Top of the tough
The French Championship is one of the oldest and one of the toughest in world rugby. Only South Africa amongst major rugby countries has competitions older and still in existence.
Western Province established its Grand Challenge in 1883. Griqualand West followed in 1886. Then cam Eastern Province (1888), Transvaal (now Golden Lions) (1889), Natal (1890), and Border (1892).
South Africa established a national competition in 1889. In 1892 it acquired an additional trophy - the Currie Cup, which has been the Holy Grail of South African rugby ever since.
The oldest competition in the Four Home Unions is the Border League, founded in 1902. New Zealanders started playing for the Ranfurly Shield in 1901 but it was an entirely different form of competition – a challenge affair. The New Zealand Provincial Championship started only in 1976. In Ireland the Provincial Championship dates back to 1946.
France's championship dates back to 1892.
In South Africa competitions have been run in various ways - sometimes as leagues, sometimes as knock-outs, sometimes as a combination of both. Right from the start France has produced a final and has done so out of league standings. But it, too, has made changes. The most recent change is for the 2005-06 season when the number of teams has been reduced from 16 to 14.
The first winners were the glamorous Racing Club de France, now Métro Racing and playing in the second division of professional rugby in France - Pro D2. Some of the clubs which did well in the embryo championship died young.
The referee for that first final was Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games.
In the professional era Toulouse, Stade Français and Biarritz have dominated the French championship.
Overall Toulouse have won most often:
Winners and where the are. Those still in the Top 14 have nothing in barckets behind their names.
16: Toulouse
12: Stade Francis
11: Béziers (Pro D2)
8: Agen, Lourdes (F1)
7: Stade Bordelais (Pro D2)
6: Perpignan
5: Racing Club de France (Pro D2)
4: Biarritz
3: Bayonne, Bourgoin, Castres, Pau, Lyon (Pro D2), Toulon (Pro D2)
2: Narbonne, Tarbes (Pro D2), Bordeaux-Bègles (F1)
1: Brive, Grenoble (F1), Mont-de-Marsan (Pro D2), Montauban (Pro D2), Carmaux (F2), Vienne (F2), La Voulte Sportif (N2), Quillan (F2)
The results of the Finals of the French Champions have been:
1892: Racing Club de France vs Stade Français, 4-3
1893: Stade Français vs Racing Club de France, 7-3
1894: Stade Français vs Inter-Nos, 18-0
1895: Stade Français vs Olympique, 16-0
1896: Olympique vs Stade Français, 12-0
1899: Stade Bordelais (Université Club) vs Stade Français, 5-3
1900: Racing Club de France vs Stade Bordelais, 37-3
1901: Stade Bordelais vs Stade Français, 3-0
1902: Racing Club de France vs Stade Bordelais, 6-0
1903: Stade Français vs Toulouse, 16-8
1904: Stade Bordelais vs Stade Français, 3-0
1905: Stade Bordelais vs Stade Français, 12-3
1906: Stade Bordelais vs Stade Français, 9-0
1907: Stade Bordelais vs Stade Français, 14-3
1908: Stade Français vs Stade Bordelais, 16-3
1909: Stade Bordelais vs Toulouse, 17-0
1910: Lyon vs Stade Bordelais, 13-8
1911: Stade Bordelais vs Sporting Club Universitaire de France, 14-0
1912: Toulouse vs Racing Club de France, 8-6
1913: Bayonne vs SCUF, 31-8
1914: Perpignan vs Tarbes, 8-7
1920: Tarbes vs Racing Club de France 8-3
1921: Perpignan vs Toulouse, 5-0
1922: Toulouse vs Bayonne, 6-0
1923: Toulouse vs Bayonne, 3-0
1924: Toulouse vs Perpignan, 3-0
1925: Perpignan vs Carcassonne, 0-0 after extra time. The match was replayed.
Perpignan vs Carcassonne, 5-0
1926: Toulouse vs Perpignan, 11-0
1927: Toulouse vs Stade Français, 19-9
1928: Pau vs Quillan, 6-4
1929: Quillan vs Lezignanais, 11-8
1930: Agen vs Quillan, 4-0
1931: Toulouse vs Lyon, 6-3
1932: Lyon vs Narbonne, 9-3
1933: Lyon vs Narbonne, 10-3
1934: Bayonne vs Biarritz, 13-8
1935: Biarritz vs Perpignan, 3-0
1936: Narbonne vs Montferrand, 6-3
1937: Vienne vs Montferrand, 13-7
1938: Perpignan vs Biarritz, 11-6
1939: Biarritz vs Perpignan, 6-0
1943: Bayonne vs Agen, 3-0
1944: Perpignan vs Bayonne, 20-5
1945: Agen vs Lourdes, 7-3
1946: Pau vs Lourdes, 11-0
1947: Toulouse vs Agen, 10-3
1948: Lourdes vs Toulouse, 11-3
1949: Castres vs Mont-de-Marsan, 3-3 after extra time. The match was replayed.
Castres vs Mont-de-Marsan, 14-3
1950: Castres vs Racing Club de France, 11-8
1951: Carmaux vs Tarbes, 14-12
1952: Lourdes vs Perpignan, 20-11
1953: Lourdes vs Mont-de-Marsan, 21-16
1954: Grenoble vs Cognac, 5-3
1955: Perpignan vs Lourdes, 11-6
1956: Lourdes vs Dax, 20-0
1957: Lourdes vs Racing Club de France, 16-13
1958: Lourdes vs Mazametain, 25-8
1959: Racing Club de France vs Mont-de-Marsan, 8-3
1960: Lourdes vs Béziers, 14-11
1961: Béziers vs Dax, 6-3
1962: Agen vs Béziers, 14-11
1963: Mont-de-Marsan vs Dax, 9-6
1964: Pau vs Béziers, 14-0
1965: Agen vs Brive, 15-8
1966: Agen vs Dax, 9-8
1967: Montauban vs Bègles, 11-3
1968: Lourdes vs Toulon, 9-9 after extra time. Lourdes declared winners, scoring two tries to nil.
1969: Bègles vs Toulon, 11-9
1970: La Voulte Sportif vs Montferrand, 3-0
1971: Béziers, vs Toulon, 15-9
1972: Béziers vs Brive, 9-0
1973: Tarbes vs Dax, 18-12
1974: Béziers vs Narbonne, 16-14
1975: Béziers vs Brive, 13-12
1976: Agen vs Béziers, 13-10
1977: Béziers vs Perpignan, 12-4
1978: Béziers vs Montferrand, 31-9
1979: Narbonne vs Stade Bagnerais, 10-0
1980: Béziers vs Toulouse, 10-6
1981: Béziers vs Stade Bagnerais, 22-13
1982: Agen vs Bayonne, 18-9
1983: Béziers vs Nice, 14-6
1984: Béziers vs Agen, 21-21 after extra time. Béziers won by scoring three tries to one.
1985: Toulouse vs Toulon, 36-22 after extra time
1986: Toulouse vs Agen, 16-6
1987: Toulon vs Racing Club de France, 15-12
1988: Agen vs Tarbes, 9-3
1989: Toulouse vs Toulon, 18-12
1990: Racing Club de France vs Agen, 22-12
1991: Bordeaux-Bordeaux vs Toulouse, 19-10
1992: Toulon vs Biarritz, 19-14
1993: Castres vs Grenoble, 14-11
1994: Toulouse vs Montferrand, 22-16
1995: Toulouse vs Castres, 31-16
1996: Toulouse vs Brive, 20-13
1997: Toulouse vs Bourgoin, 12-6
1998: Stade Français vs Perpignan, 34-7
1999: Toulouse vs Montferrand, 15-11
2000: Stade Français vs Colomiers, 28-23
2001: Toulouse vs Montferrand, 34-22
2002: Biarritz vs Agen, 29-26 after extra time.
2003: Stade Français vs Toulouse, 32-18
2004: Stade Français vs Perpignan, 38-20
2005: Biarritz vs Stade Français, 37-34 after extra time