The Stade Pierre Baizet St Ruf or as its more commonly known Stade Saint Ruf is a multi-purpose stadium in

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. It is the home of rugby league club

Sporting Olympique Avignon Sporting Olympique Avignon also known as Avignon XIII or SO Avignon are a semi-professional rugby league team based in Avignon in the south of France. They currently play in the Super XIII. The club was formed in 1916 and they enjoyed their best ...

who play in the French

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 ...

History

The ground has been used since 1916 as a sporting venue. Originally there were just wooden benches and grass banks to accommodate spectators and during Sporting Olympique Avignon's heyday in the 1950s crowds of 10,000 were crammed around the playing area. At this time a brewery was sited adjacent to the ground but that has since been demolished to make way for a by-pass. New stands replaced the original wooden stands after a fire destroyed the old ones. From 2000 some minor refurbishment took place. In 2008 a synthetic pitch was laid and at the same time another refurbishment saw the pitch realigned nearer to the main stand along with a VIP area, press facilities, a bar and a club shop fitted. The current capacity is 1,800 with 1,000 seated in the main stand

References

Rugby league stadiums in France Sport in Avignon Sports venues in Vaucluse {{France-sports-venue-stub