# Elite One Championship 2022–2023

The 2022–23 Elite One Championship was the 88th season of France's domestic rugby league competition and the 22nd season known as the Elite 1 championship. The competition expanded back to ten teams following the promotion of Baroudeurs de Pia XIII (also known as the Pia Donkeys) from Elite 2 after winning the title in 2021–22.
Each team played 18 matches in the regular season. The top six teams progressed to a three-week final series played during April and May 2023.

## Teams

| Team | Stadium | Location |
| Albi RL | Stadium 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 |
| Pia Donkeys | 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 |

## Regular season

The regular season started on 2 October 2022 and ended on 14 April 2023. Each team was scheduled to play every other team twice, once at home and the other away making 18 games for each team and a total of 90 games.

### Table and results

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | BP | Pts | Qualification | CAR | LIM | LEZ | ALB | PIA | STG | AVI | STE | TOU | VIL |
| 1 | Carcassonne | 18 | 15 | 3 | 557 | 279 | +278 | 2 | 47 | Semi-finals | — | 42–18 | 18–10 | 20–12 | 46–23 | 38–14 | 32–8 | 46–16 | 30–24 | 56–8 |
| 2 | Limoux | 18 | 14 | 4 | 629 | 282 | +347 | 2 | 44 | Semi-finals | 0–19 | — | 56–10 | 20–24 | 42–26 | 50–0 | 46–14 | 20–6 | 62–14 | 54–0 |
| 3 | Lézignan | 18 | 13 | 5 | 556 | 354 | +202 | 3 | 42 | Qualifiers | 22–6 | 12–26 | — | 26–10 | 52–16 | 52–12 | 37–18 | 44–16 | 44–16 | 40–18 |
| 4 | Albi | 18 | 13 | 5 | 502 | 286 | +216 | 3 | 42 | Qualifiers | 20–8 | 23–22 | 24–14 | — | 20–34 | 38–20 | 22–12 | 40–8 | 42–2 | 32–8 |
| 5 | Pia | 18 | 10 | 8 | 433 | 465 | −32 | 1 | 31 | Qualifiers | 32–22 | 6–20 | 20–27 | 16–12 | — | 22–14 | 20–10 | 22–37 | 26–14 | 34–28 |
| 6 | Saint-Gaudens | 18 | 7 | 11 | 357 | 542 | −185 | 4 | 25 | Qualifiers | 6–24 | 10–48 | 30–20 | 12–52 | 35–22 | — | 18–30 | 36–20 | 16–14 | 34–10 |
| 7 | Avignon | 18 | 6 | 12 | 404 | 468 | −64 | 6 | 24 | | 18–24 | 16–23 | 6–20 | 16–54 | 28–14 | 24–28 | — | 58–12 | 32–10 | 42–6 |
| 8 | Saint-Estève Catalan | 18 | 6 | 12 | 423 | 579 | −156 | 3 | 21 | | 26–30 | 16–38 | 16–48 | 22–17 | 16–36 | 30–24 | 54–18 | — | 40–22 | 42–20 |
| 9 | Toulouse Olympique | 18 | 3 | 15 | 388 | 595 | −207 | 8 | 17 | | 22–54 | 18–42 | 28–30 | 20–26 | 26–30 | 30–18 | 16–28 | 38–28 | — | 50–22 |
| 10 | Villeneuve | 18 | 3 | 15 | 281 | 680 | −399 | 1 | 10 | | 0–42 | 26–40 | 18–48 | 6–34 | 16–34 | 16–30 | 32–26 | 22–18 | 25–24 | — |
* 3 points for a victory
* 1 point bonus for the losing team if the margin is less than 12
* If two teams have equal points then the separation factor is the point difference. If a team has a greater point difference they rank higher on the table. If still tied then head-to-head matches will be the tie-breaker.

## Finals

At the end of the regular season, the top six in the table advanced to the knockout stage. First and second received a bye for the first week of finals as third played sixth (Qualifying Final 1) and fourth played fifth (Qualifying Final 2), with the losers of both matches eliminated. Third-placed Lézignan and fourth-placed Albi advanced to the semi-finals with comfortable wins over Saint-Gaudens (46–12 to Lézignan) and Pia (40–6 to Albi). First-placed Carcassonne then played the winner of Qualifying final 1 and second-placed Limoux then played the winner of Qualifying Final 2. Results went in favour of the higher ranked teams as Carcassonne won 26–16 and Limoux won 36–10. The winners of these two matches met in the Grand Final on 28 May at Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié in Narbonne. Carcassonne were the defending champions having defeated Limoux in the 2021–22 final. However, Limoux won 34–24 to reclaim the title they had last won in the 2016–17 season.

### Bracket

| Qualifying Finals | Qualifying Finals | Qualifying Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Final | Final | Final |
| | | | Stade de l'Aiguille, Limoux | Stade de l'Aiguille, Limoux | Stade de l'Aiguille, Limoux | | | |
| Stade Mazicou, Albi | Stade Mazicou, Albi | Stade Mazicou, Albi | 1 | Carcassonne | 26 | | | |
| 4 | Albi | 40 | 4 | Albi | 16 | Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne | Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne | Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne |
| 5 | Pia | 6 | | | | 1 | Carcassonne | 24 |
| | | | Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne | Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne | Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne | 2 | Limoux | 34 |
| Stade du Moulin, Lézignan | Stade du Moulin, Lézignan | Stade du Moulin, Lézignan | 2 | Limoux | 36 | | | |
| 3 | Lézignan | 46 | 3 | Lézignan | 10 | | | |
| 6 | Saint Gaudens | 12 | | | | | | |

### Grand Final

* Sunday, 28 May 2023 15:30
| Carcassonne | 24 – 34 | Limoux |
| Tries: Bouregba 2 Canet Serulevu Goals: Herrero 4 | Report | Tries: Garrouste Crunel Torreilles Saddler L. Vergniol B. Vergniol Goals: Templeman 5 |
* Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne Attendance: 8,221 Referee: Benjamin Casty