Catalan Dragons League Placings : 2000-24

The Catalan Dragons are a club based in the city of Perpignan located in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in the south of France. The club was formed in the year 2000 with a merging of XIII Catalan and AS Saint-Estève (which is just outside Perpignan). 

On gaining entry into Super League in 2006 they were given a three-year exemption from relegation. That proved a life-saving and sensible initiative as the club came last in its first year. It picked up after that but was spared relegation again in 2010 when from the year previous there was an increase to fourteen teams, licencing, and a temporary cessation of relegation.

The first coach was Michael Potter who did rather well with the new team. He was named Super League coach of the year in 2008. He moved on and was succeeded by Kevin Walters who despite the team just squeezing into the top eight, got to within one game of the grand final. 2010 wasn't so good and he returned home to Australia. 

Another Australian arrived as coach in Trent Robinson. As a fluent French speaker, he worked to create a more local flavour into the club, one with several overseas players. He also had two French assistants in Laurent Frayssinous and Jérôme Guisset which would have helped that process. Robinson was named the Super League coach of the year in 2011 but he then went back to Australia. 

Laurent Frayssinous took over as head honcho from 2013, with modest results culminating in a poor season in 2017 costing him his position. In came Yorkshireman Steve McNamara who had spent some time in Australia as an assistant coach. I had misgivings about the appointment but he fashioned a team that steadily improved each season. They won the league in 2021 and nearly replicated that two years later. 2024 was a downer and he needs a better 2025 to restore the fan's faith. 

AS Carcassonne XIII League Placings : 2000-23

AS Carcassonne was founded in 1938, and is located in the Occitanie region in the south of France. They are one of the most successful clubs in the French Rugby league, having won eleven French championship titles and fifteen Lord Derby Cups. They have as a nickname the Canaries.

Apart from the 1980's and latter 1990's they have been consistently challenging for titles. They weren't in the top flight for one season when the century commenced but soon fixed that and progressively improved as the past two decades unfolded. 

They won the league in 2015 and 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2023 (there was no winner in 2020). They won a grand final in 2011-12 but that title has proved elusive for the club otherwise over the past few decades. 1991-92 was the previous success. Five Lord Derby Cups have graced the trophy cabinet since 2010. Their recent success is impressive indeed.

XIII Limoux Grizzlies League Placings : 2000-23

XIII Limoux Grizzlies in the Aude area in southern France. They play in the Elite One Championship. The club was formed in 1951 after a disagreement with the French Rugby union. Despite that long history, it has been in the last decade it has enjoyed its greatest successes. 

It wasn't doing that well in the year 2000 but incremental improvements can be observed in the chart below as time passed. They took the league title in 2008-09 and 2013-14 seasons. A Lord Derby Cup and grand finals in 2008-09, 2010-11 and 2017-18 were also achieved. 

A couple of seasons in the middle were uncharacteristic hiccups in an otherwise profitable time for the club. They won the league in 2022, the first time since 2014. 

The following year (2022-23) was almost as good, with a second placing as shown below. They also reached the semi final of the Lord Derby Cup in 2023 and won the grand final of the playoff series. Not a bad season then. 

Lézignan Sangliers League Placings : 2000-23

FC Lézignan XIII or the Lézignan Sangliers joined the XIII code in 1939, The timing wasn't great as the pro-Nazi Vichy government banned the sport and they were forced to play the XV man game. They got back when they could and resumed their brief Rugby league existence. 

They enjoyed winning titles and trophies in pockets but it was from the 2006-07 season things really kicked off. In 2007-08, they won both the league and grand final. The next year a second in the league and another grand final. To top that off, in 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons they won the league, cup and grand final treble! 

Things then settled down although a cup trophy in 2014-15 and a league title in 2016-17 was followed by the grand final victory in the 2021 season just passed. Certainly, a club that is at the top of the French XIII scene. They must have a good youth development system in place as well.  

Racing Club Albi XIII League Placings : 2000-23

Racing Club Albi XIII (once named Racing Club Albigeois XIII) yet more recently also going by the name of Albi Tigers are a team in Albi in the Occitanie region. Commencing in 1934 as a foundation club (the second club formed) they were most successful in the 1950's but had a good spell in the 1970's too. After the forced merger with a Rugby Union during the shameful Vichy era, they returned to the forbidden game as soon as possible. 

Fast forward to this century and there weren't in the top flight. Moments in 2002 plus 2008 but regularly since 2016. They have nestled nicely into mid-table status. 

That continues down to the 2022-23 season. The top sides are still proving a tough nut to crack. A losing finalist in the  2023 cup final was a fine result. 

RC St-Gaudens XIII League Placings : 2000-23

RC St-Gaudens XIII or the Bears are based in the town of the same name, in the Haute-Garonne region of south-western France. Founded in 1958, they enjoyed success during the 1960's and early 1970's. They were also doing really well come the turn of the century with some strong league table placings. 

They hit a wall in 2009 and soon after left the Elite league. After ten teams were reinstated in 2016-17, they were back but not with a bang. Clearly, the move back to the top hasn't been an easy one but at least they are giving it a go. 

Two consecutive years with the wooden spoon. That's one angry bear! The response was a 6th place finish so a real positive for a club that was really firing earlier this century. 

Sporting Olympique Avignon League Placings : 2000-23

Sporting Olympique Avignon or the SO Avignon Bisons are situated in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. I spent a few days there some years back and really enjoyed it. It became part of the Rugby XIII family after the ban on the code by the Vichy government came to an end. Four Lord Derby Cup wins were all the club could muster coming into this century. 

Has that improved? C'est vrai. They took the cup in the 2012-13 season. In addition, although not winning the league title itself, they came from fourth to take their first and only grand final to date in the 2017-18 season. That must have been something for the club to take much pride in. 

The club has been consistent in where it finishes in the league. They made the semi finals of the 2023 cup competition. It is just short on the quality needed to be a top side but good enough to be competitive. 

St Estève Catalan League Placings : 2000-23

XIII Catalan was a foundation club back in 1934 and was very successful apart from much of the 1960s. St Estève XII was founded in 1965 and also enjoyed much success in the 1980s and 1990s. These two high fling entities decided to merge in 2000 and form the Union Treiziste Catalane Club or UTC for short. This is now known as the St Estève Catalan Club which the article is about. 

From the beginning of the merger, these two previous heavyweights of French Rugby league were going to have an impact. High league finishes along with league titles in 2002, 2004 and 2005 were a good start. Lord Derby Cup wins in 2001, 2004 and 2005 were also impressive. In 2005, their first grand final as a combined outfit gave them the treble that year. 

In 2006, the club was admitted into the Super League competition in England. They retained a team in the Elite 1 top flight domestic league but after the move into the English competition, the level of achievement slipped at home. The 2012-13 season saw a return to a higher standard. This culminated in taking the league title in 2018 and the grand final the following season. 

The last three years has produced a consistent decline in where the club is finishing in the Elite One league. I'm not sure why but the league they play in is competitive so it could just be the usual ebbs and flows that happen in any competition.  

Toulouse Olympique XIII League Placings : 2000-23

Toulouse Olympique XIII was founded in 1937, three years after the game arrived in the country. It's in the Haute-Garonne department in the region of Occitanie, south-west France. It was forced to play Rugby Union during the rule of the Vichy government. Success on the Rugby league field in terms of trophies hasn't come about often.

For the season 1999-2000, the club came from fourth in the league to win the grand final. It did the same in 2013-14 and the following season as well, after coming second in the league on both occasions. It pulled out of the elite division to concentrate on playing Championship Rugby league (second division) in England in seasons 2009 and 2010. 

It returned to the Championship in 2016 and has remained since then but this time retained Elite One status with a second side. Having a team playing in an English competition as well as another in France since 2017 has tested their depth as that second string team has not been that successful. It provides depth in players within the club and adds another side to the top flight league in France, something badly needed. 

Villeneuve XIII Léopards League Placings : 2000-23

Villeneuve XIII Léopards are based in Villeneuve-sur-Lot in the Aquitaine region in southern France. Formed in 1934, they were apparently the first French rugby league club. As with all the other clubs, the Vichy government banned the RL operation and they were forced to play rugby union under a new club name. Villeneuve came home to its sporting roots and in due time led to a most successful era from 1996 to 2003. 

Between 2000 and 2003 they won the league plus three grand finals from 2001 to 2003 plus a second league placing in 2002. In 2005 they experienced bankruptcy and a new club was quickly formed so they managed to retain their place in the top flight. They got a wooden spoon in 2008 but fought back. In 2015 the club faced closure again but donations from supporters saved the club from oblivion.

Recent results haven't been up much of their historical achievements but it's better to keep within financial limitations and remain viable than chase titles that put the club at risk. 2023 brought their second wooden spoon of this century but they battle on. 

Baroudeurs de Pia XIII League Placings : 2000-23

Salanque Méditerranée Pia XIII or SM Pia XIII are from the Pyrénées-Orientales region of southern France. It also is called Baroudeurs de Pia XIII which all sounds rather confusing. The club was formed in 1960 but it took until the 1990's to become a force in the game. By the year 2000, they were competing well in the Elite One league. 

From 2003 (no 2002 to refer to sorry) they were always near the top of the ladder, winning the league in 2006, 2007, 2012 and 2013. In the 2012-13 season, they also took the grand final as well for good measure. After these fine results, they announced that the club would be voluntarily leaving the top flight.  They would drop down to the bottom tier so they could remain within their means. 

Those means were now strong enough for a return to the top flight in French RL and a creditable fifth placing was achieved. There is still some kick in the donkey!

Palau XIII Broncos League Placings : 2000-23

Palau XIII Broncos hasn't been featuring in the Elite 1 top flight much in the 21st century but its recent efforts at playing at this level deserve recognition. It is based at Palau-del-Vidre in the Occitanie region and switched from the XV man code in 1952. While it is optional to be promoted in the French Rugby league, they took the plunge in the 2013-14 season. For a small club, a brave move indeed.

I would like to talk about all the historical victories at the top of the game in France, but the club's success has come in lower divisions when winning lower grade league titles. That makes their current status at the top all the more meritorious. I hope than sustain their place viably and without putting themselves at too much financial risk. It has the smallest budget of top flight teams.

It withdrew voluntarily from the top flight Elite One after the 2020-21 season so its brief stay at the top ended with solid results for a club on a tight budget.  

Villefranche XIII League Placings : 2000-21

Villefranche XIII Aveyron is located in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Aveyron in southern region of France. It was founded in 1950 after the town's rugby union club switched codes. Around 1999, the club also changed its name to Villefranche XIII Aveyron to include the local area of Aveyron, plus a new moniker was devised which was Les Loups or in English The Wolves. 

It arrived in this century as a member of the elite league and remained until 2006. Financial problems got the club into trouble so in 2004 they joined forces with Cahors XIII to form Union Villefranche-Cahors XIII. It ended its stay at the top after the 2005-06 season and in 2008 Villefranche removed itself from the union and reclaimed its previous name.   

RC Carpentras XIIII League Placings : 2000-21

Racing Club de Carpentras XIII arrived on the scene in 1938, competing as an amateur club. Just two seasons later war broke out and the Vichy government banned rugby league. The club was forced to change its name and play rugby union.  

It returned to the sport of its choice and enjoyed success on the field. Fast forward to the 21st century and the club was in the top flight for the 2000, 2002 and for the 2003 seasons. For 2006 it was back but came last. The next five seasons it fared better but by 2012, it was no longer part of the elite competition. 

Lyon Villeurbanne XIII League Placings : 2000-21

The club is from the city of Lyon, Rhône-Alpes in France. It was formed in 1934, making it one of the foundation clubs in France. Unfortunately, it's no longer in the elite or first division of Rugby league. Like other French clubs, it was banned from playing RL by the pro-Nazi Vichy government and forced to play Rugby Union.

After the war, the club had its most successful period. That didn't last and its fortunes since the turn of the century are shown below. It collected four wooden spoons within a six year period and last graced the top division in France in the 2009-10 season.