Albi Rugby League XIII originally called Racing Club Albigeois XIII and more recently also known as RC Albi XIII are a semi-professional
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
team based in
Albi
Albi (; ) is a commune in France, commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn (department), Tarn Departments of France, department, on the river Tarn (river), Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ...
in the
Occitanie region in southern France. Formed in 1934 the club compete in the
Super XIII
Super XIII is the top level rugby league competition in France, sanctioned by the French Rugby League Federation. The season runs from September to April, which is in contrast to the majority of other major domestic rugby league competitions w ...
the highest level of competition in France. They have won the French title on six occasions and the
Lord Derby Cup
The Coupe de France Lord Derby (), or just Coupe Lord Derby ('Lord Derby Cup'), is the premier knockout competition for the sport of rugby league football in France, as well as the name of its championship trophy. The tournament was first conte ...
once. Their current home stadium is Stade Mazicou.
History
Racing Club Albigeois XIII were one of the founder clubs of rugby league in France indeed they were the second club formed after
US Villeneuve
Villeneuve XIII originally called Sports Athletic Villeneuvois XIII are a semi-professional rugby league team based in Villeneuve-sur-Lot in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France. Formed in 1934, the first French rugby league ...
in May 1934. They were formed by
Jean-Marie Vignal one of
Jean Galia
Jean Galia (born 20 March 1905 in Ille-sur-Têt, Pyrénées-Orientales, died 17 January 1949 in Toulouse) was a French rugby union and rugby league footballer and champion boxer. He is credited with establishing the sport of rugby league in Fra ...
's pioneers who would be the club's first captain/coach and
Simon Bompunt
Simon may refer to:
People
* Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon
* Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon
* Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
who would be the club's first chairman. Initially the club recruited from nearby Toulouse as the local Rugby Union club
SC Albi
Sporting Club Albigeois is a professional French rugby union club playing the third-level Nationale. During the past years it went back and forth between Top 14, the highest level of the French league system and the second-level Rugby Pro D2. ...
refused players to move to the new club, only two would move in the early years. The club finished 7th in their debut season their first ever match finishing in a 6–26 defeat at
Bordeaux XIII
In season 1937-38 despite finishing 7th the club won through the play-offs to reach the final and then caused a major upset, beating
US Villeneuve
Villeneuve XIII originally called Sports Athletic Villeneuvois XIII are a semi-professional rugby league team based in Villeneuve-sur-Lot in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France. Formed in 1934, the first French rugby league ...
8–3 to lift their first trophy. They reached the semi-final in 1939–40 in what would be the last championship before war broke out. During the war the
Vichy Government
Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...
banned Rugby League in France and the club were forced to join with the rugby union club in the town
SC Albi
Sporting Club Albigeois is a professional French rugby union club playing the third-level Nationale. During the past years it went back and forth between Top 14, the highest level of the French league system and the second-level Rugby Pro D2. ...
under a new name Albi Olympique. After the war the club went back to Rugby League, they enjoyed a good spell at the end of the 1950s as they won the
French rugby league championship
The French rugby league championship () was the top tier of the French rugby league system from its inception in 1934 until 2002 when the league was split into two divisions; the Elite One Championship and Elite Two Championship.
In all season ...
three times in six years.
They also hosted the touring
Australia national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team, the Kangaroos, have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competitions since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League Com ...
, losing 22–31 in 1952 and 20–25 in 1956, but in 1959 they earned a 19–10 win against them in front of 5,845 spectators.
The club won the
Lord Derby Cup
The Coupe de France Lord Derby (), or just Coupe Lord Derby ('Lord Derby Cup'), is the premier knockout competition for the sport of rugby league football in France, as well as the name of its championship trophy. The tournament was first conte ...
in 1974
and won the league championship for a fifth time in 1977.
[
The club withdrew from the ]Elite One Championship
Super XIII is the top level rugby league competition in France, sanctioned by the French Rugby League Federation. The season runs from September to April, which is in contrast to the majority of other major domestic rugby league competitions ...
at the end of the 2007–08 season due to financial reasons but in 2014–15 they won the Elite Two Championship
Elite 2 (formerly the Elite Two Championship) is the second tier semi-professional rugby league competition in France below Super XIII, but above the National Division 1. The season runs from September to April. The clubs play each other hom ...
and returned to the top flight finishing a creditable 5th in 2015–16.
In the 2024–25 season, Albi won the Super XIII
Super XIII is the top level rugby league competition in France, sanctioned by the French Rugby League Federation. The season runs from September to April, which is in contrast to the majority of other major domestic rugby league competitions w ...
title by defeating AS Carcassone 26–16 in the final.
The club currently runs youth sides and a ladies team.
Colours and Badge
The club have always played in amber and black. The Badge has been changed originally it was a French cockerel stood on a rugby ball with the number 13 on the ball. This was changed to a tiger next to a tower logo before the current one was used. The reference to 'Tigers' comes from the 90s when they followed many other clubs in adopting a moniker, possibly along the lines of Castleford Tigers
The Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England. They play their home games at Wheldon Road (currently known as the Mend-A-Hose Jungle for sponsorship reasons) and compete in the Super League, t ...
who happen to play in the same colours
Stadium
They club are currently based at Stade Mazicou.
They were previously based at the Stadium Municipal d'Albi
The Stadium Municipal d'Albi is a multi-purpose stadium in Albi, France. It is currently used for rugby union as the home of SC Albi. After an expansion project completed in 2007, the stadium holds 13,000 with 8,000 seated.
History
Built an ...
which had been the club's home ground since it opened for rugby in 1964. The main stand is a cantilever grandstand while opposite is newer stand both these stands are all seated, at either end there is terracing. In 1977 the French rugby league championship
The French rugby league championship () was the top tier of the French rugby league system from its inception in 1934 until 2002 when the league was split into two divisions; the Elite One Championship and Elite Two Championship.
In all season ...
was held here despite RC Albi being in the final against AS Carcassonne
Association Sportive of Carcassonne are a semi-professional rugby league football club based in Carcassonne in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie in the south of France. They play in the French Super XIII and are one of th ...
. A record rugby crowd of 20,000 witnessed an Albi win, their last to date. In 1979 France national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represents France in international rugby league matches. They are referred to as ''les Chanticleers'' or less commonly as ''les Tricolores''. The team is run under the auspices of the French Rugby League Fed ...
beat the touring Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea in the sport of rugby league football.
In Papua New Guinea, Rugby League is a highly popular sport and is regarded as the country's national sport. The national side ar ...
16–9. The stadium underwent a major revamp in 2007 resulting in the now 13,058 capacity including 8,000 seated.
Current squad
Squad for 2024-25 Season
Notable players
* Eric Anselme
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Nor ...
* Jack Oster
Honours
* French Championship
The French rugby league championship () was the top tier of the French rugby league system from its inception in 1934 until 2002 when the league was split into two divisions; the Elite One Championship and Elite Two Championship.
In all seasons ...
/ Super XIII
Super XIII is the top level rugby league competition in France, sanctioned by the French Rugby League Federation. The season runs from September to April, which is in contrast to the majority of other major domestic rugby league competitions w ...
(6): 1937–38, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1976–77, 2024–25
* Elite 2 (2): 1990–91, 2014–15
* Lord Derby Cup
The Coupe de France Lord Derby (), or just Coupe Lord Derby ('Lord Derby Cup'), is the premier knockout competition for the sport of rugby league football in France, as well as the name of its championship trophy. The tournament was first conte ...
(1): 1973-74
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Albi, Racing Club
Rugby league teams in France
Sport in Albi
Sport in Tarn (department)
1934 establishments in France
Rugby clubs established in 1934