Castres Olympique is a French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 club located in the Midi-Pyrénées

Midi-Pyrénées

Midi-Pyrénées is the largest region of metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.Midi-Pyrénées has no historical or geographical unity...

 city of Castres

Castres

Castres is a commune, and arrondissement capital in the Tarn department and Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It lies in the former French province of Languedoc....

 and currently competing in the top level of the French league system

Ligue Nationale de Rugby

The Top 14 is a rugby union club competition which is played in France. The Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the French National Rugby League, also known by its French initialism of LNR. There is promotion and relegation between the Top 14 and the next level down, the...

.

Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906

1906 in sports

1906 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Princeton Tigers and Yale Bulldogs Events...

. They play at the Stade Pierre-Antoine

Stade Pierre-Antoine

Stade Pierre-Antoine is a multi-purpose stadium in Castres, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Castres Olympique. The stadium is able to hold 11,500 people.-External links:*...

 (capacity 11,500) and wear blue and white.

History

In 1898

1898 in sports

-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Harvard Crimson and Princeton Tigers Events* The Morgan Athletic Club, which will eventually become Arizona Cardinals, is founded in Chicago and is the sport's oldest professional team.-Association football:England*...

 several alumni

Alumnus

An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...

 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

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

. For the first few years this team was part of a multisport club up until 1906

1906 in sports

1906 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Princeton Tigers and Yale Bulldogs Events...

. Unhappy with the dominating position cycling

Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

 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

1948 in sports

-American football:* University of Michigan wins college football national championship.* Cleveland Browns 49–7 Buffalo Bills in the All-America Football Conference championship game....

 when they reached and won their first Coupe de France. The prestigious Bouclier de Brennus

Bouclier de Brennus

The Bouclier de Brennus, or Brennus Shield in English, is a trophy awarded to the winners of the French rugby union domestic league.The shield was not named, as it is often believed, after the famous Gallic warrior Brennus but rather artist Charles Brennus, co-founder of the USFSA, the original...

 would follow a year later, and again in 1950

1950 in sports

-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns win 30–28 over the Los Angeles Rams* Oklahoma Sooners – college football champions.* Coaches Poll established to rank top 20 American college football teams-Association football:...

.

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

1993 in sports

1993 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg** Women's overall season champion: Anita Wachter, Austria-American football:...

 after a 43 years wait. The club reached the final again in 1995

1995 in sports

1995 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Alberto Tomba, Italy** Women's overall season champion: Vreni Schneider, Switzerland-American football:...

 losing to local rivals Toulouse.

Honours

• French championship:
  • Champions: 1949, 1950, 1993
  • Runners-up: 1995
• Coupe de France:
  • Champions: 1948
• Challenge Yves du Manoir
  Challenge Yves du Manoir
  The Challenge Yves du Manoir was a rugby union club competition that was played in France between 1931 and 2003 under different names. It is named after former player Yves du Manoir.-History:...
  
  :
  • Runners-up: 1993
• Group B French Champions:
  • Runners-up: 1989
• European Challenge Cup
  European Challenge Cup
  The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...
  
  :
  • Runners-up: 1997, 2000
• European Shield
  European Shield
  The European Shield was a reprechage tournament for teams knocked out in the first round of the European Challenge Cup in 2002-03 and 2003-04. The name "European Shield" had previously been used for the now renamed European Challenge Cup....
  
  :
  • Champions: 2003

French championship

Date	Score	Runners-up	Score	Venue	Spectators
22 May 1949	Castres Olympique	Stade Montois Stade Montois Stade Montois is a French rugby union team that plays in the 2011–12 season in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system.They were founded in 1908 and play in yellow and black...	14-3 1	Stade des Ponts Jumeaux Stade des Ponts Jumeaux The Stade des Ponts Jumeaux was a rugby union stadium, inaugurated on 24 November 1907, in the Ponts Jumeaux district of Toulouse, south-western France. The land was purchased by the embryonic Stade Toulousain rugby team – with financial assistance from city notables – then headed by a law... , Toulouse Toulouse Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...	23,000
16 April 1950	Castres Olympique	Racing Club de France Racing Metro 92 Paris Racing Métro 92 is a French rugby union club based in suburban Paris that was formed in 2001 with the collaboration of the Racing Club de France and US Métro. "92" is the number of Hauts-de-Seine, the département of Île-de-France, bordering Paris to the west, where they play, and whose council...	11-8	Stade des Ponts Jumeaux Stade des Ponts Jumeaux The Stade des Ponts Jumeaux was a rugby union stadium, inaugurated on 24 November 1907, in the Ponts Jumeaux district of Toulouse, south-western France. The land was purchased by the embryonic Stade Toulousain rugby team – with financial assistance from city notables – then headed by a law... , Toulouse Toulouse Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...	25,000
5 June 1993	Castres Olympique	FC Grenoble	14-11	Parc des Princes Parc des Princes The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed... , Paris	48,000
6 May 1995	Stade Toulousain Stade Toulousain Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...	Castres Olympique	31-16	Parc des Princes Parc des Princes The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed... , Paris	48,615

Current squad

In for 2011/12

Rory Kockott

Rory Kockott

Rory Kockott born 25 June 1986 in East London, South Africa is a rugby union player and attended Selborne College. He currently plays for Castres Olympique after signing from the Sharks in the Super 14 competition. He plays as a scrumhalf.-External links:*...

 (from   Lions

Golden Lions

The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason...

) Pierre-Gilles Lakafia

Pierre-Gilles Lakafia

Pierre-Gilles Lakafia is a French rugby union player. He plays at Wing for Castres. He is the brother of Biarritz Olympique Academy squad Number 8, Rafaël Lakafia and the son of former French javelin champion Jean-Paul Lakafia, and his mother was a discus thrower. His parents are originally from...

 (from   Stade Toulousain

Stade Toulousain

Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...

) Saimone Taumoepeau

Saimone Taumoepeau

Saimone Taumoepeau is a professional rugby union player in France.-Career:Born in Tonga, Taumoepeau emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 20. Taumoepeau was a shock selection in the 2004 end-of-year All Blacks squad after having only made his debut that season in provincial rugby's Air New...

 (from   RC Toulonnais

RC Toulonnais

RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...

) Karena Wihongi

Karena Wihongi

Karena Wihongi is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays as a prop, and has "a reputation for powerful scrummaging courtesy of his hefty 19st 9lb, 6ft 1in frame." He previously played his club rugby for the Aviva Premiership side Sale Sharks, to whom he was signed in 2010...

 (from   Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...

) Max Evans (from   Glasgow Warriors

Glasgow Warriors

The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...

)

Out for 2011/2012

Benjamin Kayser

Benjamin Kayser

Benjamin Kayser is a French Rugby union player who plays as hooker for Clermont Auvergne in the French Top 14....

 (to   ASM Clermont Auvergne

ASM Clermont Auvergne

Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...

) Carl Hoeft

Carl Hoeft

Carl Hoeft is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He currently plays for French club Stade Toulousain after signing from Castres Olympique in the Summer of 2011. His usual position is at prop. He was a part of the All Blacks squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.-External links:* *...

 (to   Stade Toulousain

Stade Toulousain

Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...

)

Notable former players

Ignacio Fernández Lobbe

Ignacio Fernández Lobbe

Carlos Ignacio Fernández Lobbe is an Argentine rugby union footballer. He currently plays with English side, Bath Rugby in the Aviva Premiership...

 Mario Ledesma

Mario Ledesma

Mario Ledesma Arocena is an Argentine rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the French club ASM Clermont Auvergne in the Top 14 competition. He also previously played for another French club, Castres Olympique, Narbonne and Curupaytí club in Argentina...

 Phil Christophers

Phil Christophers

Philip Derek Christophers is a rugby union footballer who plays on the wing for Castres and has previously played for England.Christophers was born and raised in Germany with an English father and a German mother...

 Paul Volley

Paul Volley

Paul William Volley is an English rugby union player. As an open-side flanker, he played for London Wasps for 16 years. He joined as a 16 year old from Chinnor. After winning both the Zurich Premiership and Heineken Cup with Wasps in 2004, he left to play for Castres Olympique in France...

 David Attoub

David Attoub

David Attoub is a French rugby union footballer, currently playing for Stade Français in the Top 14 club competition in France. He formerly played for Valence Sportif, Clermont Auvergne and Castres Olympique, and has also played for France...

 David Bory

David Bory

David Bory is a retired French international rugby union player.He spent most of his career playing for the Clermont and moved to the Castres Olympique in the French Top 14 club competition in 2004....

 Mathieu Bourret Alain Carminati

Alain Carminati

Alain Carminati Alain Carminati Alain Carminati (born August 17, 1966 in Champagnole, France is a retired French international rugby union player.He played as a Flanker and Number 8.He earned his first cap with the French national team on 23 October 1986 against Romania at Bucharest...

 Thomas Castaignède

Thomas Castaignède

Thomas Castaignède is a former French rugby union footballer from Mont-de-Marsan, Gascogne.Born in Mont-de-Marsan, Aquitaine, Castaignède played as a junior and senior for Stade Montois in various positions, initially as fly-half or centre, and latterly as fullback...

 Gerard Cholley

Gerard Cholley

Gérard Cholley is a retired French international rugby union player.He played as a Prop for Castres Olympique....

 Arnaud Costes

Arnaud Costes

Arnaud Costes is a French former international rugby union footballer who also played for France national team.- Career :...

 Yann Delaigue

Yann Delaigue

Yann Delaigue is a retired French international rugby union player.He earned his first cap with the French national team on 19 March 1994 against Scotland in a Five Nations Championship match that ended in a 20-12 victory.-Notes:...

 Richard Dourthe

Richard Dourthe

Richard Dourthe is a retired French international rugby union.He is the son of Claude Dourthe and both Raphaël Ibañez and Olivier Magne's brother-in-law, being them married with his two sisters.- External links :****...

 Romain Froment   Karim Ghezal Raphaël Ibañez

Raphaël Ibanez

Raphaël Ibañez is a retired French rugby union footballer. A hooker, he was also a former captain of the France national team.-Club career:...

 Thierry Lacroix

Thierry Lacroix

Thierry Lacroix is a former French rugby union footballer. He won 43 caps playing at fly-half for the French rugby union side. He made his international test debut at the age of 22 on 4 November 1989 as a replacement against Australia. He was part of the winning side in the 1993 Five Nations...

 Lionel Nallet

Lionel Nallet

Lionel Nallet is a French rugby union player who currently plays at lock for Racing Métro 92 in the French Top 14 club competition and is a former captain of the France national team. He began his professional career with CS Bourgoin-Jallieu, playing there from 1998 to 2003 before moving to...

 Pascal Papé

Pascal Papé

Pascal Papé is a French rugby union footballer.He plays lock and has joined Stade Français after spending many years in Bourgoin, and playing two years at Castres Olympique...

 Jean-Baptiste Peyras-Loustalet

Jean-Baptiste Peyras-Loustalet

| name =Jean-Baptiste Peyras-Loustalet| image =| fullname =| birth_date = | birth_place = Pau, France| height = | weight = 93 kg| nickname =| school =| university =| relatives =| position = Wing| currentclub = Montpellier| clubnumber =| youthyears =...

 Nicolas Spanghero

Nicolas Spanghero

Nicolas Spanghero is a French rugby union player. He plays as a lock.He is nephew of former international, Walter Spanghero and Claude Spanghero. He represented Harlequins in the Guinness Premiership and now plays for Colomiers in the French Pro D2.He has played for France A.-External links:*...

 Patrick Tabacco

Patrick Tabacco

Patrick Tabacco is a French rugby player.A native of Toulouse, he has played for the US Colomiers , Stade Français Paris , Section Paloise and Castres Olympique. He was a member of France's 2003 Rugby World Cup squad.-External links:* *...

 Guilaume Taussac Romain Teulet

Romain Teulet

Romain Teulet is a French rugby union player, currently playing for the Top 14 team Castres Olympique....

 Sébastien Tillous-Borde

Sébastien Tillous-Borde

Sébastien Tillous-Borde is a French rugby union player. He plays scrum-half for his club rugby with Castres Olympique. He won his first international cap for France against Australia in 2008.-Notes:...

 Pablo Canavosio

Pablo Canavosio

Pablo Canavosio is an Italian Argentine rugby union footballer. He currently plays for Aironi in the Italian Magners League. Previously, Canavosio played club rugby in Italy, for Rovigo, Calvisano and Castres Olympique. His usual position is at scrum half or wing.Canavosio has been capped by...

 Ramiro Pez

Ramiro Pez

Ramiro Pez is an Italian Argentine rugby union footballer who normally plays at fly-half. In 2008-09, he joined the newly promoted French Top 14 club Toulon, having been signed from Venezia Mestre in the Italian Super 10 competition.He made his international debut with the Italian national team on...

 Fabio Staibano

Fabio Staibano

Fabio Staibano is an Italian rugby union footballer. He plays as a prop.Staibano played at a youth level at Battipaglia Rugby, moving to Overmach Rugby Parma F.C., aged 18 years old, where he would stay from 2001/02 to 2007/08. Staibano represented the French team of Castres Olympique for the...

 Kees Lensing

Kees Lensing

Kees Lensing is a Namibian rugby union player who previously played for Castres in the Top 14 competition. He plays as a prop.-External links:*...

 Frank Bunce

Frank Bunce

Frank Eneri Bunce is a retired New Zealand rugby union player and current coach. He played international rugby for both Western Samoa and New Zealand in the 1990s, appearing in the 1991 and 1995 World Cups...

 Carl Hoeft

Carl Hoeft

Carl Hoeft is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He currently plays for French club Stade Toulousain after signing from Castres Olympique in the Summer of 2011. His usual position is at prop. He was a part of the All Blacks squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.-External links:* *...

 Kees Meeuws

Kees Meeuws

Kees Junior Meeuws is a former New Zealand rugby union prop and current assistant coach of the Highlanders in the Super Rugby tournament. Meeuws played 42 tests for the All Blacks between 1998 and 2004, scoring 10 test tries...

 Gary Whetton

Gary Whetton

Gary William Whetton is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. He played 180 matches for Auckland, and 58 tests at lock for the All Blacks from 1981 to 1991. He currently serves on the Auckland Blues board....

 Darron Nell

Darron Nell

Darron Nell is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with the .He started playing his rugby for the in the 2003 Vodacom Cup and plied his trade there until 2008. He then joined the for the 2010 Currie Cup First Division season.He also represented the Southern Kings in the 2009...

 Laloa Milford

Laloa Milford

Laloa Milford is a rugby union player who currently plays for the Santa Monica Rugby Club. He is a former rugby league player who represented Samoa.-Rugby league career:...

 Freddie Tuilagi

Freddie Tuilagi

Fereti Tuilagi is a former Samoan rugby union Rugby player who previously played rugby league for Halifax Blue Sox and St. Helens. He played as a wing or centre and now is currently retired...

 Glenn Metcalfe

Glenn Metcalfe

Glenn Hayden Metcalfe is a former rugby union footballer who played at fullback for Glasgow, Castres and Scotland.-Career:...

 Gregor Townsend

Gregor Townsend

Gregor Peter John Townsend MBE is a former Scottish rugby union player who played at fly-half, full back and latterly centre....

 Salesi Sika

Salesi Sika

Salesi Sika is an American rugby union player and plays as a wing or centre for Castres Olympique. He is Mormon.He is a member of the United States national rugby union team and participated with the squad at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.-References:...

External links

Official site