• Source: Castres Olympique

Castres Olympique (French pronunciation: [kastʁ ɔlɛ̃pik], CAST-(r)) is a French rugby union club located in the Occitanian city of Castres and is 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-Fabre, which is one of the smallest in Top 14 with a capacity of 12,500. The team wear blue and white kits.
The team won five French top-division championships in 1949, 1950, 1993 (in a match decided by an irregular try accorded by the referee), 2013, and 2018 as well as one Coupe de France in 1948.




History


In 1898 several alumni of Castres' municipal college met in a city centre 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 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 until 1948 when they reached and won their first Coupe de France. The prestigious championship 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.
In 1993, Castres play the final of the 1993 French Rugby Union Championship against Grenoble, a team who was nicknamed "the mammoths", because of its incredibly physical forward pack, coached by the former french national team manager Jacques Fouroux.
Castres won its third national title 14–11, in a controversial match.
Indeed a try of Olivier Brouzet is denied to Grenoble and the decisive try by Gary Whetton was awarded by the referee, Daniel Salles, when in fact the defender Franck Hueber from Grenoble touched down the ball first in his try zone.
This error gave the title to Castres. Salles admitted the error 13 years later

Jacques Fouroux, being already suspicious before the match of the referee, saw in this outcome a conspiracy of his ennemies from inside the rugby union french Federation

The club reached the final again in 1995 losing 31–16 to Stade Toulousain.
Castres won the 2012–13 French Rugby Union Championship beating Toulon 19–14 in the final.
The team's owner, Pierre Fabre, the founder of Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, died on 20 July 2013. Castres home stadium, previously known as Stade Pierre-Antoine, was renamed in his memory during ceremonies in conjunction with Castres match with Montpellier on 9 September 2017.
Castres won the 2017–18 French Rugby Union Championship beating Montpellier 29–13 in the final.
After finishing first in the 2021-2022 Top 14, Castres played a semi-final against the Stade Toulousain of Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack, beating them 24-18. The final is a rematch of 2018, but this time, Montpellier win 29-10.




Honours


French championship Top 14
Champions (5): 1949, 1950, 1993, 2013, 2018
Runners-up (3): 1995, 2014, 2022
European Rugby Challenge Cup
Runners-up (2): 1997, 2000
European Shield
Champions (1): 2003
French Cup
Champions (1): 1948
Challenge Yves du Manoir
Runners-up (1): 1993
Group B French Champions
Champions (1): 1989




Finals results






= French championship

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= European Rugby Challenge Cup

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= European Shield

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Current standings






Current squad



The Castres squad for the 2023–24 season is:
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.




= Espoirs squad

=
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.




Notable former players






See also


List of rugby union clubs in France
Rugby union in France




References






External links


(in French) Official website

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Claude Puel
• Castres Olympique
• Castres
• Top 14
• European Shield
• Nick Champion de Crespigny
• Richie Gray (rugby union, born 1989)
• Olympique
• Antoine Dupont
• Chris Masoe
• List of 2016–17 Top 14 transfers