Élite 1

Élite 1 Féminine
FormerlyTop 8 (2015–2018)
SportRugby union
Founded1971 (1971)
First season1972
No. of teams10
CountryFrance
Most recent
champion(s)		Stade Bordelais
(2025)
Most titlesToulouse Femina Sports (9)
Relegation toÉlite 2 Féminine
Official websiteÉlite 1

Élite 1 Féminine (since 2018, and previously Top 8 from 2015 to 2018) is the top national league for women's rugby union clubs in France. It was founded from the 1971–1972 season under the aegis of the French Women's Rugby Association before being taken over by the French Women's Rugby Federation, it has been organized by the French Rugby Federation since 1989. The first season was won by the ASVEL Rugby women's side.

The championship takes place in two phases: a so-called qualification phase, which is contested by all the teams, and a final phase which is played by direct elimination. From 2015 to 2018, the championship is referred to as the Top 8. In 2018, the championship went from a single pool of 8 clubs to two pools of 16. The 8 best clubs qualified for the final phase. Since the 2018–2019 season, two clubs have been relegated to Élite 2 at the end of the championship.

As with men, the most successful club in France is Toulouse: it is Toulouse Fémina Sports, with 9 French championship titles, in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984 and 1985. Montpellier RC is the second most successful team with eight titles (2007, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019). In a recent reform in 2021, the league has seen the number of teams decrease from 16 to 14 and there will only be 12 teams next season.[1][2]

ASM Romagnat won the Élite 1 2020–2021 season.[3]

Teams

2024–2025 Élite 1 Féminine season teams:[4]

Club Coach Stadium Capacity
Blagnac Rugby Nicolas Tranier Stade Ernest-Argelès 4,000
AC Bobigny 93 Clemence Gueucier Henri-Wallon Stadium 1,000
Stade Bordelais Francois Ratier Stade Sainte-Germaine / Stade Chaban-Delmas N/A / 34,462
FC Grenoble Leo Brissaud Stade Lesdiguières 12,650
Lyon OU Jean-Matthieu Alcalde Plaine des Jeux de Gerland N/A
Montpellier Armand Mardon Stade Sabathé 6,500
Stade Rennais Arnaud Le Berre Stade du Commandant Bougouin 5,000
ASM Romagnat Fabrice Ribeyrolles Stade des Pérouses 500
Stade Toulousain Olivier Marin Stade Ernest-Wallon 19,500
Villeneuvois Stadium Lille Metropole Alexandra Pertus and Cyril Fouda Stade Emmanuel-Thery N/A

Champions

1970–79

Season Champion Score Runner-up Venue Attendance Ref
1972 ASVEL 10–8 RC Adour Lombez
1973 FC Auch 10–8 Tarbes Rugby Morlaàs
1974 Violettes bressanes 25–10 FC Auch La Voulte
1975 Toulouse Fémina Sports 18–3 OF Valence Les Dragons Blancs Romagnat
1976 Toulouse Fémina Sports 8–3 Violettes bressanes Castres
1977 Toulouse Fémina Sports 12–7 Violettes bressanes Montaigut-le-Blanc
1978 Toulouse Fémina Sports 7–0 FC Auch Montaigut-le-Blanc
1979 Toulouse Fémina Sports 19–0 Coquelicots de Tournus Montaigut-le-Blanc

1980–89

Season Champion Score Runner-up Venue Attendance Ref
1980 Toulouse Fémina Sports 7–0 Violettes bressanes Montaigut-le-Blanc
1981 Violettes bressanes 10–3 Coquelicots de Tournus Montaigut-le-Blanc
1982 Toulouse Fémina Sports 7–0 Violettes bressanes Montaigut-le-Blanc
1983 La Teste Rugby 10–0 Violettes bressanes Tulle
1984 Toulouse Fémina Sports 10–0 Coquelicots de Tournus Privas
1985 Toulouse Fémina Sports 6–0 Violettes bressanes Montaigut-le-Blanc
1986 La Teste Rugby 8–0 Toulouse Fémina Sports
1987 La Teste Rugby 16–4 Coquelicots de Tournus Bègles
1988 La Teste Rugby 8–0 Violettes bressanes Anglet
1989 Violettes bressanes 19–12 AS Romagnat Montaigut-le-Blanc

1990–99

Season Champion Score Runner-up Venue Attendance Ref
1990 Saint-Orens 7–6 Violettes bressanes Tours
1991 Rugby Club de Chilly-Mazarin 3–0 Saint-Orens Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche
1992 Pachys d'Herm 10–3 Saint-Orens Marciac
1993 Saint-Orens 13–3 Violettes bressanes L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
1994 AS Romagnat 21–12 Saint-Orens Maurs
1995 AS Romagnat 10–6 Pachys d'Herm
1996 Rugby Club de Chilly-Mazarin 3–0 AS Romagnat Romorantin
1997 Pachys d'Herm 30–17 Saint-Orens Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris
1998 Pachys d'Herm 20–11 AS Romagnat Mussidan
1999 Caen Rugby Club 25–12 Pachys d'Herm Leucate

2000–09

Season Champion Score Runner-up Venue Attendance Ref
2000 Caen Rugby Club 12–5 Pachys d'Herm Poitiers
2001 Pachys d'Herm 20–19 Caen Rugby Club Limoges
2002 Caen Rugby Club 10–3 Saint-Orens Tyrosse
2003 Pachys d'Herm 23–15 Caen Rugby Club Parthenay
2004 USAT XV Toulouges 8–6 Ovalie caennaise Isle
2005 USAT XV Toulouges 7–3 Ovalie caennaise Stade de France, Saint-Denis
2006 USAT XV Toulouges 8–3 Stade Rennais rugby La Roche-sur-Yon
2007 Montpellier RC 10–3 Ovalie caennaise Grenoble
2008 USAT XV Toulouges 18–15 Montpellier RC Narbonne
2009 Montpellier RC 19–16 USAP XV Féminin Gruissan

2010–19

Season Champion Score Runner-up Venue Attendance Ref
2010 USAP XV Féminin 26–5 Montpellier RC Stade Jean Bouin, Paris
2011 USAP XV Féminin 15–11 Stade rennais rugby Saint-Médard-en-Jalles 1,200
2012 Rugby club lonsois 14–10 Montpellier RC Stade de Loudes, L'Union
2013 Montpellier RC 15–12 Lille MRC villeneuvois Stade Robert-Barran, Vierzon [5]
2014 Montpellier RC 29–19 AC Bobigny 93 rugby Stade de l'Escale, Arnas
Top 8
2015 Montpellier RC 17–3 Lille MRC villeneuvois Stade Marcel-Verchère, Bourg-en-Bresse
2016 Lille MRC villeneuvois 18–7 Montpellier RC Stade Jules-Ladoumègue, Massy
2017 Montpellier RC 17–11 Lille MRC villeneuvois Stade André-Moga, Bègles 1,500
2018 Montpellier RC 15–12 Stade toulousain Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne
Élite 1
2019 Montpellier RC 22–13 Stade toulousain Stade Maurice-Trélut, Tarbes

2020–29

Season Champion Score Runner-up Venue Attendance Ref Highlights
2020 Season interrupted by COVID-19
2021 ASM Romagnat 13–8 Blagnac Rugby Féminin Stade Ernest-Argelès, Blagnac 1,000 [6]
2022 Stade Toulousain 16–10 Blagnac Rugby Féminin Stade Lesdiguières, Grenoble [7]
2023 Stade Bordelais 27–23 Blagnac Rugby Féminin Stade Sainte-Germaine [8]
2024 Stade Bordelais 32–17 ASM Romagnat Stade Pierre Rajon Bourgoin-Jallieu [9][10] [11]
2025 Stade Bordelais 32–24 Stade Toulousain Rugby Stade Marcel-Michelin [12]
2026
2027
2028
2029

Winners and runners up

  • Current Élite 1 Féminine participating clubs indicated in bold
Club Wins Runners-up Winning Seasons Last Win
Toulouse Fémina Sports 9 1 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1982 1984 1985 1985
Montpellier RC 8 4 2007 2009 2013 2014 2015 2017 2018 2019 2019
Pachys d'Herm 5 3 1992 1997 1998 2001 2003 2003
USAT XV Toulouges 4 0 2004 2005 2006 2008 2008
La Teste Rugby 4 0 1983 1986 1987 1988 1988
Violettes Bressanes 3 9 1974 1981 1989 1989
Caen Rugby Club 3 2 1999 2000 2002 2002
Stade Bordelais 3 0 2023 2024 2025 2025
Saint-Orens 2 5 1990 1993 1993
AS Romagnat 2 3 1994 1995 1995
USAP XV Féminin 2 1 2010 2011 2011
Rugby Club de Chilly-Mazarin 2 0 1991 1996 1996
Stade Toulousain 1 3 2022 2022
Lille MRC Villeneuvois 1 3 2016 2016
FC Auch 1 2 1973 1973
ASM Romagnat 1 1 2021 2021
Rugby Club Lonsois 1 0 2012 2012
ASVEL 1 0 1972 1972
Coquelicots de Tournus 0 4
Blagnac Rugby Féminin 0 3
Ovalie Caennaise 0 3
Stade Rennais Rugby 0 2
OF Valence Les Dragons Blancs 0 1
AC Bobigny 93 Rugby 0 1
RC Adour 0 1
Tarbes Rugby 0 1

References

  1. ^ "Elite 1 - En quête d'homogénéité, l'Elite féminine entame sa mue". Rugbyrama (in French). 17 September 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  2. ^ "France reorganises its elite league – again". Scrum Queens. 9 May 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Romagnat win French championship". Scrum Queens. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Actualités rugby féminin Elite 1 2019/2020 - Compétitions FFR". Compétitions - FFR (in French). Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  5. ^ Birch, John (1 July 2013). "French Top 10: The south triumphs!". ScrumQueens. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  6. ^ France Rugby (22 June 2021). Elite 1 féminine : Le résumé de la finale 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2025 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ Résumé Finale Elite 1 2022 : Toulouse - Blagnac | 📺 Le résumé de la finale ! C'était serré jusqu'au bout à Grenoble samedi soir 🤩 #Elite1 | By Élite 1 Féminine | Facebook. Retrieved 29 March 2025 – via www.facebook.com.
  8. ^ France Rugby (10 June 2023). Elite 1 féminine : Les Bordelaises championnes de France. Retrieved 29 March 2025 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ Charpenet, David (8 June 2024). "Elite 1 féminine - Stade bordelais - ASM Romagnat : le résumé du sacre des Bordelaises". rugbyrama.fr. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Congratulations to the Bordeaux women's rugby team!". Le Bonbon.
  11. ^ France Rugby (10 June 2024). Elite 1 féminines 2024 : Le résumé complet de la finale Stade Bordelais - ASM Romagnat. Retrieved 29 March 2025 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ https://www.youtube.com/live/FBAKHraHUIo
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