Castres Olympique

Rugby team
teamname = Castres Olympique


fullname = Castres Olympique
location = Castres, France
country

founded = 1898
ground = Stade Pierre-Antoine
capacity = 11500
president = Pierre-Yves Revol
coach = Mark McCall and Jeremy Davidson
league = Top 14
season = 2006-07
position = 11th
url = www.castres-olympique.fr
pattern_la1=| pattern_b1=_castreshome| pattern_ra1=| leftarm1=ADD8E6| body1=000000| rightarm1=ADD8E6| shorts1=000000| pattern_so1=_castres| socks1=
pattern_la2=| pattern_b2=| pattern_ra2=| leftarm2=ADD8E6| body2=FFFFFF| rightarm2=ADD8E6| shorts2=ADD8E6| socks2=ADD8E6

Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrenees city of Castres and 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-Antoine (capacity 11500) and wear blue and white.

History

In 1898 several alumni of Castres' municipal college met in a city center 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 up 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 up until 1948 when they reached and won their first Coupe de France. The prestigious Bouclier de Brennus 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.

Good results quickly ensued and Castres won the Brennus again in 1993 after a 43 years wait, becoming the last club outside of the big 3 - Toulouse, Biarritz and Stade Français - to win it. The club reached the final again in 1995 losing to local rivals Toulouse.

Honours

* French championship:
** Champions: 1949, 1950, 1993
** Runners-up: 1995
* Coupe de France:
** Champions: 1948
* Challenge Yves du Manoir:
** Runners-up: 1993
* Group B French Champions:
** Runners-up: 1989
* European Challenge Cup:
** Runners-up: 1997, 2000
* European Shield:
** Champions: 2003

Finals results

French championship

Current squad

rugby squad player | nat=France| pos=LK | name=Lionel Nallet (c) [fr icon cite web|url=http://www.castres-olympique.fr/index_site.html|title=L'équipe pro|work=Official club homepage of Castres Olympique]

References

External links

* [http://www.castres-olympique.fr/index_site.html Official site]