Ille-sur-Têt XIII are a French

Rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

club based in

Ille-sur-Têt Ille-sur-Têt (; ; Catalan language, Catalan: ''Illa'' or ''Illa de Tet'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales Departments of France, département in southern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Illois''. Geography Th ...

Pyrénées Orientales The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. F ...

in the

Languedoc-Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon (; ; ) is a former regions of France, administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, it joined with the region of Midi-Pyrénées to become Occitania (administrative region), Occitania. It comprised five departments o ...

region. The club plays in the French

Elite Two Championship Elite 2 (formerly the Elite Two Championship) is the second tier semi-professional rugby league competition in France below Super XIII, but above the National Division 1. The season runs from September to April. The clubs play each other hom ...

. Founded in 1945 they play their home games at the Stade Jean Galia.

History

Ille-sur-Tet was the birthplace of legendary French

pioneer

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 ...

, and in 1945 local businessman Henri Rous founded Ille-sur-Tet XIII. During the club's early years the local

Rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

club, U.S. Illois, did try on a number of occasions to stop the rugby league club from starting up and deny them access to the towns venues, but they failed. In 1955, the club won the regional ''Rousillon League'' beating Caramany XIII. They once again won the ''Rousillon League'' in 59/60 beating

Le Soler XIII Le Soler XIII are a French Rugby league club based in Le Soler, Pyrénées Orientales in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Founded in 1955 and refounded in 2008 the club plays in the Languedoc-Roussillon League in the French National Division 2. ...

in the final, played in

Elne Elne (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It lies in the former province of Roussillon, of which it was the first capital, being later replaced by Perpignan. Its inhabitants are still called ''Illibéri ...

, by a score of 10-8. The following season brought yet more success as they reached the 2nd Division title final (later renamed the National Division 1) and were victorious over ASPTT Marseille 10-8 in Nimes. The ''Rousillon League'' was won again in 61/62, after beating new club SM Pia XIII 11-7. It would be another three decades before the Ille-sur-Tet XIII had a strong season, reaching the 2nd Division final in 91/92, but lost 5-10 against Le Pontet XIII in a game played at the

Stade Albert Domec Stade Albert Domec is a multi-use municipal stadium in Carcassonne, France. It has a capacity of 10,000 spectators. It is the home ground of Pro D2 rugby union club US Carcassonne, Union Sportive Carcassonnaise and Elite One Championship rugby lea ...

Carcassonne Carcassonne is a French defensive wall, fortified city in the Departments of France, department of Aude, Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania. It is the prefectures in France, prefecture of the department. ...

. They reached the final again in 94/95. The Ille-sur-Tet XIII juniors were crowned champions in 1967 and 1992 and lifted the cup in 1994. A number of the successful 1994 juniors joined the main team at the end of that season, as it reached the Federal Division (4th tier of National Division 2) final, but lost to AS Clairac XIII 12-20. In 1995, Australian Klaus Perksvic became the club's first overseas player. In 1999, Ille-sur-Tet XIII reached the Federal Division Final, losing 15-30 to the

Montpellier Red Devils Montpellier XIII Red Devils ( French language, fr:Montpellier Diables Rouges Rugby a XIII ) are a semi-professional rugby league club based in Montpellier, in the region of Herault, France. They currently play in the National Division 2. Their ho ...

in front of a crowd of 1,500. Still in the 4th tier Federal Division in the 1999/2000 season, Ille-sur-Tet XIII were drawn at home against tier-1 club

Lézignan Sangliers Lézignan may refer to: In geography: * Lézignan, Hautes-Pyrénées, a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, France * Lézignan-Corbières, a commune in the Aude department, France * Lézignan-la-Cèbe, a commune in the Hérault departme ...

in the

Lord Derby Cup The Coupe de France Lord Derby (), or just Coupe Lord Derby ('Lord Derby Cup'), is the premier knockout competition for the sport of rugby league football in France, as well as the name of its championship trophy. The tournament was first conte ...

, losing 14-34 in front of a record home crowd of 2,500. That season they also reached the Federal Division Final, losing the

Coupe Falcou The Albert Falcou Cup (), also called Albert Falcou French Cup (), is an annual knock-out competition organised by the Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII for amateur rugby league clubs in France. History The competition was introduced i ...

4-8 against Sainte-Livrade XIII. The team was promoted to tier 3 for the 2000/01 season, losing the 2001 final against Homps Minervois XIII 5-12 at the Stade Jean-Laffon in

Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ; ) is the prefectures in France, prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales departments of France, department in Southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the Me ...

in the National 2 (today's National Division 1, 3rd tier). A strong 2001/02 took the team to the National Division 1 final, where they defeated Le Barcares XIII 20-6, winning their second ever trophy after a 41 year delay. After a league re-structure in 2008 the club opted to drop down to the 4th tier regional

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, East, South 1, South 2, South-East, South-West and West. Cl ...

competition. In season 2009/10 they reached the Languedoc-Rousillon regional National Division 2 league final but were beaten by

7-38

Notable players

* Thibaud Margalet

Club honours

* National Division 1 (National 2) (2): 1960-61, 2001–02 * Coupe de France fédérale (Coupe Falcou): 2018

References

External links

*
History of the Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ille-Sur-Tet Xiii Rugby league teams in France 1945 establishments in France Rugby clubs established in 1945