Sporting Union Cavaillonnais XIII are a French
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 ...
club based in
Cavaillon
Cavaillon (; ) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. ,
Vaucluse
Vaucluse (; or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019. in the
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. The club plays in the French
National Division 1 which is the French rugby league's 3rd tier. Founded in 1938, their home games are played at the
Stade Pagnetti.
History
Founded in 1938, when rugby club ''Sporting Union Cavaillonnais'' decided to switch codes to the expanding Rugby League. Remaining an amateur club they started their debut season in the 3rd tier 2nd Division where they would stay until the 1960s. By 1966 the club was in the 2nd tier ''National League 1'' and were semi-finalists in the league play-offs in 68/69 and better still they reached 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 ...
semi-finals in 72, Still to this day their best cup run. In season 83/84 SU Cavaillon XIII, as they were now called, had their best league campaign when after reaching the final of ''National League 1'' (now called Elite Two) they beat
Roanne XIII 32-20. That would prove to be the clubs best era at that level and by the early 1990s the club was back in the 3rd tier. In 1996/97 ''Cavaillon'' reached the National Division 1 final but were beaten by
Morieres XIII 8-12 and within the next five years they found themselves down in the 4th tier.
In season 2004/05 SU Cavaillon won the regional ''Provence'' league in
National Division 2
National Division 2 is the fourth tier of rugby league in France, below the National Division 1. The season runs from September to April. The Division is split into 5 regional leagues, East, South 1, South 2, South-East, South-West and West. Cl ...
and after winning through the play-offs met
Ornaisons
Ornaisons (; ) is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.
Geography
The village lies mainly on the left bank of the brook of Aussou, a tributary of the Orbieu, which forms part of the commune's western border, then flows northea ...
in the final losing out 11-28. The following season they reached the
Paul Dejean Cup final but lost again this time to
Begles XIII 23-30. When the French leagues were restructured in 2012 ''Cavaillon'' were promoted to an expanded
National Division 1 East.
Stadium
The club have always used the
Stade Pagnetti which is a multi-use sports stadium in the city. Both rugby league and union are played there along with football, with
ARC Cavaillon tenants along with US Cavaillon XIII
Honours
* National League 1 (Elite Two) (1): 1983-84
References
1938 establishments in France
Rugby league teams in France
Rugby clubs established in 1938
Vaucluse
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