# 1951–52 French Rugby Union Championship

The 1951–52 French Rugby Union Championship was contested by 64 teams divided in 8 pools. Thirty-two teams were qualified to play a second phase with eight pools of four clubs. The best two from each pool were qualified to play the "last 16".
The Championship was won by Lourdes beating l'Perpignan in the final.

## Context

In 1952, France, was threatened with exclusion from the Five Nation Championship responsible by the British of "professionalism".
To avoid this sanction, the French Federation promised to abolish the championship and created a list of players accused of professionalism including Jean Dauger, Robert Soro and Maurice Siman.
The exclusion was avoided but the championship is maintained cause the pressure of the clubs.
FFR in any case decided to reduce the number of matches played during the season, cancelling the Coupe de France.
For the first (and last) time, the club excluded from the qualification round, played a consolation tournament called Coupe Cyril-Rutherford in memory of a French rugby pioneer.
The 1952 Five Nations Championship was won by Wales, France finished fourth.
France won the first edition of European Cup', beating Italy in the final.
Le Challenge Yves du Manoir was won by Pau.

## Second qualification round

The teams qualifying for the "last 16" phase are in bold
| Pool A Mont-de-Marsan Bayonne Bègles Dax | Pool B Lourdes Castres Soustons Montauban | Pool C Perpignan Montferrand Grenoble Roanne |
| Pool D Toulouse Biarritz Graulhet Pau | Pool E Narbonne Albi Béziers Le Creusot | Pool F Cognac Paris Université Club Agen Stadoceste |
| Pool G Périgueux Mazamet Niort La Rochelle | Pool H Vichy Romans Vienne Touloun | |

## Last 16

The teams qualifying for the quarterfinals are in bold.
| Lourdes | - | Paris Université Club | 11 - 3 |
| Vuchy | - | Béziers | 14 - 14 |
| Mont-de-Marsan | - | Toulouse | 5 - 0 |
| Castres | - | Narbonne | 3 - 0 |
| Perpignan | - | Begles | 12 - 5 |
| Périgueux | - | Montferrand | 3 - 0 |
| Agen | - | Toulon | 9 - 3 |
| Pau | - | Mazamet | 11 - 3 |

## Quarterfinals

The teams qualifying for the semifinals are in bold.
| Lourde | - | Vichy | 12 - 9 |
| Mont-de-Marsan | - | Castres | 12 - 8 |
| Perpignan | - | Périgueux | 5 - 0 |
| Agen | - | Pau | 8 - 0 |

## Semifinals

| Lourdes | - | Mont-de-Marsan | 10 - 0 |
| Perpignan | - | Agen | 11 - 8 |

## Final

| Teams | Lourdes - Perpignan |
| Score | 20-11 |
| Date | 4 May 1952 |
| Venue | Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |
| Referee | Roger Taddeï |
| Line-up | |
| Lourdes | Eugène Buzy, Raoul Saurat, Daniel Saint-Pastous, Louis Guinle, Edouard Salsé, Jean Prat, Jean-Roger Bourdeu, Thomas Manterola, François Labazuy, Antoine Labazuy, Jacques Crabe, Maurice Prat, Roger Martine, Jean Estrade, Henri Claverie |
| Perpignan | José Guasch, Joseph Conill, René Parisé, Gérard Roucariès, André Sanac, François Grau, René Cazeilles, Elie Delonca, Sylvain Menichelli, Roger Furcade, Gaston Rous, Joseph Galy, Jacques Bergue, Serge Torreilles, Noël Brazès |
| Scorers | |
| Lourdes | 5 tries T.Manterola, F.Labazuy, J.Crabe, M.Prat and J.Estrade, 1 conversion and 1 penalty J.Prat |
| Perpignan | 2 tries F.Grau and J.Galy, 1 conversion and 1 penalty J.Guasch |