View source for Super XIII

{{short description|French top level rugby league competition}}
{{for|the predecessor competition|French Rugby League Championship}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox football league
| name              = Super XIII
| image             = 
| country           = {{FRA}}
| other countries   = 
| founded           = {{start date and age|df=y|2002||}}
| teams             = 11
| promotion         = 
| relegation        = [[Elite 2 (rugby league)|Elite 2]]
| levels            = 1
| domest_cup        = [[Lord Derby Cup]]
| league_cup        =
| confed_cup        =
| champions         = {{leagueicon|Albi|16}} [[Racing Club Albi XIII|Albi RL]] ([[Super XIII 2024–2025|2024-2025]])
| most_champs       = {{Leagueicon|Lézignan Sangliers|16}} [[Lézignan Sangliers|FC Lézignan]] (5)
| tv                = [[viàOccitanie]], [[Sport en France]]
| season            = 
| website           = [http://www.ffr13.fr/ Official site]
| current_season    = Super XIII 2024–2025
}}

'''Super XIII''' is the top level [[rugby league]] competition in [[France]], sanctioned by the [[French Rugby League Federation]]. The season runs from September to April, which is in contrast to the majority of other major domestic rugby league competitions worldwide. The clubs play each other home and away then they enter into a play-off series culminating with a Grand Final. The competition was founded in 2002, as the '''Elite One Championship''' and renamed as Super XIII at the start of the 2024–2025 season. The competition is the continuation of the [[French Rugby League Championship]], which began in 1934.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Championnat Elite 1 |url=https://www.ffr13.fr/competitions/elite1/ |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII |language=fr-FR}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:ELITE1.jpg|thumb|Logo for Elite 1 before the competition was renamed in 2024]]
Prior to the creation of Elite 1, the [[French Rugby League Championship]] was the top tier of the [[French rugby league system]].

The competition was founded in 2002, as the Elite One Championship, following the splitting of the [[French Rugby League Championship]] into two divisions. The format stayed the same with teams playing each other home and away, before a play-off series would determine the Champions. The club finishing bottom would not be automatically relegated, it would be dependent on whether the club finishing top of [[Elite Two Championship]] either wanted to be promoted or their facilities were up to standard.

The 2002–03 season, the first of the Elite 1 championship, saw the defending champions of France, [[Villeneuve XIII RLLG|Villeneuve]], up against [[Saint-Gaudens Bears|Saint-Gaudens]] in the final. Villeneuve had won the league championship in 2000–01 and completed a league/cup double in 2001–2002. Having already won the [[Coupe de France Lord Derby|Lord Derby Cup]] in 2003, they achieved a second consecutive double with a 31–18 win to retain the Max Rousié Trophy. Their opponents, Saint-Gaudens, had not won a championship since the early 1990s, but the following season they defeated [[Union Treiziste Catalane]] 14–10 to claim the title and in doing so prevent UTC from claiming the double.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ffr13.com/ |title=All in Narbonne on May 25, 2003 |website=www.ffr13.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030528065849/http://www.ffr13.com:80/ |archive-date=28 May 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ffr13.com/ |title=The Saint Gaudens surprise |website=www.ffr13.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040730112618/http://www.ffr13.com:80/ |archive-date=30 July 2004}}</ref> That achievement would come for UTC the following year as they went undefeated throughout the 2004–05 season and beat [[Toulouse Olympique|Toulouse]] 66–16 in the championship final.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ffr13.com/ |title=Historical |website=www.ffr13.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050814080502/http://www.ffr13.com/ |archive-date=14 August 2005}}</ref> The following two seasons saw [[Baroudeurs de Pia XIII|Pia]] claim consecutive doubles.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://treizemondial.fr/palmares-coupe-de-france-lord-derby/|title=Lord Derby French Cup Honours |website=Treize Mondial |access-date=25 September 2024}}</ref><ref name=TMchart/> In the 2007–08 season [[FC Lézignan XIII|Lézignan]] began a run of four consecutive title wins becoming only the second club, after [[XIII Catalan|Catalan]] in the early 1980s, to achieve this feat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://europeanrugbyleague.com/articles/191/fc-lezignan-double-winners-in-france |title=FC Lezignan double winners in France |website=European Rugby League |date=15 May 2011 |access-date=25 September 2024}}</ref>

The competition was renamed as Super XIII at the start of the 2024–2025 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://treizemondial.fr/le-calendrier-super-xiii-elite-1-saison-2024-2025-avec-11-equipes/ |title=The Super XIII (Elite 1) season 2024-2025 calendar with 11 teams |website=Treize Mondial |date=19 July 2024 |access-date=24 September 2024}}</ref> In September 2024, the president of the French Rugby League Federation, {{Interlanguage link|Dominique Baloup|fr}}, gave an interview published in [[La Dépêche du Midi|La Dépêche]] in which he discussed plans to increase the number of teams in the Super XIII and the possibility of moving the season to run between February and September from 2026.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/2024/09/19/entretien-rugby-a-xiii-competition-franco-anglaise-matchs-de-lequipe-de-france-elections-internes-les-projets-du-president-de-la-fede-12206199.php |title=MAINTENANCE. Rugby League: Franco-English competition, matches of the France team, internal elections... The projects of the president of the federation |newspaper=La Dépêche |date=19 September 2024 |access-date=25 September 2024}}</ref> 
{{clear}}

== Teams for 2024–25 season ==
{{Location map+|France Occitanie|width=325|caption=Location of teams participating in Super XIII in the 2024–25 season{{efn|All teams are located inside [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitania]] except [[Sporting Olympique Avignon]] and [[Villeneuve XIII RLLG]] which are just located outside the region.}}
 |places=
{{Location map~|France Occitanie|lat= 43.95 |long= 4.81 |position = left |label=[[Avignon]]}}
 {{Location map~|France Occitanie|lat= 44.41 |long= 0.71 |position = right |label=[[Villeneuve-sur-Lot|Villeneuve]]}}
 {{Location map~|France Occitanie|lat= 43.93 |long= 2.15 |position = left |label=[[Albi]]}}
 {{Location map~|France Occitanie|lat= 43.21 |long= 2.35 |position = left |label={{nowrap|[[Carcassonne]]}}}}
 {{Location map~|France Occitanie|lat= 43.01 |long= 2.22 |position = bottom |label=[[Limoux]]}}
 {{Location map~|France Occitanie|lat= 43.20 |long= 2.76 |position = right |label=[[Lézignan-Corbières|Lézignan]]}}
 {{Location map~|France Occitanie|lat= 42.71 |long= 2.84 |position = bottom |label=[[Saint-Estève]]}}
 {{Location map~|France Occitanie|lat= 42.75 |long= 2.92 |position = right |label=[[Pia, Pyrénées-Orientales|Pia]]}}
 {{Location map~|France Occitanie|lat= 43.11 |long= 0.72 |position = left |label=[[Saint-Gaudens, Haute-Garonne|Saint-Gaudens]]}}
 {{Location map~|France Occitanie|lat= 43.63 |long= 1.44 |position = right |label=[[Toulouse]]}}
 {{Location map~|France Occitanie|lat= 44.35 |long= 2.03 |position = right |label=[[Villefranche-de-Rouergue|Villefranche]]}}
|float=right}}

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"
|-
! colspan="4" | Super XIII
|-
!width=25%|Team
!width=20%|Stadium
!width=28%|Location
|-
| {{League icon|albi|16}} [[Racing Club Albi XIII|Albi RL]]
| Stade Mazicou
| [[Albi]], [[Tarn (department)|Tarn]]
|-
| {{League icon|Avignon|16}} [[Sporting Olympique Avignon|SO Avignon]]
| [[Parc des Sports (Avignon)]]
| [[Avignon]], [[Vaucluse]]
|-
| {{League icon|Carcassonne|16}} [[AS Carcassonne]]
| [[Stade Albert Domec]]
| [[Carcassonne]], [[Aude]] 
|-
| {{League icon|Lézignan Sangliers|16}} [[Lézignan Sangliers|FC Lézignan]]
| [[Stade du Moulin]]
| [[Lézignan-Corbières]], [[Aude]]
|-
| {{League icon|limoux|16}} [[Limoux Grizzlies]]
| [[Stade de l'Aiguille]]
|[[Limoux]], [[Aude]]
|-
| {{league icon|pia|16}} [[Baroudeurs de Pia XIII|Pia XIII]]
|Stade Daniel-Ambert
|[[Pia, Pyrénées-Orientales|Pia]], [[Pyrénées-Orientales]]
|-
| {{League icon|saint-esteve catalan|16}} [[Saint-Estève XIII Catalan|Saint-Estève Catalan]]
| [[Stade Municipal (Saint Esteve)|Stade Municipal]]
| [[Perpignan]], [[Pyrénées-Orientales]] 
|-
| {{League icon|saint-gaudens|16}} [[Saint-Gaudens Bears]]
| [[Stade Jules Ribet]]
| [[Saint-Gaudens, Haute-Garonne]] 
|-
| {{League icon|Toulouse|16}} [[Toulouse Olympique Broncos]]
| [[Stade des Minimes]]
| [[Toulouse]], [[Haute-Garonne]] 
|-
| {{League icon|Villefranche|16}} [[Villefranche XIII Aveyron]]
| Stade Henri Lagarde
| [[Villefranche-de-Rouergue]], [[Aveyron]]
|-
| {{League icon|villeneuve|16}} [[Villeneuve XIII RLLG|Villeneuve Leopards]]
| [[Stade Max Rousie]]
| [[Villeneuve-sur-Lot]], [[Lot-et-Garonne]]
|}
{{clear}}

==Results==
{{for|previous winners|French Rugby League Championship}} 
{{table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders defaultleft col3center col6right" 
|-
! Year 
! Winners 
! Score 
! Runners-up 
! Venue 
! Attendance
|-
!scope=row| 2002–03 
|'''{{Leagueicon|villeneuve|16}} {{nowrap|[[Villeneuve XIII RLLG|Villeneuve Leopards]]}}''' || 31 – 18 || {{Leagueicon|saint-gaudens|16}} {{nowrap|[[Saint-Gaudens Bears]]}} || [[Parc des sports et de l'amitié]], Narbonne || 8,000
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2003–2004|2003–04]] 
|'''{{Leagueicon|saint-gaudens|16}} [[Saint-Gaudens Bears]]''' || 14 – 10 || {{leagueicon|utc|16}} [[Catalans Dragons|Union Treiziste Catalane]] || [[Stade Gilbert Brutus]], Perpignan || 7,500
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2004–2005|2004–05]] 
|'''{{leagueicon|utc|16}} [[Catalans Dragons|Union Treiziste Catalane]]''' || 66 – 16 ||{{leagueicon|toulouse|16}} [[Toulouse Olympique|Toulouse Olympique XIII]] || Parc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne || 5,000
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2005–2006|2005–06]] 
|{{leagueicon|pia|16}} '''[[Salanque Méditerranée Pia XIII|Pia XIII]]''' || 21 – 18 || {{leagueicon|toulouse|16}} [[Toulouse Olympique|Toulouse Olympique XIII]] || [[Stade des Minimes]], Toulouse || 5,462
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2006–2007|2006–07]] 
|{{leagueicon|pia|16}} '''[[Salanque Méditerranée Pia XIII|Pia XIII]]''' || 20 – 16 || {{Leagueicon|Lézignan Sangliers|16}} [[Lézignan Sangliers|FC Lézignan]] || [[Stade Michel-Bendichou]], Colomiers || 7,882
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2007–2008|2007–08]] 
|'''{{Leagueicon|Lézignan Sangliers|16}} [[Lézignan Sangliers|FC Lézignan]]''' || 26 – 16 || {{leagueicon|pia|16}} [[Salanque Méditerranée Pia XIII|Pia XIII]] || [[Stade de la Mediterranee]], Béziers || 9,550
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2008–2009|2008–09]] 
|'''{{Leagueicon|Lézignan Sangliers|16}} [[Lézignan Sangliers|FC Lézignan]]''' || 40 – 32 || {{Leagueicon|limoux|16}} [[Limoux Grizzlies]] || [[Stade Albert Domec]], Carcassonne || 11,263
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2009–2010|2009–10]] 
|'''{{Leagueicon|Lézignan Sangliers|16}} [[Lézignan Sangliers|FC Lézignan]]''' || 32 – 22 || {{leagueicon|pia|16}} [[Salanque Méditerranée Pia XIII|Pia XIII]] || [[Altrad Stadium]], Montpellier || 6,612
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2010–2011|2010–11]] 
|'''{{Leagueicon|Lézignan Sangliers|16}} [[Lézignan Sangliers|FC Lézignan]]''' || 17 – 12 || {{Leagueicon|limoux|16}} [[Limoux Grizzlies]] || Parc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne || 11,874
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2011–2012|2011–12]] 
|'''{{Leagueicon|Carcassonne|16}} [[AS Carcassonne]]''' || 26 – 20 || {{leagueicon|pia|16}} [[Salanque Méditerranée Pia XIII|Pia XIII]] || Parc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne || 8,980
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2012–2013|2012–13]] 
|'''{{leagueicon|pia|16}} [[Salanque Méditerranée Pia XIII|Pia XIII]]''' || 33 – 26 || {{Leagueicon|saint-esteve catalan|16}} [[Saint-Estève XIII Catalan|Saint-Estève Catalan]] || Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan || 6,732
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2013–2014|2013–14]] 
|'''{{leagueicon|toulouse|16}} [[Toulouse Olympique|Toulouse Olympique XIII]]''' || 38 – 12 || {{Leagueicon|Lézignan Sangliers|16}} [[Lézignan Sangliers|FC Lézignan]] || Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan || 7,245
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2014–2015|2014–15]] 
|'''{{leagueicon|toulouse|16}} [[Toulouse Olympique|Toulouse Olympique XIII]]''' || 20 – 12 || {{Leagueicon|Carcassonne|16}} [[AS Carcassonne]] || Stade Michel-Bendichou, Colomiers || 5,800
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2015–2016|2015–16]] 
|'''{{Leagueicon|limoux|16}} [[Limoux Grizzlies]]''' || 26 – 24 || {{Leagueicon|Carcassonne|16}} [[AS Carcassonne]] || Stadium municipal d'Albi, Albi || 5,420 
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2016–2017|2016–17]] 
|'''{{Leagueicon|limoux|16}} [[Limoux Grizzlies]]''' || 24 – 22 || {{Leagueicon|Lézignan Sangliers|16}} [[Lézignan Sangliers|FC Lézignan]]|| {{nowrap|Parc des sports et de l'amitié, Narbonne}} || 8,270
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2017–2018|2017–18]] 
| '''{{Leagueicon|Avignon|16}} [[Sporting Olympique Avignon]]''' || 30 – 28 || {{Leagueicon|limoux|16}} [[Limoux Grizzlies]]|| Stadium municipal d’Albi, Albi || 5,000
|-
!scope=row| [[Elite One Championship 2018–2019|2018–19]] 
|'''{{Leagueicon|saint-esteve catalan|16}} [[Saint-Estève XIII Catalan|Saint-Estève Catalan]]''' || 32 – 24 || {{Leagueicon|Carcassonne|16}} [[AS Carcassonne]] || Stadium municipal d’Albi, Albi || 1,500
|-
!scope=row|[[Elite One Championship 2019–2020|2019–20]]
|align="center" colspan="5" |Competition abandoned due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in France]]<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby-a-xiii/Actualites/Coronavirus-la-federation-francaise-met-fin-aux-competitions-de-rugby-a-xiii-cette-saison/1127338 | title =Coronavirus : la Fédération française met fin aux compétitions de rugby à XIII cette saison | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | date =15 April 2020 | website =lequipe.fr | publisher =Groupe Amaury | access-date =8 January 2022}}</ref>
|-
!scope=row|[[Elite One Championship 2020–2021|2020–21]]
|'''{{Leagueicon|Lézignan Sangliers|16}} [[Lézignan Sangliers|FC Lézignan]]''' || 16 – 12 || {{Leagueicon|Carcassonne|16}} [[AS Carcassonne]] || [[Stade Ernest-Wallon]], Toulouse || 3,200
|-
!scope=row|[[Elite One Championship 2021–2022|2021–22]]
|'''{{Leagueicon|Carcassonne|16}} [[AS Carcassonne]]''' || 20 – 16 || {{Leagueicon|limoux|16}} [[Limoux Grizzlies]] || Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne || 8,231
|-
!scope=row|[[Elite One Championship 2022–2023|2022–23]]
|'''{{Leagueicon|limoux|16}} [[Limoux Grizzlies]]''' || 34 – 24 || {{Leagueicon|Carcassonne|16}} [[AS Carcassonne]] || Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne || 8,221
|-
!scope=row|[[Elite One Championship 2023–2024|2023–24]]
|'''{{Leagueicon|Carcassonne|16}} [[AS Carcassonne]]''' || 8 – 6 || {{league icon|Albi|16}} [[Racing Club Albi XIII|Albi RL]] || Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne || 5,578<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ffr13.fr/elite-1-carcassonne-realise-le-double/ |title=Elite 1 : Carcassonne réalise le doublé! |publisher=FFRXIII |language=fr |date=26 May 2024 |access-date=16 September 2024}}</ref>
|-
!scope=row|[[Super XIII 2024–2025|2024–25]]
|'''{{league icon|Albi|16}} [[Racing Club Albi XIII|Albi RL]]''' || 26 – 16 || {{Leagueicon|Carcassonne|16}} [[AS Carcassonne]] || Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne || 5,191<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ffr13.fr/finale-du-super-xiii-albi-prend-sa-revanche/ |title=Finale du Super XIII – Albi prend sa revanche ! |publisher=FFRXIII |language=fr |date=25 May 2025 |access-date=26 May 2025}}</ref>
|}
Source: <ref name=":0" /><ref name=TMchart>{{cite web|url=https://treizemondial.fr/palmares-championnat-de-france-elite-1-rugby-a-xiii/|title= France Elite 1 Championship: Charts |website=Treize Mondial |access-date=26 May 2024}}</ref>

===Winners===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! # ||Club || No. || Year(s) 
|-
|1|| [[Lézignan Sangliers]]||5||2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2020–21
|-
| rowspan="3" |2|| [[Pia XIII]]|| rowspan="3" |3||2005–06, 2006–07, 2012–13
|-
|[[AS Carcassonne]]||2011–12, 2021–22, 2023–24
|-
|[[Limoux Grizzlies]]||2015–16, 2016–17, 2022–23
|-
|5||[[Toulouse Olympique]]||2||2013–14, 2014–15
|-
| rowspan="6" |6||[[Villeneuve XIII RLLG|Villeneuve Leopards]] ||rowspan="6" |1||2002–03
|-
|[[Saint-Gaudens Bears]]||2003–04
|-
|[[Saint-Esteve XIII Catalan|Union Treiziste Catalane]]||2004–05
|-
|[[Sporting Olympique Avignon|SO Avignon]]||2017–18
|-
|[[Saint-Esteve XIII Catalan]]||2018–19
|-
|[[Racing Club Albi XIII|Albi RL]]||2024–25
|}

== Media coverage ==

=== Television ===
Unlike, for instance, the [[BBC]], [[France Télévisions|France Television]] didn't offer any program to the French public about Rugby League. 

[[Sport en France]] cover the Championship across their television platforms nationwide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elite 1 - Finale hommes |url=https://www.sportenfrance.com/programme/elite-1-finale-hommes-3/ |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=Sport en France |language=fr-FR}}</ref> Coverage includes the match of the week and one match from each week of the playoffs including the Grand Final.

From 2020, some Elite 1 games are televised by a local channel [[ViàOccitanie]]; this is a free-to-air channel in the South of France but they are also available on the internet and via the [[Triple play (telecommunications)|triple play]] internet devices. Therefore, they offer, indirectly, free nationwide coverage of the domestic championship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rugby à XIII |url=https://viaoccitanie.tv/sport/rugby-a-xiii/ |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=viaoccitanie.tv}}</ref>

Presently, French clubs have to fund the broadcast of their own games or to  televise their own matches themselves via the [[social networks]] or [[YouTube]].

=== Radio ===
Radio Marseillette, a local Southern radio,  has rugby league debate and news every Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00. They also have commentary on some Elite League games.

=== Press ===
The French national mainstream media barely follow the game. Very occasionally, some articles about the sport are published in newspapers such as [[Le Monde]], [[Le Figaro]] or the national Sport newspaper [[L'Équipe]].

Nevertheless, there is undoubtedly a French specificity: the Weekly Rugby Union magazine [[Midi Olympique]] has a one-page section devoted to Rugby League. However,  only two local newspapers genuinely cover the game; [[L'Indépendant (Pyrénées-Orientales)|L'Indépendant]] ( based in the South of France) and [[la Dépêche du Midi]] (based in the South west of the country).

The [[British people|British]] Rugby League press cover this championship; for example magazines like [[Rugby Leaguer & League Express]] offer a weekly report of the games. In [[Australia]], the monthly publication [[Rugby League Review]] offer a few columns about  the games as well.

==Gallery==
<gallery mode=packed>
LER Lezignan 20082008.jpg|[[FC Lézignan XIII]] winning in [[Elite One Championship 2008–2009|2008–2009]]
Toulouse 2014.JPG|[[Toulouse Olympique]] winning in [[Elite One Championship 2013–2014|2013–2014]]
Finale du Championnat de France de rugby à XIII 2017 112.jpg|Teams line up ahead of the [[Elite One Championship 2016–2017|2016–2017 season]] Grand Final
</gallery>
== See also ==
{{Portal|France|Sports}}
* [[Rugby league in France]]
* [[Coupe de France Lord Derby]]
* [[Elite 1 (wheelchair rugby league)|Wheelchair Elite 1]]

==Notes==
{{Noteslist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.ffr13.fr/competitions/elite1/ Super XIII],  French Rugby League Federation

{{French Championship}}
{{Elite One Championship Stadiums}}
{{Rugby League in France}}

[[Category:Rugby league competitions in France]]
[[Category:Sports leagues established in 2002]]
[[Category:Professional sports leagues in France]]