# French Rugby League Championship

The French rugby league championship (French: Le Championnat de France de Rugby à XIII) was the top tier of the French rugby league system from its inception in 1934 until 2002 when the league was split into two divisions; the Elite One Championship and Elite Two Championship.
In all seasons except for the first, a play-off structure leading to a championship final has been used to determine the fate of the championship.

## List of Grand Finals

| Season | Winners | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Attendance |
| 1934–35 | Villeneuve $^1$ | No final played, champion was first placed team in regular season | No final played, champion was first placed team in regular season | No final played, champion was first placed team in regular season | No final played, champion was first placed team in regular season |
| 1935–36 | Catalan | 25–14 | Bordeaux XIII | Parc de Suzon, Bordeaux | 14,150 |
| 1936–37 | Bordeaux XIII | 23–10 | Catalan | Parc de Suzon, Bordeaux | 14,300 |
| 1937–38 | Albi | 8–5 | Villeneuve | Parc de Suzon, Bordeaux | 14,880 |
| 1938–39 | Roanne | 9–0 | Villeneuve | Stade Velodrome de Lescure, Bordeaux | 19,788 |
| 1939–40 | Catalan | 20–16 | Pau XIII | Stade des Minimes, Toulouse | 10,000 |
| 1940–44: Rugby league outlawed by Vichy regime ||||||
| 1944–45 | Carcassonne | 13–12 | Toulouse | Stade Jean Laffon, Perpignan | |
| 1945–46 | Carcassonne | 12–0 | Toulouse | Stade de Gerland, Lyon | |
| 1946–47 | Roanne | 19–0 | Carcassonne | Stade de Gerland, Lyon | 15,000 |
| 1947–48 | Roanne | 3–2 | Carcassonne | Marseille | 20,000 |
| 1948–49 | Marseille | 12–5 | Carcassonne | Stade Albert Domec, Carcassonne | 23,500 |
| 1949–50 | Carcassonne | 21–7 | Marseille | Perpignan | 18,000 |
| 1950–51 | Lyon | 15–10 | Catalan | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 21,933 |
| 1951–52 | Carcassonne | 18–6 | Marseille | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 16,645 |
| 1952–53 | Carcassonne | 19–12 | Lyon | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 22,000 |
| 1953–54 | Bordeaux XIII | 7–4 | Marseille | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 8,000 |
| 1954–55 | Lyon | 7–6 | Carcassonne | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 12,000 |
| 1955–56 | Albi | 13–5 | Carcassonne | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 15,850 |
| 1956–57 | Catalan | 14–9 | Avignon | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 9,000 |
| 1957–58 | Albi | 8–6 | Carcassonne | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 16,163 |
| 1958–59 | Villeneuve | 24–16 | Lézignan | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 13,000 |
| 1959–60 | Roanne | 31–24 | Albi | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 13,800 |
| 1960–61 | Lézignan | 7–4 | Roanne | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 6,998 |
| 1961–62 | Albi | 14–7 | Villeneuve | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 12,068 |
| 1962–63 | Lézignan | 20–13 | St Gaudens | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 12,200 |
| 1963–64 | Villeneuve | 4–3 | Toulouse | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 5,166 |
| 1964–65 | Toulouse | 47–15 | Villeneuve | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 8,837 |
| 1965–66 | Carcassonne | 45–20 | St Gaudens | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 11,244 |
| 1966–67 | Carcassonne | 39–15 | St Gaudens | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 10,779 |
| 1967–68 | Limoux | 13–12 | Carcassonne | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 14,432 |
| 1968–69 | Catalan | 12–11 | St Gaudens | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 8,326 |
| 1969–70 | St Gaudens | 32–10 | Catalan | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 21,300 |
| 1970–71 | St Estève | 13–4 | St Gaudens | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 8,179 |
| 1971–72 | Carcassonne | 21–9 | St Gaudens | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 11,566 |
| 1972–73 | Toulouse | 18–0 | Marseille | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 13,827 |
| 1973–74 | St Gaudens | 21–8 | Villeneuve | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 5,696 |
| 1974–75 | Toulouse | 10–9 | St Estève | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 5,015 |
| 1975–76 | Carcassonne | 14–6 | Lézignan | Stade Chapou, Toulouse | 14,000 |
| 1976–77 | Albi | 19–10 | Carcassonne | Stadium Municipal d'Albi, Albi | 18,325 |
| 1977–78 | Lézignan | 3–0 | Catalan | Toulouse | 10,358 |
| 1978–79 | Catalan | 17–2 | Carcassonne | Toulouse | 13,202 |
| 1979–80 | Villeneuve | 12–7 | St Estève | Toulouse | 10,029 |
| 1980–81 Villeneuve v Catalan abandoned after six minutes due to fighting; no championship awarded. ||||||
| 1981–82 | Catalan | 21–8 | St Estève | Toulouse | 8,504 |
| 1982–83 | Catalan | 10–8 | Villeneuve | Toulouse | 10,628 |
| 1983–84 | Catalan | 30–6 | Villeneuve | Toulouse | 8,182 |
| 1984–85 | Catalan | 26–6 | Le Pontet XIII | Toulouse | 8,797 |
| 1985–86 | Le Pontet XIII | 19–6 | Catalan | Toulouse | 8,000 |
| 1986–87 | Catalan | 11–3 | Le Pontet XIII | Toulouse | 4,350 |
| 1987–88 | Le Pontet XIII | 14–2 | Catalan | Toulouse | 9,950 |
| 1988–89 | St Estève | 23–4 | Le Pontet XIII | Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitie, Narbonne | 9,936 |
| 1989–90 | St Estève | 24–23 | Carcassonne | Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitie, Narbonne | 8,000 |
| 1990–91 | St Gaudens | 10–8 | Villeneuve | Toulouse | 6,031 |
| 1991–92 | Carcassonne | 11–10 | St Estève | Toulouse | 6,000 |
| 1992–93 | St Estève | 9–8 | Catalan | Toulouse | 10,000 |
| 1993–93 | Catalan | 6–4 | Pia | Stade des Sports Et de l'Amitie, Narbonne | 12,000 |
| 1994–95 | Pia | 12–10 | St Estève | Stade des Sports Et de l'Amitie, Narbonne | 13,200 |
| 1995–96 | Villeneuve | 27–26 | St Estève | Stade des Sports Et de l'Amitie, Narbonne | 10,000 |
| 1996–97 | St Estève | 28–24 | Villeneuve | Stade des Sports Et de l'Amitie, Narbonne | 12,000 |
| 1997–98 | St Estève | 15–8 | Villeneuve | Stade des Sports Et de l'Amitie, Narbonne | 12,000 |
| 1998–99 | Villeneuve | 33–20 | St Gaudens | Paris | 7,592 |
| 1999–00 | Toulouse | 20–18 | St Estève | Paris | 6,500 |
| 2000–01 | Villeneuve | 32–20 | Toulouse | Toulouse | 9,000 |
| 2001–02 | Villeneuve | 17–0 | Union Treiziste Catalane | Stade de la Mediterranee, Béziers | 8,000 |
| From the 2002–03 season, the French Rugby League Championship split into two divisions: Elite One Championship and Elite Two Championship. ||||||

## Champions by club

| | Club | Wins | Runners up | Winning Years |
| 1 | XIII Catalan | 11 | 7 | 1935–36, 1939–40, 1956–57, 1968–69, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1993–94 |
| 2 | AS Carcassonne | 10 | 10 | 1944–45, 1945–46, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1991–92 |
| 3 | Villeneuve Leopards | 8 | 10 | 1934–35, 1958–59, 1963–64, 1979–80, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02 |
| 4 | AS Saint Estève | 6 | 7 | 1970–71, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1997–98 |
| 5 | RC Albi | 5 | 1 | 1937–38, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1976–77 |
| 6 | Toulouse Olympique | 4 | 4 | 1964–65, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1999–2000 |
| 7 | RC Roanne XIII | 4 | 1 | 1938–39, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1959–60 |
| 8 | St Gaudens | 3 | 7 | 1969–70, 1973–74, 1990–91 |
| 9 | Lézignan Sangliers | 3 | 2 | 1960–61, 1962–63, 1977–78 |
| 10 | Le Pontet XIII | 2 | 3 | 1985–86, 1987–88 |
| 11= | Bordeaux XIII | 2 | 1 | 1936–37, 1953–54 |
| 11= | Lyon Villeurbanne XIII | 2 | 1 | 1950–51, 1954–55 |
| 13 | Marseille XIII | 1 | 4 | 1948–49 |
| 14 | Pia XIII | 1 | 1 | 1994–95 |
| 15 | Limoux Grizzlies | 1 | 0 | 1967–68 |
| 16= | SO Avignon | 0 | 1 | |
| 16= | Union Treiziste Catalane | 0 | 1 | |

### Footnotes

* Won title on points: no play-off was used
* Match abandoned after six minutes after the beginning due to fighting; no championship awarded.

## Books

* Le Rugby à XIII le plus français du monde −1934 to 1996– by Louis Bonnery,
* The Forbidden game by Mike Rylance.