Toulouse, land of rugby for over 100 years

Having thrilled to the Rugby World Cup in 2007, Toulouse’s inhabitants had a second cause for celebration in June 2008: the Stade Toulousain team was crowned as French Champion for the 17th time!

Toulouse, the French and European capital of rugby, glorifies in a rugby team that is already a hundred years old. Toulouse’s flagship sport, rugby was born in 1907. For over a century, the oval ball has had its roots on the banks of the Garonne, fed by a passion, by people and by values. Today, the glorious Stade Toulousain team, nicknamed the “Red and Blacks” has won more titles than any other team in France, with 17 “Boucliers de Brennus” (Championship Shields) and three European Champion titles. Its popularity goes far beyond the frontiers of the Garonne, and the “ville rose” goes crazy every time its team wins.
Among those who have played for this legendary team are Fabien Pelous, captain of the French national side and the most-capped player in the history of French rugby, and Guy Novès, the Red and Blacks’ coach since 1993. Other memorable former Stade Toulousain  players are: Emile N’Tamack, Jean-Pierre Rives, Didier Cordoniou, Walther Spanghero, Christophe Deylaud, Pierre Villepreux, Albert Cigagna, Jean-Claude Skréla… and of course the internationals who have worn the Stade Toulousain shirt, such as Rob Andrew (UK), Byron Kelleher (New Zealand) and many more!

N.B. you can now visit the Stade’s virtual museum on the official website www.stadetoulousain.fr, or watch the match highlights again and again on www.stadetoulousain.tv

Plans for 2011-2012: construction of an ultra-modern 1000m2 training centre for the Stade Toulousain team on the Ernest Wallon stadium site. The plans include separate muscle-building and cardio-training rooms, rooms for medical and physiotherapy treatments, steam room, hot and cold balneotherapy centre, group video rooms and individual rooms, recovery and relaxation room and, possible, a covered athletics track!

In 2009, Haute-Garonne had:

approximately 13286 licensed rugby players, 6675 in the Toulouse conurbation (men, women and children)

approximately 70 rugby clubs, including 28 in the Toulouse conurbation

approximately 6560 young players (aged 7 to 15) in rugby schools, including 3138 in the Toulouse conurbation

The “third half”: and essential moment for supporters, and one that they look forward to immensely: this is when Toulouse comes alive and reveals its good humour, love of good food and ability to celebrate in a friendly atmosphere.
This atmosphere is best enjoyed in the city’s festive, gourmet venues linked to rugby: the bars in Place St Pierre, the “De Danu” pub run by Trevor Brennan (Place Dupuy), the “Le J’Go” restaurant (Place Victor Hugo), the “Brasserie du Stade” run by the famous Michelin-starred chef Michel Sarran (Stade Ernest Wallon), the “Los Piquillos” bodega run by Jean-Marie Cadieu and Jean-Manuel Forteza (Route de Blagnac)… All the way to the airport with the opening in 2009 of the “Café Stade Toulousain” (Hall C, arrivals floor).

As for shopping, there’s something for men, women and children in Stade Toulousain’s official shop (75 rue Alsace Lorraine or 54 rue de Rémusat or inside the Ernest Wallon Stadium), at Mister Rugby (11 rue des Lois), or the Toulouse Olympique XIII  shop (Arnauné Stadium – 107 avenue Frédéric Estèbe). The “Toulouse en liberté” city card offers discounts in most of these shops (5 to 20% off). Shop until you drop!

NEW FOR 2009: the Toulouse Olympique XIII rugby team has joined the great English League One Championship.

Toulouse’s Rugby League club celebrated its 70th birthday in 2007. It has a great record of achievements and can take pride in having provided Stade Toulousain with a large number of internationals. The story of a rising club: founded on 22 October 1937, Toulouse Olympique XIII played in its first French Cup final against the XIII Catalan in 1939. During the 2nd World War, TO was forced to play Rugby Union (15-a-side) following the prohibition of Rugby League (13-a-side), which was considered to be too British and professional in the eyes of the Vichy government. The players of the time played their first 13-a-side match in 1944. After 4 championship finals, the team won its first title in 1973 with the generation of players that included G. Aillières, “Papillon” Lacaze and V. Cantoni. In 1975, the title was won by the team that included De Matos, F. Pierre, Thénégal, Rodriguez and a certain Carlos Zalduendo. In the French Cup, the Toulouse side played in 6 finals (between 1939 and 1976). The club won the French “A” championship in 1997 and 2000, and had ambitions. In 2002, it began to lay new foundations, reorganising its rugby school, strengthening its under-18 and junior teams and setting up a “Société Anonyme à Objet Sportif” ( SAOS ) or Sports Company to support its application to join the Super League. In 2004-2005, Toulouse Olympique XIII reached the semi-final of the Challenge Cup and the final of the French championship (historic for a French club). In 2009, it joined League One… on the way to the Super League!

Did you know? The translation of New Zealand’s terrifying “Haka” is “Violet”, Toulouse’s symbolic flower.

The Ernest Wallon stadium:

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