Racing Club Chalonnais, also known simply as RC Chalon 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 from Chalon-sur-Saône

Chalon-sur-Saône

Chalon-sur-Saône is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the largest city in the department; however, the department capital is the smaller city of Mâcon....

. They competed in Fédérale 1

Fédérale 1

Le championnat de France de première division fédérale, a.k.a. Fédérale 1, is a French rugby union club competition, the highest level of amateur rugby. The competition has been organised by the Fédération Française de Rugby since 2000, when it replaced the B2 Group...

, the third level of the French league system, in the 2009–10 season, but recent financial troubles saw them relegated two levels, to Fédérale 3

Fédérale 3

Fédérale 3 is the fifth division of rugby union in France. The competition involves 226 clubs in 21 pools of 8, and winners can progress up into higher division of competition. The competition above Fédérale 3 is Fédérale 2 and above that, Fédérale 1...

, for 2010–11.

History

RC Chalon was founded in 1899 They were promoted to the first division at the end of the 1957–58 season. Their best result remains a qualification for the last 32 in 1963. In 1970, historical president Louis Brailly resigned and the club were relegated to second division. Their gained promotion again the next year, only to be relegated again in 1974. They had to wait until 1988 when a 12–10 win over Chambéry gave them the right to compete in the elite again. Arguably one of the most glorious wins in the history of the club occurred on April 26, 1992 when they defeated defending champions Bègles-Bordeaux

CA Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde

Club Athlétique Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde are a French multisports club, established in 1907, based in Bègles, in the southern suburbs of Bordeaux. Their rugby union section, Union Bordeaux Bègles is their flagship...

 19–18. At the end of the 1992–93 season, Chalon were relegated to Groupe B, and would spend all the subsequent years in Fédérale 1

Fédérale 1

Le championnat de France de première division fédérale, a.k.a. Fédérale 1, is a French rugby union club competition, the highest level of amateur rugby. The competition has been organised by the Fédération Française de Rugby since 2000, when it replaced the B2 Group...

, with the exception of the 2002–03 season spent in Fédérale 2

Fédérale 2

Fédérale 2 is a rugby union club championship division in France. It is the fourth division of rugby above Fédérale 3. Teams can earn promotion to Fédérale 1, and subsequently, the professional leagues such as Rugby Pro D2 and the Top 14.-Results:...

.

Recent years

Since the 2005–06 season, boosted by the arrival of former Brive

CA Brive

Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on...

 player and Belgian

Belgium national rugby union team

The Belgium national rugby union team represents the third tier rugby playing nation of Belgium. They first played in 1930 and have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. Rugby union in Belgium is administered by the Belgian Rugby Federation...

 international backrow Loïc Van Der Linden, Chalon have managed to reach the knockout stage of the Trophée Jean Prat every year: in 2006, there were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Blagnac

Blagnac SCR

Blagnac Sporting Club Rugby is a French rugby union team that currently takes part in Fédérale 1, the top level of the country's amateur league system. The club is currently attempting to make a comeback to the professional ranks after having been relegated due to both sporting and financial issues...

 (26–26, 14–27); in 2007, again in the quarters, this time by Bourg-en-Bresse

Union Sportive Bressane

Union Sportive Bressane is a general sports club based in the town of Bourg-en-Bresse, France. The club has competed the past few years in France's third division and top amateur league, Fédérale 1. During the 2007-08 season, they managed to reach the final of the Jean-Prat championship and faced a...

 (12–12, 12–29); in 2008 they came excruciatingly close to promotion, losing to Lannemezan

CA Lannemezan

CA Lannemezan is a French rugby union club based in Lannemezan in the Hautes-Pyrénées department. It will join the second level of French professional rugby, Pro D2, in the upcoming 2009–10 season after winning the 2009 championship of the top amateur level, Fédérale 1.-History:Although the club...

 by one point on aggregate in the semis (9–16, 15–9). In 2009, they were heavy favorites for promotion but lost again in the quarters, this time to Saint-Étienne

CA Saint-Étienne Loire Sud Rugby

Club Athlétique de Saint-Étienne Loire Sud Rugby, CASE Loire Sud Rugby, or simply CASE, is a French rugby union club from Saint-Étienne in the Loire département. They are currently competing in Fédérale 1, having been relegated from Rugby Pro D2 at the end of the 2010–11 season.-History:The club...

(3–12, 20–24). Moreover, it was revealed that Chalon were in deep financial trouble, with a debt of 600 000 to 850 000 euros. On June 10, the club declared bankruptcy.