Top 14

Current season	2010–11 Top 14 season
Logo	Top 14 Logo.png
Sport	Rugby union
Founded	1892
Pixels	75
Teams	14
Country
Champion	Toulouse|season=2010-11

The Top 14 is a rugby union club competition which is played in France. The Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the French National Rugby League, also known by its French initialism of LNR. There is promotion and relegation between the Top 14 and the next level down, the Rugby Pro D2. The fourteen best rugby teams in France participate in the competition, hence the name Top 14. The competition was previously known as the Top 16.

The first ever final took place in 1892, between two Paris-based sides, Stade Français and Racing Club, with the latter becoming the inaugural champions. The competition has been held on an annual basis since, except from 1915 to 1919—because of World War I—and from 1940 to 1942—because of World War II. The current champions are Toulouse.

History

Early years

The first competition was held in 1892, as a one-off championship game between the Racing Club de France and Stade Français. The Racing Club defeated Stade Français four points to three to win the first ever title, though the "stadistes" got their revenge the following year in a repeat of the final. The match official for that first final was Pierre de Coubertin. Stade Français would go onto win a number of titles thereafter. The 1897 and 1898 series were awarded on a points system after a round-robin. Although the competition was called the French championship, entry was confined to just Parisian clubs. The 1899 season was the first to include clubs from outside of Paris, and led to Stade Bordelais (from Bordeaux) winning the final that season, which was also played outside of Paris, in Le Bouscat (a suburb of the city of Bordeaux).

For the following decade the championship game would usually end up being contested by the Racing Club, Stade Français and Stade Bordelais, with Stade Bordelais actually winning five titles during this period. During this time the final was usually held in various stadia around Paris with the exception of 1903 and 1909 where it was held in Toulouse, as SOE Toulouse and Stade Toulousain were finalists respectively. The competition was then won by a number of different clubs before World War I, with teams like FC Lyon, Stade Toulousain, Aviron Bayonnais and USA Perpignan claiming their first titles.

Between the wars

Due to the war, operations were suspended for a number of years. In its place, a competition known as the Coupe de l'Espérance was held which consisted mostly of young boys who had not yet been drafted. The competition was held four times but is not normally considered a full championship. The normal competition returned for the 1920 season, and Stadoceste Tarbais became the first post-war champions, defeating the Racing Club in the final. During the 1920s Stade Toulousain would create its now famous rugby history, winning five championships during the decade. USA Perpignan would also win two championships (their 1925 final victory was actually a second match, as a previous final had ended in a nil-all draw).

During the 1930s the championship game was held only in Bordeaux and Toulouse. The 1930 championship game won by Agen over US Quillan, was the first final to go into extra-time. It would also see Toulon and Lyon OU win their first championship games. During the latter part of the decade, RC Narbonne, CS Vienne and Perpignan all won titles, and Biarritz Olympique were champions in both 1935 and 1939. During World War II no competition was played.

Postwar

After the war the championship final returned to Paris, and was played at Parc des Princes for the next four seasons. The competition during the 1940s was won by a number of different teams, though Castres won in 1949, and then again in 1950. FC Lourdes would become a dominant club during the 1950s, winning five championships, and another in 1960.

SU Agen would go onto win three titles during the 1960s as well. Lourdes were also the champions of the 1968 season, but due to the May 1968 events, the finale was played three weeks behind normal schedule. At the end of regulation time the score was tied at 6-6, and then 9-9 after extra-time. Lourdes were declared champions because they had scored two tries to Toulon’s none and also because it was impossible to reschedule a third final so late, as the French national team were to leave on a tour to New Zealand and South Africa.

Although Béziers won their first championship in the 1961 season, it would be the 1970s which would see a golden era for the club, as they would win ten championships between 1971 and 1984, as well as being runners-up in 1976. Also in the mid 1970s, after being held in Toulouse, Lyon and Bordeaux in recent years, the championship final was taken to Parc des Princes on a permanent basis. During the rest of the 1980s, Toulouse were the dominant team, winning the championship in 1985, 1986 and 1989. Toulon won in 1987 (and were runners-up in 1985 and 1989), and Agen won in 1988 (and were runners-up in 1984 and 1986).

Into the professional era

The first match of the 1990s went into extra time, as the Racing Club defeated Agen, winning their first championship since 1959. CA Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde, Toulon, Castres and Toulouse would win the following finals. The 1990s also saw the game of rugby union go professional following the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. This also led to the establishment of the European Heineken Cup. Including their 1994 victory, Toulouse won four championships in succession. For the 1998 season, the final was moved to the newly constructed Stade de France, the new national stadium. The final, played in front of 78,000, saw Stade Français win their first championship since 1908.

Rising popularity

The competition saw an enormous rise in popularity in 2005-06, with attendance up by 25% from 2004-05, and numerous sellouts. On 15 October 2005, Stade Français drew a crowd of 79,502 at Stade de France for their home match against Toulouse; this broke the previous French attendance record for a regular-season league match in any sport (including football) by over 20,000. That record was broken on 4 March 2006, when Stade Français drew 79,604 to a rematch of the 2004-05 final against Biarritz at Stade de France. It was broken again on 14 October 2006 with 79,619 as the same two opponents met, and a fourth time on 27 January 2007, with 79,741 for another Stade Français-Toulouse match. However, critics often point to the fact that most tickets for these Stade de France regular season games are drastically discounted (with many going for as low as 5 Euro) for the specific purpose of filling this prestigious venue and establishing the image of Stade Français as a popular club in the French capital.

The future

Despite this recent rise in popularity, a financial shadow hangs over French rugby, starting in 2009 and continuing into 2010. The French government announced in 2009 that it would suspend a law known as DIC (Droit à l'Image Collectif) effective 1 July 2010. This law, created in 2004, allowed all member clubs in French professional sports organisations to treat 30% of each player's salary as image rights. This portion of player salaries was thus exempt from France's high payroll and social insurance taxes, enabling French clubs to compete on a more equal footing with other European clubs.

While the most visible critics of the change in policy were wealthy club owners such as Mourad Boudjellal of Toulon and Max Guazzini of Stade Français, concern was growing in French rugby circles that some smaller clubs might fold completely. Bourgoin only avoided a bankruptcy filing in 2009 by players agreeing to large wage cuts, and Brive, whose 2009–10 wage bill was €7.2 million, announced that they would cut their budget by 40% for the 2010–11 season. Montauban were relegated at the end of the same season after filing for bankruptcy.

Another shadow hanging over the sport in France is fixture congestion. Rugby journalist Ian Moriarty strongly criticised the sheer number of fixtures that the top clubs must navigate, noting that by the end of December 2009, the top clubs in the league had played 20 matches domestically and in the Heineken Cup in the 2009–10 season. This compares with 15 for English clubs, with two more in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, and 14 for Magners League clubs, with the Welsh clubs in that competition also having two Anglo-Welsh Cup fixtures. This congestion, including three league matches during the November Test window, frequently leads to player exhaustion and injuries. For example, going into the December rounds of the Heineken Cup in 2009, Perpignan had five injured front-row forwards; Toulouse coach Guy Novès was forced to rest key players in several matches due to sheer exhaustion; and Biarritz, hurt badly by an injury to star back-rower Imanol Harinordoquy while on international duty during the November Tests, and Clermont, also with many international call-ups, went into temporary domestic freefall.

The most obvious solution to this perceived problem would be a reduction in the number of clubs. England's Aviva Premiership has 12 clubs, as does the Magners League following its addition of two Italian teams for 2010–11. The largest French clubs all support reducing the top tier to 12, but the current LNR president Pierre-Yves Revol has so far staunchly opposed any major changes in the competition; according to Moriarty, Revol "believes that the 118 year-old French championship takes precedence over everything else, including the national team." This is in addition to an existing requirement that wage bills be no more than 50% of a team's turnover. However, Moriarty called the salary cap "little more than a bit of sleight of hand by the LNR to appease a sporting public", noting that the €8 million cap was in fact 5% greater than the highest official wage bill in the 2009–10 Top 14, and translated to £7.1 million at the time the cap was announced, well above the English Premiership's then-current £4 million cap. He also added that clubs would likely find ways around the cap, noting, "Last season, it's rumoured that one big, overseas name was paid less than 40% of his total income as a salary." This means that France will have seven berths if either of the following happens:

A French club wins either of the two Cup competitions.

English clubs win both Cup competitions, and the club that stands highest in the ERC Rankings among those that did not otherwise qualify for the Heineken Cup is French.

Under the regulations of the Top 14, the teams are presented to the Heineken Cup's organizer, European Rugby Cup, in the following order: # The French champion. # The runner-up in the championship final. # The Heineken Cup winner (automatically guaranteed a berth by ERC rules). # The losing semifinalist in the French playoffs that finished higher on the league table. # The losing semifinalist in the French playoffs that finished lower on the league table. # The Amlin Challenge Cup winner (automatically guaranteed a berth by ERC rules). # If France earns a seventh berth, it will be based on league position.

If a winner of one of the European cups is relegated, it will not be nominated to either cup competition; its place will be taken by a current Top 14 side based on league position. If no French team wins a European cup, qualification for Europe will be based strictly on league position at the end of the regular season. This means that all Top 14 clubs will participate in European competition during a given season.

The French clubs have had huge success in the European competitions. The inaugural Heineken Cup, held in the 1995-96 season, was won by Toulouse, which would eventually claim three more championships (2003, 2005 and 2010). It would also not be until the fifth championship game until there was no French team in the final. In addition, there have also been three occasions where the final was an all-French encounter, all won by Toulouse (against Perpignan in 2003, Stade Français in 2005, and Biarritz in 2010).

In addition to the French success in the Heineken Cup, the clubs in the lower European competitions have achieved similar results. The first four finals of the European Challenge Cup (1997–2000) were all-French affairs. Since then, however, only one French club (Clermont in 2007) has won this competition, and French clubs in general have had less success; the revised Top 16/Top 14 format has required them to pay more attention to league games in order to avoid relegation. The now defunct European Shield, a repechage tournament for clubs knocked out in the first round of the Challenge Cup that was played for three seasons from 2003-05, was won by a French team each time.

Current teams

2011–12 season

Note: In the table below, English capitalization rules are used for full club names. In French, adjectives, including proper adjectives, are not capitalized, although the names of political subdivisions used as nouns are capitalized. For example, the full name of ASM Clermont Auvergne using French rules is Association sportive montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne.

{|class="wikitable" width="100%" |- !width="20%"|Club!!width="37%"|Full name!!width="22%"|City (department)!!width="21%"|Stadium |- |SU Agen |Sporting Union Agen Lot-et-Garonne |Agen (Lot-et-Garonne) |Stade Armandie |- |Aviron Bayonnais |Aviron Bayonnais |Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) |Stade Jean Dauger |- |Biarritz Olympique |Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque |Biarritz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) |Parc des Sports Aguiléra |- |Union Bordeaux Bègles |Union Bordeaux Bègles |Bordeaux (Gironde) |Stade André Moga (Bègles, Gironde) |- |CA Brive |Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin |Brive (Corrèze) |Stade Amédée-Domenech |- |Castres Olympique |Castres Olympique |Castres (Tarn) |Stade Pierre-Antoine |- |ASM Clermont Auvergne |Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne |Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme) |Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin |- |Lyon OU |Lyon Olympique Universitaire |Lyon (Rhône) |Stade Vuillermet |- |Montpellier Hérault RC |Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club |Montpellier (Hérault) |Stade Yves-du-Manoir |- |USA Perpignan |Union Sportive Arlequins Perpignanais |Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales) |Stade Aimé Giral |- |Racing Métro |Racing Métro 92 |Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine) |Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir |- |Stade Français Paris |Stade Français Club Athlétique des Sports Généraux Paris |Paris, 16th arrondissement |Stade Charléty |- |RC Toulonnais |Rugby Club Toulonnais |Toulon (Var) |Stade Mayol |- |Stade Toulousain |Stade Toulousain |Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) |Stade Ernest-Wallon |}

Results

The scores in green are links to the account of each final on the site of the professional league (LNR). In French. {|border="0" width="100%" align="center" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" style="border:1px solid #CCCCCC" |-bgcolor="#E4E4E4" | style="background:#CCCCCC;color:#000000" width="110" |Year | style="background:#CCCCCC;color:#000000" |Champion | style="background:#CCCCCC;color:#000000" width="70" align="center" |Score | style="background:#CCCCCC;color:#000000"|Runner-up | style="background:#CCCCCC;color:#000000"|Place | style="background:#CCCCCC;color:#000000"|Spectators |- |align=left|March 20, 1892 |Racing Club de France |align=center|4-3 |Stade Français |align=left|Bagatelle, Paris |align=center|2,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 19, 1893 |'''Stade Français |align=center|7-3 |Racing Club de France |align=left|Bécon-les-Bruyères |align=center|1,200 |- |align=left|March 18, 1894 |Stade Français |align=center|18-0 |Inter NOS |align=left|Bécon-les-Bruyères |align=center|1,500 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|March 17, 1895 |Stade Français |align=center|16-0 |Olympique de Paris |align=left|Stade Vélodrome, Courbevoie |align=center|... |- |align=left|April 5, 1896 |Olympique de Paris |align=center|12-0 |Stade Français |align=left|Vélodrome, Courbevoie |align=center|... |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|1897 |Stade Français |align=center| |Olympique de Paris |align=center|... |- |align=left|1898 |Racing Club de France |align=center| |Stade Français |align=center|... |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|April 30, 1899 |Stade Bordelais |align=center|5-3 |Stade Français |align=left|Route du Médoc, Le Bouscat |align=center|3,000 |- |align=left|April 22, 1900 |Racing Club de France |align=center|37-3 |Stade Bordelais |align=left|Levallois-Perret |align=center|1,500 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|March 31, 1901 |Stade Français |align=center|0-3 |Stade Bordelais |align=left|Route du Médoc, Le Bouscat |align=center|... |- |align=left|March 23, 1902 |Racing Club de France |align=center|6-0 |Stade Bordelais |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|1,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|April 26, 1903 |Stade Français |align=center|16-8 |SOE Toulouse |align=left|Prairie des Filtres, Toulouse |align=center|5,000 |- |align=left|March 27, 1904 |Stade Bordelais |align=center|3-0 |Stade Français |align=left|La Faisanderie, Saint-Cloud |align=center|2,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|April 16, 1905 |Stade Bordelais |align=center|12-3 |Stade Français |align=left|Route du Médoc, Le Bouscat |align=center|6,000 |- |align=left|April 8, 1906 |Stade Bordelais |align=center|9-0 |Stade Français |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|4,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|March 24, 1907 |Stade Bordelais |align=center|14-3 |Stade Français |align=left|Route du Médoc, Le Bouscat |align=center|12,000 |- |align=left|April 5, 1908 |Stade Français |align=center|16-3 |Stade Bordelais |align=left|Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes |align=center|10,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|April 4, 1909 |Stade Bordelais |align=center|17-0 |Stade Toulousain |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|15,000 |- |align=left|April 17, 1910 |FC Lyon |align=center|13-8 |Stade Bordelais |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|8,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|April 8, 1911 |Stade Bordelais |align=center|14-0 |SCUF |align=left|Route du Médoc, Le Bouscat |align=center|12,000 |- |align=left|March 31, 1912 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|8-6 |Racing Club de France |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|15,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|April 20, 1913 |Aviron Bayonnais |align=center|31-8 |SCUF |align=left|Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes |align=center|20,000 |- |align=left|May 3, 1914 |USA Perpignan |align=center|8-7 |Stadoceste Tarbais |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|15.000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" align=center |align=left|1915 - 1919 |colspan = 5|Due to the war, the championship was replaced by the Coupe de l'Espérance |- |align=left|April 25, 1920 |Stadoceste Tarbais |align=center|8-3 |Racing Club de France |align=left|Route du Médoc, Le Bouscat |align=center|20,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|April 17, 1921 |USA Perpignan |align=center|5-0 |Stade Toulousain |align=left|Parc des Sports de Sauclières, Béziers |align=center|20,000 |- |align=left|April 23, 1922 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|6-0 |Aviron Bayonnais |align=left|Route du Médoc, Le Bouscat |align=center|20,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 13, 1923 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|3-0 |Aviron Bayonnais |align=left|Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes |align=center|15,000 |- |align=left|April 27, 1924 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|3-0 |USA Perpignan |align=left|Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |align=center|20,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 3, 1925 |USA Perpignan |align=center|5-0 |US Carcassonne |align=left|Maraussan, Narbonne |align=center|20,000 |- |align=left|May 2, 1926 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|11-0 |USA Perpignan |align=left|Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |align=center|25,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 29, 1927 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|19-9 |Stade Français |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|20,000 |- |align=left|May 6, 1928 |Section Paloise |align=center|6-4 |US Quillan |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|20,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 19, 1929 |US Quillan |align=center|11-8 |FC Lézignan |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|20,000 |- |align=left|May 18, 1930 |SU Agen |align=center|4-0 a.e.t. |US Quillan |align=left|Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |align=center|28,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 10, 1931 |RC Toulon |align=center|6-3 |Lyon OU |align=left|Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |align=center|10,000 |- |align=left|May 5, 1932 |Lyon OU |align=center|9-3 |RC Narbonne |align=left|Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |align=center|13,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 7, 1933 |Lyon OU |align=center|10-3 |RC Narbonne |align=left|Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |align=center|15,000 |- |align=left|May 13, 1934 |Aviron Bayonnais |align=center|13-8 |Biarritz Olympique |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|18,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 12, 1935 |Biarritz Olympique |align=center|3-0 |USA Perpignan |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|23,000 |- |align=left|May 10, 1936 |RC Narbonne |align=center|6-3 |AS Montferrand |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|25,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 2, 1937 |CS Vienne |align=center|13-7 |AS Montferrand |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|17,000 |- |align=left|May 8, 1938 |USA Perpignan |align=center|11-6 |Biarritz Olympique |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|24,600 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|April 30, 1939 |Biarritz Olympique |align=center|6-0 a.e.t. |USA Perpignan |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|23,000 |- align=center |align=left|1940 - 1942 |colspan = 5|Due to World War II, no championship was played |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|March 21, 1943 |Aviron Bayonnais |align=center|3-0 |SU Agen |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|28,000 |- |align=left|March 26, 1944 |USA Perpignan |align=center|20-5 |Aviron Bayonnais |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|35,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|April 7, 1945 |SU Agen |align=center|7-3 |FC Lourdes |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|30,000 |- |align=left|March 24, 1946 |Section Paloise |align=center|11-0 |FC Lourdes |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|30,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|April 13, 1947 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|10-3 |SU Agen |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|25,000 |- |align=left|April 18, 1948 |FC Lourdes |align=center|11-3 |RC Toulon |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|29,753 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 22, 1949 |Castres Olympique |align=center|14-3 |Stade Montois |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|23,000 |- |align=left|April 16, 1950 |Castres Olympique |align=center|11-8 |Racing Club de France |align=left|Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |align=center|25,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 20, 1951 |US Carmaux |align=center|14-12 a.e.t. |Stadoceste Tarbais |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|39,450 |- |align=left|May 4, 1952 |FC Lourdes |align=center|20-11 |USA Perpignan |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|32,500 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 17, 1953 |FC Lourdes |align=center|21-16 |Stade Montois |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|32,500 |- |align=left|May 23, 1954 |FC Grenoble |align=center|5-3 |US Cognac |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|34,230 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 22, 1955 |USA Perpignan |align=center|11-6 |FC Lourdes |align=left|Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |align=center|39,764 |- |align=left|June 3, 1956 |FC Lourdes |align=center|20-0 |US Dax |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|38,426 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 26, 1957 |FC Lourdes |align=center|16-13 |Racing Club de France |align=left|Stade Gerland, Lyon |align=center|30,000 |- |align=left|May 18, 1958 |FC Lourdes |align=center|25-8 |SC Mazamet |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|37,164 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 24, 1959 |Racing Club de France |align=center|8-3 |Stade Montois |align=left|Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |align=center|31,098 |- |align=left|May 22, 1960 |FC Lourdes |align=center|14-11 |AS Béziers |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|37,200 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 28, 1961 |AS Béziers |align=center|6-3 |US Dax |align=left|Stade de Gerland, Lyon |align=center|35,000 |- |align=left|May 27, 1962 |SU Agen |align=center|14-11 |AS Béziers |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|37,705 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|June 2, 1963 |Stade Montois |align=center|9-6 |US Dax |align=left|Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |align=center|39,000 |- |align=left|May 24, 1964 |Section Paloise |align=center|14-0 |AS Béziers |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|27.797 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 23, 1965 |SU Agen |align=center|15-8 |CA Brive |align=left|Stade Gerland, Lyon |align=center|28,758 |- |align=left|May 22, 1966 |SU Agen |align=center|9-8 |US Dax |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|28,803 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 28, 1967 |US Montauban |align=center|11-3 |CA Béglais |align=left|Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |align=center|32,115 |- |align=left|June 16, 1968 |FC Lourdes |align=center|9-9 a.e.t. |RC Toulon |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|28,526 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 18, 1969 |CA Béglais |align=center|11-9 |Stade Toulousain |align=left|Stade Gerland, Lyon |align=center|22,191 |- |align=left|May 17, 1970 |La Voulte Sportif |align=center|3-0 |AS Montferrand |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|35,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 16, 1971 |AS Béziers |align=center|15-9 a.e.t. |RC Toulon |align=left|Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |align=center|27,737 |- |align=left|May 21, 1972 |AS Béziers |align=center|9-0 |CA Brive |align=left|Stade Gerland, Lyon |align=center|31,161 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 20, 1973 |Stadoceste Tarbais |align=center|18-12 |US Dax |align=left|Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |align=center|26,952 |- |align=left|May 12, 1974 |AS Béziers |align=center|16-14 |RC Narbonne |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|40,609 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 18, 1975 |AS Béziers |align=center|13-12 |CA Brive |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|39,991 |- |align=left|May 23, 1976 |SU Agen |align=center|13-10 a.e.t. |AS Béziers |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|40,300 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 29, 1977 |AS Béziers |align=center|12-4 |USA Perpignan |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|41,821 |- |align=left|May 28, 1978 |AS Béziers |align=center|31-9 |AS Montferrand |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|42,004 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 27, 1979 |RC Narbonne |align=center|10-0 |Stade Bagnérais |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|41,981 |- |align=left|May 25, 1980 |AS Béziers |align=center|10-6 |Stade Toulousain |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|43,350 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 23, 1981 |AS Béziers |align=center|22-13 |Stade Bagnérais |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|44,106 |- |align=left|May 29, 1982 |SU Agen |align=center|18-9 |Aviron Bayonnais |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|41,165 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 28, 1983 |AS Béziers |align=center|14-6 |RRC Nice |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|43,100 |- |align=left|May 26, 1984 |AS Béziers |align=center|21-21 a.e.t. |SU Agen |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|44,076 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 25, 1985 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|36-22 a.e.t. |RC Toulon |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|37,000 |- |align=left|May 24, 1986 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|16-6 |SU Agen |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|45,145 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 22, 1987 |RC Toulon |align=center|15-12 |Racing Club de France |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|48,000 |- |align=left|May 28, 1988 |SU Agen |align=center|9-3 |Stadoceste Tarbais |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|48,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 27, 1989 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|18-12 |RC Toulon |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|48,000 |- |align=left|May 26, 1990 |Racing Club de France |align=center|22-12 a.e.t. |SU Agen |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|45,069 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|June 1, 1991 |CA Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde |align=center|19-10 |Stade Toulousain |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|48,000 |- |align=left|June 6, 1992 |RC Toulon |align=center|19-14 |Biarritz Olympique |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|48,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|June 5, 1993 |Castres Olympique |align=center|14-11 |FC Grenoble |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|48,000 |- |align=left|May 28, 1994 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|22-16 |AS Montferrand |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|48,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 6, 1995 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|31-16 |Castres Olympique |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|48,615 |- |align=left|June 1, 1996 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|20-13 |CA Brive |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|48,162 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 31, 1997 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|12-6 |CS Bourgoin-Jallieu |align=left|Parc des Princes, Paris |align=center|44,000 |- |align=left|May 16, 1998 |Stade Français |align=center|34-7 |USA Perpignan |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|78,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|May 29, 1999 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|15-11 |AS Montferrand |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|78,000 |- |align=left|July 15, 2000 |Stade Français |align=center|28-23 |US Colomiers |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|45,000 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|June 9, 2001 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|34-22 |AS Montferrand |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|78,000 |- |align=left|June 8, 2002 |Biarritz Olympique |align=center|25-22 a.e.t. |SU Agen |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|78,457 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|June 7, 2003 |Stade Français |align=center|32-18 |Stade Toulousain |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|78,000 |- |align=left|June 26, 2004 |Stade Français |align=center|38-20 |USA Perpignan |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|79,722 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|June 11, 2005 |Biarritz Olympique |align=center|37-34 a.e.t. |Stade Français |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|79,475 |- |align=left|June 10, 2006 |Biarritz Olympique |align=center|40-13 |Stade Toulousain |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|79,474 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|June 9, 2007 |Stade Français |align=center|23-18 |ASM Clermont Auvergne |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|79,654 |- |align=left|June 28, 2008 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|26-20 |ASM Clermont Auvergne |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|79,275 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|June 6, 2009 |USA Perpignan |align=center|22–13 |ASM Clermont Auvergne |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|79,205 |- |align=left|May 29, 2010 |ASM Clermont Auvergne |align=center|19–6 |USA Perpignan |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|79,262 |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align=left|June 4, 2011 |Stade Toulousain |align=center|15–10 |Montpellier Hérault RC |align=left|Stade de France, Saint-Denis |align=center|77,000 |}

Total wins

Stade Toulousain	18
Stade Français	13
AS Béziers	11
SU Agen	8
FC Lourdes	8
Stade Bordelais	7
USA Perpignan	7
Biarritz Olympique	5
Racing Club de France	5
RC Toulonnais	3
Aviron Bayonnais	3
Castres Olympique	3
Section Paloise	3
CA Bègles	2
ASM Clermont Auvergne	1

Notes

FC Grenoble 1

See also

Bouclier de Brennus

Challenge Yves du Manoir

Coupe de France

Super Rugby, which was known as Super 14 from 2006 through 2010

Top League

External links

Official site

Finalesrugby.com

FrenchRugbyClub.com (English)

Category:French rugby union competitions Category:National rugby union premier leagues Category:Professional sports leagues