Racing Club Albi XIII originally called Racing Club Albigeois XIII and more recently also known as Albi Tigers are a semi-professional
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 11 ...
team based in
Albi
Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albig ...
in the
Occitanie Occitanie may refer to:
*Occitania, a region in southern France called ''Occitanie'' in French
*Occitania (administrative region)
Occitania ( ; french: Occitanie ; oc, Occitània ; ca, Occitània ) is the southernmost administrative region of ...
region in southern France. Formed in 1934 the club compete in the
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 ...
the highest level of competition in France. They have won the French title on five occasions and the
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 ...
once. Their current home stadium is Stade Mazicou.
History
RC Albi were one of the founder clubs of Rugby League in France indeed they were the second club formed after US Villeneuve in May 1934. They were formed by
Jean-Marie Vignal one of
Jean Galia
Jean Galia (born 20 March 1905 in Ille-sur-Têt, Pyrénées-Orientales, died 17 January 1949 in Toulouse) was a French rugby union and rugby league footballer and champion boxer. He is credited with establishing the sport of rugby league in Fra ...
's pioneers who would be the club's first captain/coach and
Simon Bompunt who would be the club's first chairman. Initially the club recruited from nearby Toulouse as the local Rugby Union club
SC Albi
Sporting Club Albigeois is a professional French rugby union club playing the third-level Nationale. During the past years it went back and forth between Top 14, the highest level of the French league system and the second-level Rugby Pro D2. The ...
refused players to move to the new club, only two would move in the early years. The club finished 7th in their debut season their first ever match finishing in a 6–26 defeat at
Bordeaux XIII
In season 1937-38 despite finishing 7th the club won through the play-offs to reach the final and then caused a major upset, beating
US Villeneuve
Villeneuve XIII RLLG originally called Sports Athletic Villeneuvois XIII are a semi-professional rugby league team based in Villeneuve-sur-Lot in the region of Aquitaine in southern France. Formed in 1934, the first French rugby league club, the ...
8–3 to lift their first trophy. They reached the semi-final in 1939–40 in what would be the last championship before war broke out. During the war the
Vichy Government
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...
banned Rugby League in France. RC Albi were forced to join with the Rugby Union club in the town SC Albi under a new name Albi Olympique. After the war the club went back to Rugby League, they enjoyed a good spell at the end of the 1950s as they won the
French rugby league championship
The French rugby league championship (french: Le Championnat de France de Rugby à XIII) has been the major rugby league tournament for semi-professional and professional clubs in France since the sport was introduced to the country in the 1930s.
...
three times in six years. They also hosted the touring
Australia national rugby league team, losing in 1952 22-31 and 20–25 in 1956 but in 1959 they earned a fantastic 19–10 win against them in front of 5,845 spectators
Since then the club have not fared too well they have won the championship and cup once each, in 1977 and 1974 respectively. The club withdrew from the
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 ...
at the end of season 2007-08 due to financial reasons but in 2014-15 they won the
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 home ...
and returned to the top flight finishing a creditable 5th in 2015–16.
The club currently runs youth sides and a ladies team.
Colours and Badge
The club have always played in amber and black. The Badge has been changed originally it was a French cockerel stood on a rugby ball with the number 13 on the ball. This was changed to a tiger next to a tower logo before the current one was used. The reference to 'Tigers' comes from the 90s when they followed many other clubs in adopting a moniker, possibly along the lines of
Castleford Tigers who happen to play in the same colours
Stadium
Stadium Municipal d'Albi has been the club's home ground since it opened for rugby in 1964. The main stand is a cantilever grandstand while opposite is newer stand both these stands are all seated, at either end there is terracing. In 1977 the
French rugby league championship
The French rugby league championship (french: Le Championnat de France de Rugby à XIII) has been the major rugby league tournament for semi-professional and professional clubs in France since the sport was introduced to the country in the 1930s.
...
was held here despite
RC Albi being in the final against
AS Carcassonne
Association Sportive of Carcassonne are a semi-professional rugby league football club based in Carcassonne in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie in the south of France. They play in the French Elite One Championship and a ...
. A record rugby crowd of 20,000 witnessed an Albi win, their last to date. In 1979
France national rugby league team beat the touring
Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea in the sport of rugby league football.
In Papua New Guinea, Rugby League is a highly popular sport and is regarded as the country's national sport. The national side ar ...
16–9. The stadium underwent a major revamp in 2007 resulting in the now 13,058 capacity including 8,000 seated. They are currently based at Stade Mazicou.
Current squad
Squad for 2021-22 Season
Notable players
*
Jean-Marie Vignal
*
Eric Anselme
*
Jack Oster
Honours
* French championship (5): 1937–38, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1976–77
* Lord Derby Cup (1): 1973-74
* Elite Two (2): 1990–91, 2014–15
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Albi, Racing Club
French rugby league teams
Sport in Albi
Sport in Tarn (department)
1934 establishments in France
Rugby clubs established in 1934