the 2006/2007 season Grand Final. The top 8 clubs qualified for the end of season play-offs. In the first week of the Play-Offs, Saint-Gaudens Bears and UTC both easily beat Toulouse Olympique and RC Albi respectively. However both teams were then beaten, Saint-Gaudens Bears by third placed AS Carcassonne, and UTC by Limoux Grizzlies in Week 2. Pia XIII beat AS Carcassonne in the first semi-final and a day later Lézignan Sangliers, the league leaders, squeezed past Limoux Grizzlies. In the Grand Final held at the Stade de la Mediterranee in Béziers, Lézignan Sangliers did what they had failed to do the previous season and beat Pia XIII 26-16, and thus winning the title for the first time. Despite finishing 8th and reaching the Lord Derby cup final RC Albi were relegated and Toulouse Olympique left the league and joined the English Rugby League system. SO Avignon were promoted from the 2nd tier. The Lord Derby Cup was won by Limoux Grizzlies.
The 2006/07 season was the fourth year of the Elite One Championship, the top-level rugby league French Championship. The season commenced on 6 October 2006. Like the previous season, there were 11 teams with one team missing a round each week. A total of 22 rounds were played, with the last finishing on 18 April 2007, before the top four Pia XIII, Toulouse Olympique, Lézignan Sangliers and Saint-Gaudens Bears progressed to the Play-Offs. Pia XIII beat Lézignan Sangliers in the Grand Final 20-16 which was played at Colomiers. That win completed a double for Pia XIII as they had already lifted the Lord Derby Cup beating AS Carcassonne 30-14. Lyon Villeurbanne XIII finished bottom, finishing with 23 points but it was Villefranche XIII Aveyron who'd finished 9th who were relegated to the Elite Two Championship, replaced by RC Albi.
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, and is generally regarded as the third most important domestic championship in the world, behind Australia's National Rugby League and the transnational European Super League, and ahead of the NZRL National Competition, Balkan Super League, Rhino Cup and USA Rugby League.
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.
Gregory White is a dual rugby union and rugby league utility, with French, English and Australian nationality. 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.
John Boudebza is a French professional rugby league footballer who plays for Palau Broncos and previously Lézignan Sangliers in the Elite One Championship, London Broncos in the Kingstone Press Championship and Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League and at international level for France. His position is hooker.
Lucas Albert is a French rugby league footballer who plays as a scrum-half or stand-off for Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Super League and France at international level.
In 2016–2017 ten clubs competed for the title. The season ran from October 2016 to June 2017. The first round of matches took place at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan where the ten clubs played over the weekend called "Magic Weekend 1" this was followed by 18 rounds home and away matches before a second Magic Weekend as the last round of games. The top six clubs then progressed into the end of season play-offs to determine the champions. The league saw the return of Saint-Gaudens Bears following their promotion.
The 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup involved players from the national rugby league football teams of five countries: Australia, France, Great Britain, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. As the World Cup was played over four years during normal international tours, these groups of players never assembled in one place as an entire squad.
Lambert Belmas is a French professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for Toulouse Olympique in the Super League and France at international level.
Arthur Romano is a French professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger or centre for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League and France at international level.
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.
Charles Bouzinac is a French international rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for Lézignan Sangliers in the Elite One Championship. He has previously played for Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Championship.
Bastien Ader is a French rugby league footballer who plays as a centre or on the wing for Limoux Grizzlies in Elite 1. He previously spent 10 years with Toulouse Olympique in both Elite 1 and the RFL Championship and began his career at Saint Gaudens XIII.
The 2021–22 Elite One Championship will be the 87th season of France's domestic rugby league competition and the 21st season known as the Elite One championship. There will be nine teams in the league. Each team will play 16 matches in the regular season. The top six teams will progress to a three-week final series played throughout May 2022.
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.
