The French rugby league championship (french: Le Championnat de France de Rugby à XIII) has been the major
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
tournament for semi-professional and professional clubs in France since the sport was introduced to the country in the 1930s.
Except for the first season, a play-off structure leading to a championship final has always been used to determine the fate of the championship. Because the French rugby league championship has several divisions where the teams will change each year depending on final standings and
relegation/promotion there have been many teams in the French rugby league championship since its inception.
The championship is divided into several divisions; the top league is currently titled
Elite One Championship
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 wor ...
(French: ''Le Championnat de France Elite'').
Divisions
Elite One Championship
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 wor ...
Elite Two Championship
Elite 2 (formerly the Elite Two Championship) is the second tier semi-professional rugby league competition in France below Elite 1, but above the National Division 1. The season runs from September to April. The clubs play each other hom ...
Lower Leagues
Below the Championship Divisions, the
National Division 1 and
National Division 2
National Division 2 is the fourth tier of rugby league in France, below the National Division 1. The season runs from September to April. The Division is split into 5 regional leagues, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrenees, Aquitaine, Ile de Fran ...
are the third and fourth tier respectively.
List of finals
Champions by club
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.
See also
*
Rugby league in France
Rugby league has been played in France since 1934. As with rugby union, rugby league was introduced by the English and the heartland of the game is in the south of France.
During the Second World War, in association with the French Rugby Federati ...
*
France national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league matches. They are referred to as ''les Chanticleers'' or less commonly as ''les Tricolores''. The team is run under the auspices of the Fédération Française ...
*
France women's national rugby league team
The France women's national rugby league team, also known as the Chanticleers ( for the Anglophone media) or locally as Les Tricolores, represents France in women's rugby league. They are administered by the French Rugby League Federation.
P ...
*
Elite One Championship
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 wor ...
*
Elite Two Championship
Elite 2 (formerly the Elite Two Championship) is the second tier semi-professional rugby league competition in France below Elite 1, but above the National Division 1. The season runs from September to April. The clubs play each other hom ...
*
National Division 1
*
National Division 2
National Division 2 is the fourth tier of rugby league in France, below the National Division 1. The season runs from September to April. The Division is split into 5 regional leagues, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrenees, Aquitaine, Ile de Fran ...
*
Lord Derby Cup
The French Rugby League Cup (french: Coupe de France de Rugby à XIII), also called Lord Derby Cup (french: Coupe Lord Derby) after its championship trophy, is the premier knockout competition for the sport of rugby league football in France. Th ...
*
Coupe Falcou
*
Paul Dejean Cup
*
French rugby league system
References
External links
*
InfostreizeLe monde du rugby à XIII
{{Rugby League in France
Rugby league competitions in France
1934 establishments in France
Sports leagues established in 1934