Toulouse has long been the capital of French Rugby, and its beloved Stade Toulousain has rewarded the fervent fans with seventeen French Championships and three Heineken Cups. Casual visitors with any interest in rugby should, if they get the chance, take in a match. The games are often pure theatre. What’s more, tickets are reasonable - sometimes from 12€ - and available from FNAC billeteries (there’s one opposite the Boutique de Stade).
To whet the appetite, visit the Stade Toulousain website stadetoulousain.fr. You won’t find a better introduction to the team. Plus you can see highlights from recent matches. Visiting fans, of course, here for a Heineken Cup game, will already have their tickets. Bonne chance!
Stade Toulousain was formally established in 1907 having evolved from a local student team. After great success in the 1920s the club re-emerged as a major force in the 1980s and has since dominated the pages of the French rugby press. Famous ex-stadistes include Pierre Villepreux, Jean-Claude Skrela, Jean-Paul Rives, Emile N’Tamack and Thomas Castaignede. The current team boasts many French Internationals: Fabien Pelous, Frédéric Michalak, Cedric Heymans, Vincent Clerc and Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde to name but a few.
Following their defeat in the 2007/2008 European Cup final by Munster, Stade Toulousain have struggled to regain their momentum. The 2008/2009 season was particularly disappointing for both the players and the fans, when Toulouse was knocked out of the quarter finals away in Cardiff. In addition Le Stade had a devastating defeat to Clermont in the quarters of the Top 14 League. However, the 2009/2010 cup should prove to be very exciting as Toulouse's famous hunger for victory is sure to raise it's head.
Copyright "Toulouse Weekend" 2009.
