Castres Olympique

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Castres Olympique
Full name	Castres Olympique
Founded	1898
Location	Castres, France
Ground	Stade Pierre-Antoine
Capacity	9,423
President	Pierre-Yves Revol
Coach	Laurent Seigne and Ugo Mola
League	Top 14
2005-06	7th
Home colours		Away colours
Official Website
www.castres-olympique.fr

Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrenees city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.

Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906. They play at the Stade Pierre-Antoine (capacity 9,423) and wear blue and white.

Contents 1 History 2 Honours 3 Finals results 3.1 French championship 4 Current squad 5 Notable players 6 External link

[edit] History

In 1898 several alumni of Castres' municipal college met in a city center bar and decided to create a team allowing them to play their favourite sport, rugby union. For the first few years this team was part of a multisport club up until 1906. Unhappy with the dominating position cycling 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 up until 1948 when they reached and won their first Coupe de France. The prestigious Bouclier de Brennus would follow a year later, and again in 1950.

From the 1960s the club would experience a stream of mediocre seasons and steady decline until Pierre Fabre, the founder of a local pharmaceutical company, decided to take over the club and restore it to its former relative glory in 1988.

Good results quickly ensued and Castres won the Brennus again in 1993 after a 43 years wait, becoming the last club outside of the big 3 - Toulouse, Biarritz and Stade Français - to win it. The club reached the final again in 1995 losing to local rivals Toulouse.

[edit] Honours

• French championship:
  • Champions: 1949, 150, 1993
  • Runners-up: 1995
• Coupe de France:
  • Champions: 1948
• Challenge Yves du Manoir:
  • Runners-up: 1993
• Group B French Champions:
  • Runners-up: 1989
• European Challenge Cup:
  • Runners-up: 1997, 2000
• European Shield:
  • Champions: 2003

[edit] Finals results

[edit] French championship

Date	Score	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

[edit] Current squad

Nationality Name Remy Vigneaux David Roumieu Akvsenti Giorgadze Yannik Forestier David Attoub Laurent Dusolin Jérémy Castex Kees Meeuws Frédérico Capo Ortega Carl Hoeft Lionel Nallet Nicolas Spanghero Karim Ghezal Maxime Santoni Alexandre Bias Guillaume Taussac Romain Froment Florian Faure Guillaume Bernad Julien Puricelli Alexandru Manta

Nationality Name Rodrigo Capo Ortega Paul Volley Thomas Genevois Florent Fourcade Alexandre Albouy Mathieu Barrau Yann Delaigue Laurent Marticorena Yann Fior Josselin Lapierre Phil Christophers Romi Ropati Freddie Tuilagi Nicolas Raffault Brad Fleming Laloa Milford Laurent Cadau Frédéric Cermeno Romain Teulet Jean-Baptiste Peyras

[edit] Notable players

• Phil Christophers (England)
• Kees Meeuws (New Zealand)

[edit] External link

• (French) Official site