Villeneuve-d'Ascq is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. With more than 60,000 inhabitants and 50,000 students, it is one of the main cities of the Métropole Européenne de Lille and the largest in area (27.46 km2) after Lille. It is also one of the main cities of the Hauts-de-France region.
The Coupe de France Lord Derby, or just Coupe Lord Derby, is the premier knockout competition for the sport of rugby league football in France, as well as the name of its championship trophy. The tournament was first contested in 1934–35, which also marked the inaugural season of the French Rugby League Championship.
Saint-Estève XIII Mavericks are a French Rugby league side based in Saint-Estève near Perpignan in the département of Pyrénées-Orientales. Originally known as AS Saint-Estève until 2000, the club was founded in 1965. They compete in the National Division 2 Languedoc-Roussillon league. Home games are played at the Stade Municipal.
Villeneuve XIII originally called Sports Athletic Villeneuvois XIII are a semi-professional rugby league team based in Villeneuve-sur-Lot in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France. Formed in 1934, the first French rugby league club, they currently play in the Super XIII the highest level of rugby league in France. They have won both the league title and the cup on nine occasions. Their home stadium is the Stade Max Rousie.
Association Sportive of Carcassonne are a semi-professional rugby league football club based in Carcassonne in the region of Occitanie in the south of France. They play in the French Super XIII and are one of the most successful clubs in French rugby league, having won a total of twelve French rugby league championship titles and seventeen Lord Derby Cups.
RC Carpentras XIII are a semi-professional rugby league club based in the city of Carpentras, Vaucluse in the south of France. Formed in 1938, they play in the Elite Two Championship in France, which is the 2nd tier. Their home ground is the Stade de la Roseraire.
Lyon Villeurbanne XIII are a semi-professional rugby league club from the town of Lyon, Rhône-Alpes in France. Formed in 1934 they are one of the oldest clubs in France. During the 1950s they won both the league and cup. They currently play in the Elite Two Championship which is the second tier. Their home stadium is the Stade Georges Lyvet and their player-coach for 2018-19 season is Sebastien Aguerra.
Wasquehal Football is a French football club based in Wasquehal.
Stade Albert Domec is a multi-use municipal stadium in Carcassonne, France. It has a capacity of 10,000 spectators. It is the home ground of Pro D2 rugby union club Union Sportive Carcassonnaise and Elite One Championship rugby league club Association Sportive de Carcassonne XIII. It is also used by the association football club Football Agglomération Carcassonne for their big matches. Built in 1899, it is one of the oldest stadiums in France, and was renovated in 2002, and again in 2012 when US Carcassonne entered the Pro D2. The stadium is named after the French rugby union player Albert Domec, who died 20 September 1948, and who represented France in 1939. The stadium is also equipped for athletics and has an eight lane 400m track.
Super XIII 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 was founded in 2002, as the Elite One Championship and renamed as Super XIII at the start of the 2024–2025 season. The competition is the continuation of the French Rugby League Championship, which began in 1934.
Racing Club Albi XIII originally called Racing Club Albigeois XIII and more recently also known as Albi Tigers are a semi-professional rugby league team based in Albi in the Occitanie region in southern France. Formed in 1934 the club compete in the Super XIII the highest level of competition in France. They have won the French title on five occasions and the Lord Derby Cup once. Their current home stadium is Stade Mazicou.
Max Rousié was a French rugby league and rugby union footballer who rose to prominence in the 1930s. He was a dual-code international, eventually becoming captain of the French rugby league team.
Toulouse Olympique Broncos are a semi-professional rugby league team based in Toulouse in the south-west of France. Formerly called Toulouse Jules-Julien Broncos XIII, the club changed its name at the end of the 2011-12 season after being taken over by Toulouse Olympique. Formed in 1980, they currently play in the Super XIII
Entente Sportive Montgeron XIII are a French Rugby league club based in Montgeron, Essonne in the Île-de-France region. Founded in 1972. The club plays in the Île-de-France regional league of the French National Division 2.
Paris-Charenton Mennecy XIII are a French rugby league club based in Paris in the Île-de-France region. The club plays in the 3rd tier National Division 1. There BC climb wear founded in 1934 then re-founded in 1946, and plays its home games at the Stade Jean-Jacques Robert
Carlos Zalduendo is a French former rugby league footballer and the chairman of the Toulouse Olympique club.
Jean Pierre Clar, also known by the nicknames of "Jap", "Nam", "Le chinois" and "Tronche d'obus", is a French former professional rugby league and amateur rugby union footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He played representative level rugby league (RL) for France in the 1968 Rugby League World Cup and 1970 Rugby League World Cup, and at club level for US Villeneuve XIII, as a hooker or loose forward, i.e. number 9 or 13, during the era of contested scrums, and he played club level rugby union (RU) for SU Agen, as a flanker, i.e. number 6 or 7.
André Marius Lacoste, known as Jep Lacoste was a French rugby league coach.
Joël Roosebrouck, is a French rugby league player who played as lock forward.
Raymond Gruppi, is a French former rugby league player who played as centre and wing and later was a coach.
