Villefranche XIII Aveyron
Encyclopedia
Villefranche XIII Aveyron are a semi-professional rugby league
football club based in southern France
that represents the sous-préfecture
area of Aveyron
and also the Villefranche-de-Rouergue
commune
. They currently play in the French rugby league championship
, but to date have never won any major trophies in France collecting neither a Championship or a Lord Derby Cup
.
The club was founded in 1950 under the name Villefranche XIII and originally played in the amateur
and french lower divisions until 1985 when it was finally promoted to the French Championship
. The following years saw the club relegated back to the lower leagues until it was finally promoted again in 1999 and has remained in the Championship ever since.
for several years until several disagreements occurred between the club and the governing bodies in France
. On January 8, 1950 the club held a meeting of its leaders and at the resolution decided to create a new club that would play the rival code of rugby league
and so applied to the French Federation Rugby XIII, under the name of Villefranche XIII, with André Rotambourg as its president. This was decided after the town's rugby union club, Stade Villefranchois, had played Toulouse Cheminots Marengo Sports in a Pyrénées Division 2 game. The game ended in fighting and the club was suspended from all rugby union activity. It was this suspension that led the club's committee to switch to Rugby League with immediate effect. The club was accepted for the 1950 season and began at the lowest echelon of French rugby league.
On the field the club tasted immediate success and was promoted to the Federal division of France in 1952. In 1953 they lost the Division 2 final 10-13 against Arcachon. Four years later they reached their only Coupe Falcou
final but lost to Facture After this initial success it would be a long time before the club would taste any more; it would take until 1962 for the club to be crowned Division 2 Champions, defeating La Reole 21-3 to gain promotion to the top division. They remained amongst the elite until 1976 when they were relegated. They immediately won promotion back to the elite, but their stay was short-lived, only one season.
The club finished top of the table in the French second division after the completion of the 1984 season and was promoted to the French rugby league championship
. After high expectations for the clubs first year in the top flight in 1985 they performed dismally on the field and were eventually relegated the following year. In 1990 Le Barcares defeated Villefranche 12-6 in the Elite 2 final to deny the club promotion. The feat was achieved in 1992 when they beat Limoux 12-6 to regain their place in the top echelon. They were relegated after only twelve months and had to wait six years to return, courtesy of a 38-18 win over Saint Cyprien in 1999 and be promoted from the French second division where once they gained promotion changed the name of the club to Villefranche XIII Aveyron and gave the club the nickname the Wolves.
Financial problems off the pitch almost led to the club's demise and in 2004 it forced a merger with Cahors XIII.
a local tourist attraction in Aveyron
where wolves are sometimes seen, although numbers have decreased greatly over the years. There is also a local folklore
story about a Beast of Gevaudan that would reside in and around the local areas, with many tales describing the beast as a large wolf or wolf-like creature.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
football club based in southern France
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...
that represents the sous-préfecture
Sous-préfecture
Subprefectures are the administrative towns of arrondissements in France that do not contain the prefecture for its department. Subprefecture is also the name given to the building which houses the administrative headquarters for the arrondissement....
area of Aveyron
Aveyron
Aveyron is a département in southern France named after the Aveyron River.- History :Aveyron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790....
and also the Villefranche-de-Rouergue
Villefranche-de-Rouergue
Villefranche-de-Rouergue is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.-History:At the end of the Albigensian Crusade from the northern "barons" against the southern Occitania on a religious pretext , the Count of Toulouse was defeated and concluded the treaty of Paris in 1229...
commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
. They currently play in the French rugby league championship
French rugby league championship
The French rugby league championship has been the major rugby league tournament for semi-professional and professional clubs in France and Monaco since the sport was introduced to the country in the thirties....
, but to date have never won any major trophies in France collecting neither a Championship or a Lord Derby Cup
Lord Derby Cup
The Lord Derby Cup , also known as French Rugby à XIII Cup, is the premier knock-out competition for the sport of rugby league football in France. It is open to all French rugby league clubs....
.
The club was founded in 1950 under the name Villefranche XIII and originally played in the amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
and french lower divisions until 1985 when it was finally promoted to the French Championship
French rugby league championship
The French rugby league championship has been the major rugby league tournament for semi-professional and professional clubs in France and Monaco since the sport was introduced to the country in the thirties....
. The following years saw the club relegated back to the lower leagues until it was finally promoted again in 1999 and has remained in the Championship ever since.
History
The club was originally formed in the early part of the 20th century under the name Villefranche and originally played rugby unionRugby 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 several years until several disagreements occurred between the club and the governing bodies in France
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...
. On January 8, 1950 the club held a meeting of its leaders and at the resolution decided to create a new club that would play the rival code of rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and so applied to the French Federation Rugby XIII, under the name of Villefranche XIII, with André Rotambourg as its president. This was decided after the town's rugby union club, Stade Villefranchois, had played Toulouse Cheminots Marengo Sports in a Pyrénées Division 2 game. The game ended in fighting and the club was suspended from all rugby union activity. It was this suspension that led the club's committee to switch to Rugby League with immediate effect. The club was accepted for the 1950 season and began at the lowest echelon of French rugby league.
On the field the club tasted immediate success and was promoted to the Federal division of France in 1952. In 1953 they lost the Division 2 final 10-13 against Arcachon. Four years later they reached their only Coupe Falcou
Coupe Falcou
The Coupe Falcou is an annual knock-out competition organised by the Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII for amateur rugby league clubs.-History:Introduced in 1937 the competition was originally known as the French Amateur Cup...
final but lost to Facture After this initial success it would be a long time before the club would taste any more; it would take until 1962 for the club to be crowned Division 2 Champions, defeating La Reole 21-3 to gain promotion to the top division. They remained amongst the elite until 1976 when they were relegated. They immediately won promotion back to the elite, but their stay was short-lived, only one season.
The club finished top of the table in the French second division after the completion of the 1984 season and was promoted to the French rugby league championship
French rugby league championship
The French rugby league championship has been the major rugby league tournament for semi-professional and professional clubs in France and Monaco since the sport was introduced to the country in the thirties....
. After high expectations for the clubs first year in the top flight in 1985 they performed dismally on the field and were eventually relegated the following year. In 1990 Le Barcares defeated Villefranche 12-6 in the Elite 2 final to deny the club promotion. The feat was achieved in 1992 when they beat Limoux 12-6 to regain their place in the top echelon. They were relegated after only twelve months and had to wait six years to return, courtesy of a 38-18 win over Saint Cyprien in 1999 and be promoted from the French second division where once they gained promotion changed the name of the club to Villefranche XIII Aveyron and gave the club the nickname the Wolves.
Financial problems off the pitch almost led to the club's demise and in 2004 it forced a merger with Cahors XIII.
Crest
The Villefranche XIII Aveyron clubs crest of the wolf was most likely selected because of the Cévennes National ParkCévennes National Park
The Cévennes National Park is a national park located in southern France, in the mountainous area of Cévennes.Created in 1970, the park has its administrative seat in Florac at Florac Castle. It is located mainly in the départements of Lozère and Gard, and covers some parts of Ardèche and Aveyron...
a local tourist attraction in Aveyron
Aveyron
Aveyron is a département in southern France named after the Aveyron River.- History :Aveyron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790....
where wolves are sometimes seen, although numbers have decreased greatly over the years. There is also a local folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
story about a Beast of Gevaudan that would reside in and around the local areas, with many tales describing the beast as a large wolf or wolf-like creature.
Current squad
Honours
- French ChampionshipFrench rugby league championshipThe French rugby league championship has been the major rugby league tournament for semi-professional and professional clubs in France and Monaco since the sport was introduced to the country in the thirties....
: 0
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- Lord Derby CupLord Derby CupThe Lord Derby Cup , also known as French Rugby à XIII Cup, is the premier knock-out competition for the sport of rugby league football in France. It is open to all French rugby league clubs....
: 0
- Lord Derby Cup
-
- Elite Two ChampionshipElite Two ChampionshipThe Elite Two Championship is the second tier semi-professional rugby league competition in France below the Elite One Championship, but above the National Division East and West....
- Winners - 1992, 1999
- Runners Up - 1990
- National Division 1National Division 1National Division 1 is the third tier of rugby league in France, after Elite 1 and Elite 2. The winner of National Division 1 is promoted to Elite 2 subject to having adequate finances and facilities.-Teams:-Past winners:...
- French National 2National Division 2National Division 2 is the fourth tier of rugby league in France, after Elite 1, Elite 2 and National Division 1. This tier was formerly known as the Federal Championship...
- Winners - 1988 (as Cahors XIII)
Club details
- Presidents: Guy Lebault, Michel Seris, Jerome Gasc, François Viguier, Jean Davy
- Club Address: Villefranche XIII-Aveyron, BP 267, 12200 Villefranche de Rouergue
- Tel/Fax: 05 65 45 27 82
- Contacts: Nicolas Alquier (06 88 30 58 63) - Jerome Gasc (06 80 35 21 42)
- Email: villefranche13@orange.fr