Castres Olympique

Castres Olympique

Full name	Castres Olympique
Founded	1906; 118 years ago (1906)
Location	Castres, France
Ground(s)	Stade Pierre-Fabre (Capacity: 12,500)
President	Pierre-Yves Revol
Coach(es)	Jeremy Davidson
Captain(s)	Mathieu Babillot
League(s)	Top 14
2022–23	9th
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.castres-olympique.com

Castres Olympique (French pronunciation:

.

Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906. They play at the Stade Pierre-Fabre, which is one of the smallest in Top 14 with a capacity of 12,500. The team wear blue and white kits.

The team won five French top-division championships in 1949, 1950, 1993 (in a match decided by an irregular try accorded by the referee),^[1] 2013, and 2018 as well as one Coupe de France in 1948.

History

In

had within the club, the members of the rugby section decided to leave and create a club of their own, solely dedicated to their sport. It was decided that this club would be named Castres Olympique and its colours would be changed from yellow and black to its current blue, white and grey.

The new club reached the top flight after only 15 years of existence and has remained there ever since, bar for a couple of years during the 80s when the club was in the then Section B of the 1st division. The club has never left the 1st division since 1921.

For a while Castres Olympique would experience mixed fortunes until

.

From the 1960s the club would experience a stream of mediocre seasons and steady decline until

1988

.

In 1993, Castres play the final of the

. Castres won its third national title 14–11, in a controversial match. Indeed a try of Olivier Brouzet is denied to Grenoble^[2] and the decisive try by Gary Whetton was awarded by the referee, Daniel Salles, when in fact the defender Franck Hueber from Grenoble touched down the ball first in his try zone. This error gave the title to Castres. ^[3] Salles admitted the error 13 years later^{[4] [5]}

Jacques Fouroux, being already suspicious before the match of the referee, saw in this outcome a conspiracy of his ennemies from inside the rugby union french Federation ^{[6] [7]}

The club reached the final again in 1995 losing 31–16 to Stade Toulousain.

Castres won the 2012–13

The team's owner, Pierre Fabre, the founder of Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, died on 20 July 2013.^[9] Castres home stadium, previously known as Stade Pierre-Antoine, was renamed in his memory during ceremonies in conjunction with Castres match with Montpellier on 9 September 2017.^[10]

Castres won the 2017–18

29–13 in the final.

After finishing first in the 2021-2022 Top 14, Castres played a semi-final against the Stade Toulousain of Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack, beating them 24-18. The final is a rematch of 2018, but this time, Montpellier win 29-10.

Honours

• French championship:
  • Champions (5) : 1949, 1950, 1993, 2013, 2018
  • Runners-up (3) : 1995, 2014, 2022
• Coupe de France:
  • Champions (1) : 1948
• Challenge Yves du Manoir:
  • Runners-up (1) : 1993
• Group B French Champions:
  • Champions (1) : 1989
• European Challenge Cup
  :
  • Runners-up (2) : 1997, 2000
• European Shield:
  • Champions (1) : 2003

Finals results

French championship

Date	Winners	Runners-up	Score	Venue	Spectators
22 May 1949	Castres Olympique	Stade Montois	14–3 1	Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse	23,000
16 April 1950	Castres Olympique	Racing Club de France	11–8	Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse	25,000
5 June 1993	Castres Olympique	FC Grenoble	14–11	Parc des Princes, Paris	48,000
6 May 1995	Stade Toulousain	Castres Olympique	31–16	Parc des Princes, Paris	48,615
1 June 2013	Castres Olympique	RC Toulon	19–14	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	80,033
31 May 2014	RC Toulon	Castres Olympique	18–10	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	80,174
2 June 2018	Castres Olympique	Montpellier	29–13	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	78,441
24 June 2022	Montpellier	Castres Olympique	29–10	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	78,245

Current standings

2023–24 Top 14 Table

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts	Qualification
1	Stade Français	21	15	1	5	440	356	+84	46	30	4	1	67	Qualification for 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup and Playoffs
2	Toulouse	21	13	0	8	596	469	+127	81	55	6	3	61
3	Racing 92	21	12	0	9	525	418	+107	67	42	5	4	57
4	Toulon	21	12	0	9	558	418	+140	57	47	4	3	55
5	Bordeaux Bègles	21	12	0	9	521	463	+58	60	54	3	3	54
6	La Rochelle	21	10	0	11	474	372	+102	54	34	5	7	52
7	Pau	21	11	0	10	497	481	+16	51	54	2	4	50	Qualification for 2024–25 European Rugby Challenge Cup
8	Perpignan	21	11	0	10	500	557	−57	64	69	5	0	49
9	Castres	21	10	0	11	522	523	−1	56	62	4	5	49
10	Bayonne	21	9	0	12	460	532	−72	51	62	2	6	44
11	Clermont	21	8	2	11	447	538	−91	50	63	3	3	42
12	Lyon	21	9	0	12	482	621	−139	52	73	4	2	42
13	Montpellier	21	8	0	13	418	496	−78	46	57	1	5	38	Qualification for Relegation play-off
14	Oyonnax	21	5	1	15	449	645	−196	47	80	0	4	26	Relegation to Pro D2

Current squad

The Castres squad for the 2023–24 season is:^[11][12]

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Gaëtan Barlot Hooker France Pierre Colonna Hooker France Loris Zarantonello Hooker France Aurelien Azar Prop France Wayan de Benedittis Prop France Levan Chilachava Prop Georgia Lois Guerois-Galisson Prop France Wilfrid Hounkpatin Prop France Antoine Tichit Prop France Matt Tierney Prop Canada Quentin Walcker Prop France Gauthier Maravai Lock France Leone Nakarawa Lock Fiji Ryno Pieterse Lock South Africa Tom Staniforth Lock Australia Florent Vanverberghe Lock France Mathieu Babillot Back row France Tyler Ardron Back row Canada Baptiste Cope Back row France Nick Champion de Crespigny Back row New Zealand Baptiste Delaporte Back row France Abraham Papali'i Back row New Zealand Yann Peysson Back row France Josaia Raisuqe Back row Fiji

Player Position Union Santiago Arata Scrum-half Uruguay Gauthier Doubrere Scrum-half France Jérémy Fernandez Scrum-half France Louis Le Bruin Fly-half France Pierre Popelin Fly-half France Vilimoni Botitu Centre Fiji Adrea Cocagi Centre Fiji Jack Goodhue Centre New Zealand Adrien Séguret Centre France Antoine Zeghdar Centre France Antoine Bouzerand Wing France Nathanaël Hulleu Wing France Martin Laveau Wing France Filipo Nakosi Wing Fiji Osea Waqaninavatu Wing Fiji Theo Chabouni Fullback France Julien Dumora Fullback France Geoffrey Palis Fullback France

Espoirs squad

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Alexey Konnov Lock Russia Hugo Lopes Lock France Romain Macurdy Lock France Adrien Tafanel Lock France Feibyan Cornell Tukino Back row New Zealand Dimitri Dronov Back row Russia Remi Loop Back row Belgium

Player Position Union Simon Benoist Scrum-half France Louison Gras Fly-half France Daniel Catanzaro Centre Spain Joris Dupont Centre France Crimson Tukino Centre New Zealand Sacha Palchine Fullback France

Notable former players

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See also

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

References

External links

• (in French) Castres Olympique Official website