Elite 1 (rugby 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, 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, PNGNRL, Balkan Super League and Rhino Cup.[1]

Main article: French Rugby League Championship

Elite 1
Founded2002 (2002)
Country France
Number of teams9
Level on pyramid1
Promotion to[lower-alpha 1]
Relegation toElite 2
Domestic cup(s)Lord Derby Cup
Current champions XIII de Limouxin (2022-2023)
Most championships AS Carcassonne (12)
TV partnersviàOccitanie, Sport en France
Websitesite
Current: Elite One Championship 2022–2023

History
Main article: French Rugby League Championship

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
Teams currently Participating in the Elite One
Elite 1
Team Stadium Location
Albi Tigers Stade Mazicou Albi, Tarn
SO Avignon Parc des Sports (Avignon) Avignon, Vaucluse
AS Carcassonne Stade Albert Domec Carcassonne, Aude
FC Lézignan Stade du Moulin Lézignan-Corbières, Aude
Limoux Grizzlies Stade de l'Aiguille Limoux, Aude
Baroudeurs de Pia XIII Stade Daniel-Ambert Pia, Pyrénées-Orientales
Saint-Estève Catalan Stade Municipal Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales
Saint-Gaudens Bears Stade Jules Ribet Saint-Gaudens, Haute-Garonne
Toulouse Olympique Broncos Stade des Minimes Toulouse, Haute-Garonne
Villeneuve Leopards Stade Max Rousie Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Lot-et-Garonne

Results
For previous winners, see French Rugby League Championship.
Year Winners Score Runners-up Venue Attendance
2002–03 Villeneuve Leopards 31 – 18 Saint-Gaudens BearsParc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne8,000
2003–04 Saint-Gaudens Bears 14 – 10 Union Treiziste CatalaneStade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan7,500
2004–05 Union Treiziste Catalane 66 – 16 Toulouse Olympique XIIIParc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne5,000
2005–06 Baroudeurs de Pia XIII21 – 18 Toulouse Olympique XIIIStade des Minimes, Toulouse5,462
2006–07 Baroudeurs de Pia XIII20 – 16 FC LézignanStade Michel-Bendichou, Colomiers7,882
2007–08 FC Lézignan 26 – 16 Baroudeurs de Pia XIIIStade de la Mediterranee, Béziers9,550
2008–09 FC Lézignan 40 – 32 Limoux GrizzliesStade Albert Domec, Carcassonne11,263
2009–10 FC Lézignan 32 – 22 Baroudeurs de Pia XIIIAltrad Stadium, Montpellier6,612
2010–11 FC Lézignan 17 – 12 Limoux GrizzliesParc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne11,874
2011–12 AS Carcassonne 26 – 20 Baroudeurs de Pia XIII8,980
2012–13 Baroudeurs de Pia XIII 33 – 26 Saint-Estève CatalanStade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan6,732
2013–14 Toulouse Olympique XIII 38 – 12 FC Lézignan7,245
2014–15 Toulouse Olympique XIII 20 – 12 AS Carcassonne Stade Michel-Bendichou, Colomiers5,800
2015–16 Limoux Grizzlies 26 – 24 AS Carcassonne Stadium municipal d'Albi, Albi5,420
2016–17 Limoux Grizzlies 24 – 22 FC LézignanParc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne8,270
2017–18 Sporting Olympique Avignon 30 – 28 Limoux GrizzliesStadium municipal d’Albi, Albi5,000
2018–19 Saint-Estève Catalan 32 – 24 AS Carcassonne 1,500
2019–20 Competition abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France[2]
2020–21 FC Lézignan 16 – 12 AS Carcassonne Stade Ernest-Wallon, Toulouse 3,200
2021–22 AS Carcassonne 20 – 16 Limoux Grizzlies Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 8,231
2022–23 Limoux Grizzlies 34 – 24 AS Carcassonne Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 8,221

Source: [1]

Winners
#ClubNo.Year(s)
1Lézignan Sangliers42007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2020–21
2Pia XIII32005–06, 2006–07, 2012–13
3Villeneuve Leopards22002, 2002–03
Toulouse Olympique2013–14, 2014–15
AS Carcassonne2011–12, 2021-22
Limoux Grizzlies2015–16, 2016–17
6SO Avignon12017–18
Saint-Gaudens Bears2003–04
Union Treiziste Catalane2004–05
Saint-Esteve XIII Catalan2018–19

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

Notes
  1. Elite 1 is the highest level of the French rugby league system, however teams can apply to the RFL to play in RFL League 1, tier three of the British rugby league system (providing they meet certain criteria) as this offers direct pathway to tiers one and two of that system, generally considered as a higher standard of rugby.

References
  1. "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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