Stade Toulousain

Stade Toulousain

Full name	Stade Toulousain
Founded	1907 (1907)
Location	Toulouse, France
Ground(s)	Stade Ernest-Wallon (Capacity: 19,500)
President	Jean-René Bouscatel
Coach(es)	Ugo Mola
Captain(s)	Thierry Dusautoir
League(s)	Top 14
2015–16	5th (playoff quarter-finalists)
1st kit 2nd kit 3rd kit
Official website
www.stadetoulousain.fr

Stade Toulousain (French pronunciation: ​[stad tuluzɛ̃]) (Occitan: Estadi Tolosenc), also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Occitania. Toulouse is arguably one of the finest rugby clubs in the world and the most successful in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup a record four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps and Munster, respectively. Stade Toulousain have also won a record 19 French Championship titles. It is traditionally one of the main providers for the French national team. Their home ground is the Stade Ernest-Wallon. However, big Top 14 matches along with Heineken Cup games are often played at the Stadium Municipal de Toulouse. The club colours are red, black and white.

History

Foundation

Before 1907 rugby in Toulouse was only played in schools or universities. In 1893, students of secondary school "Lycée de Toulouse" got together in "les Sans Soucis". Once attending university the same students founded "l'Olympique Toulousain", which became "Stade Olympien des Etudiants de Toulouse" (SOET) a few years later in 1896. In the same period, 'non-students' grouped in "le Sport Atléthique Toulousain" (SAT) while students of the veterinary school created "l'Union Sportive de l'Ecole Vétérinaire" (USEV). Both entities merged in 1905 and called themselves "Véto-Sport". Finally in 1907, Stade Toulousain was founded resulting from a union between the SOET and Véto-Sport.

Early years

The 1912 French champion.

Stade Toulousain played its first final of the national title French Championship in 1909 and lost it to Stade Bordelais Université Club (17–0) in Toulouse. In 1912 Stade Toulousain won its first national title. It had to wait until 1922 before it won its second. However the 1920s were a golden era for the club. Their first final action in the 1920s was in 1921, when they were defeated by USA Perpignan. Despite losing in 1921, the side went on to win the 1922, 1923, 1924, 1926 and 1927 championships.

1930s to 1950s

The following decades were relatively quiet after such a dominant era during the 1920s. Stade Toulousain would not make it to any grand finals during the 1930s, and it would not be until the late 1940s when they would return. However they did contest the Challenge Yves du Manoir with RC Toulon in 1934, though it ended in a nil-all tie and both teams were winners. The club made it to the final of the 1947 championship, and claimed the premiership, beating SU Agen, 10 to 3. However, no such championships followed, the club was again relatively quiet on the championship. It was 22 years in the waiting; Toulouse made it to the final, but were defeated by the CA Bègles club.

1970s to 1980s

In 1971 Toulouse contested the Challenge Yves du Manoir against US Dax, losing 18 to 8. Eleven years after the CA Bègles defeat, the club was again disappointed in the final, being defeated by AS Béziers in the championship game of 1980. The latter end of the decade was however, reminiscent of the 1920s sides. Toulouse were again contesting the Challenge Yves du Manoir for the 1984 season, though they lost to RC Narbonne 17 to 3. They did however claim their first championship since 1947, defeating RC Toulon in the 1985 final. The following season saw them successfully defend their championship, defeating SU Agen in the final. After a number of defeats in the Challenge Yves du Manoir finals, Toulouse defeated US Dax to win the 1988 competition. Both Toulon and Agen won the following premierships (1987 and 1988) but Toulouse won another championship in 1989.

Stade Français vs Stade toulousain which took place in Stade de France, Paris, 27 January 2007

Against the Racing club de France, 1912

1990s to present

Yannick Jauzion.

The dominance continued in the 1990s, starting with a grand final loss in 1991, and a Challenge Yves du Manoir championship in 1993, defeating Castres 13 to 8 in the final. The mid-1990s saw Stade Toulousain become a major force yet again, as the club claimed four premierships in a row, winning the championship in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997, as well as the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1995. The club emmulated its success in the European Rugby Cup, becoming the first ever champions in the 1995–96 season.

The late 1990s and the 2000s saw the club again reach great heights. The club won the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1998, defeating Stade Français Paris, and the 1999 championship as well as the 2001 championship and were runners-up in the 2003 season, losing to Stade Français in the final. As the club had done in the mid-1990s, Stade Toulousain replicated this success in the European Rugby Cup, winning the 2002–03 championship and the 2004–05 championship. The club made it to the final of the 2005–06 Top 14, and despite only trailing Biarritz 9–6 at half time, Toulouse could not prevent a second-half whitewash, eventually going down 40–13. They ended their seven-year title drought with a 26–20 win over ASM Clermont Auvergne on 28 June 2008. In 2008 they narrowly lost a Heineken Cup Final to Munster by 3 points. In 2010 Toulouse defeated Leinster to reach the final where they faced Biarritz Olympique at Stade de France in Paris on Saturday 22 May 2010. Toulouse won the game by 21–19 to claim their fourth Heineken Cup title,^[1][2] making them the only club to ever win the title four times. Stade Toulousain is also the only French club to have taken part in all the editions of Heineken Cup since its creation (17, with the 2011–12 season). They won the French championship in 2011 against Montpellier (15–10) and 2012 against Toulon (18–12). Stade Toulousain reached the semi-finals of the French championship 20 consecutive years (from 1994 to 2013).

Stadium

Toulouse playing Bath in the 2013 Heineken Cup.

Toulouse play their home games at the Stade Ernest-Wallon, which was built in the late 1980s and was recently renovated. Stade Toulousain is one of the three teams (all sports included) that own its stadium. It has a capacity of 19,500. The stadium however cannot always accommodate all the fans of the Toulouse club. For the larger fixtures, such as championship or Heineken Cup games or play-offs, the fixture may be moved to Stadium Municipal, which has double capacity, 38,000. The stadium has been used for numerous matches at the 2007 Rugby World Cup

Honours

Rugby Union

• World Club Championship:
  • Champions: 1986, 1990
• Heineken Cup:
  • Champions: 1996, 2003, 2005, 2010
  • Runners-up: 2004, 2008
• French Champions:
  • Champions: 1912, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1947, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2008, 2011, 2012
  • Runners-up: 1903, 1909, 1921, 1969, 1980, 1991, 2003, 2006
• Coupe de l'Espérance:
  • Champions: 1916
  • Runners-up: 1917
• Challenge Yves du Manoir:
  • Champions: 1934, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1998
  • Runners-up: 1971 1984
• French Cup:
  • Champions: 1946, 1947, 1984
  • Runners-up: 1949, 1985

Football

• Champions of Midi:
  • Champions: 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914

European record

Toulouse qualified for the Heineken Cup in every season of that competition's existence (1995–96 to 2013–14), and played in the inaugural season of the replacement competition, the European Rugby Champions Cup. The club had the best competition record in the Heineken Cup, having won the competition four times.

Current standings

Current squad

2016–17 Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Leonardo Ghiraldini Hooker Italy Julien Marchand Hooker France Christopher Tolofua Hooker France Dorian Aldgeheri Prop France Cyril Baille Prop France Census Johnston Prop Samoa Vasil Kakovin Prop Georgia Gurthrö Steenkamp Prop South Africa Maks van Dyk Prop South Africa Patricio Albacete Lock Argentina Richie Gray Lock Scotland Grégory Lamboley Lock France Yoann Maestri Lock France Joe Tekori Lock Samoa Carl Axtens Flanker New Zealand Yacouba Camara Flanker France Francois Cros Flanker France Thierry Dusautoir Flanker France Piula Faʻasalele Flanker Samoa Tala Gray Flanker Australia Gillian Galan Number 8 France Edwin Maka Number 8 Tonga

Player Position Union Sébastien Bézy Scrum-half France Jean-Marc Doussain Scrum-half France Samuel Marques Scrum-half Portugal Toby Flood Fly-half England Yann David Centre France Gaël Fickou Centre France Florian Fritz Centre France Luke McAlister Centre New Zealand Paul Perez Centre Samoa Arthur Bonneval Wing France Yoann Huget Wing France Semi Kunatani Wing Fiji Sofiane Guitoune Fullback France Maxime Médard Fullback France Alexis Palisson Fullback France

Selected former coaches

• Tom Richards
• François Borde
• Robert Barran
• Paul Blanc
• Claude Labatut
• Robert Bru
• Pierre Villepreux & Jean-Claude Skrela
• Guy Novès

Notable former players

Presidents

• Henri Cazaux : 1954–57
• André Brouat : 1964–66
• Henri Fourès : 1966–73
• Henri Cazaux : 1974–80
• Jean Fabre : 1980–89
• Jean-René Bouscatel : 1992–

Fans

• Le Huit (fan club of Stade toulousain)
• Le Huit Section Aveyron
• Le Rouge et le Noir (formerly Les ultras), the oldest fan club.
• Le 16e homme
• Le 16e homme Toulousains 2 Paris (Stade Toulousain's supporters Club at Paris)
• L'amicale des Supporters
• Le Virage Toulousain
• Tolosa XV
• Les Rouge et Noir de Picardie

See also

• List of rugby union clubs in France
• Rugby union in France

References

External links

• (French) Stade Toulousain Official website
• Data, Results etc on ITS Rugby