Castres Olympique

In 1898 several alumni of Castres' municipal college met in a city centre bar and decided to create a team allowing them to play their favourite sport, rugby union. For the first few years this team was part of a multisport club until 1906. Unhappy with the dominating position cycling 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 until 1948 when they reached and won their first Coupe de France. The prestigious championship would follow a year later, and again in 1950.

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.

In 1993, Castres play the final of the 1993 French Rugby Union Championship against Grenoble, a team who was nicknamed "the mammoths", because of its incredibly physical forward pack, coached by the former french national team manager Jacques Fouroux. Castres won its third national title 14–11, in a controversial match. Indeed a try of Olivier Brouzet is denied to Grenoble[2] and the decisive try by Gary Whetton was awarded by the referee, Daniel Salles, when in fact the defender Franck Hueber from Grenoble touched down the ball first in his try zone. This error gave the title to Castres. [3] Salles admitted the error 13 years later[4] [5]

Jacques Fouroux, being already suspicious before the match of the referee, saw in this outcome a conspiracy of his ennemies from inside the rugby union french Federation [6] [7]

The club reached the final again in 1995 losing 31–16 to Stade Toulousain.

Castres won the 2012–13 French Rugby Union Championship beating Toulon 19–14 in the final.[8]

The team's owner, Pierre Fabre, the founder of Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, died on 20 July 2013.[9] Castres home stadium, previously known as Stade Pierre-Antoine, was renamed in his memory during ceremonies in conjunction with Castres match with Montpellier on 9 September 2017.[10]

Castres won the 2017–18 French Rugby Union Championship beating Montpellier 29–13 in the final.

After finishing first in the 2021-2022 Top 14, Castres played a semi-final against the Stade Toulousain of Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack, beating them 24-18. The final is a rematch of 2018, but this time, Montpellier win 29-10.

• French championship:
  • Champions (5) : 1949, 1950, 1993, 2013, 2018
  • Runners-up (3) : 1995, 2014, 2022
• Coupe de France:
  • Champions (1) : 1948
• Challenge Yves du Manoir:
  • Runners-up (1) : 1993
• Group B French Champions:
  • Champions (1) : 1989
• European Challenge Cup:
  • Runners-up (2) : 1997, 2000
• European Shield:
  • Champions (1) : 2003

The Castres squad for the 2023–24 season is:[11][12]

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Gaëtan Barlot Hooker France Pierre Colonna Hooker France Loris Zarantonello Hooker France Aurelien Azar Prop France Wayan de Benedittis Prop France Levan Chilachava Prop Georgia Lois Guerois-Galisson Prop France Wilfrid Hounkpatin Prop France Antoine Tichit Prop France Matt Tierney Prop Canada Quentin Walcker Prop France Gauthier Maravai Lock France Leone Nakarawa Lock Fiji Ryno Pieterse Lock South Africa Tom Staniforth Lock Australia Florent Vanverberghe Lock France Mathieu Babillot Back row France Tyler Ardron Back row Canada Baptiste Cope Back row France Nick Champion de Crespigny Back row New Zealand Baptiste Delaporte Back row France Abraham Papali'i Back row New Zealand Yann Peysson Back row France Josaia Raisuqe Back row Fiji

Player Position Union Santiago Arata Scrum-half Uruguay Gauthier Doubrere Scrum-half France Jérémy Fernandez Scrum-half France Louis Le Bruin Fly-half France Pierre Popelin Fly-half France Vilimoni Botitu Centre Fiji Adrea Cocagi Centre Fiji Jack Goodhue Centre New Zealand Adrien Séguret Centre France Antoine Zeghdar Centre France Antoine Bouzerand Wing France Nathanaël Hulleu Wing France Martin Laveau Wing France Filipo Nakosi Wing Fiji Osea Waqaninavatu Wing Fiji Theo Chabouni Fullback France Julien Dumora Fullback France Geoffrey Palis Fullback France

Espoirs squad

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Alexey Konnov Lock Russia Hugo Lopes Lock France Romain Macurdy Lock France Adrien Tafanel Lock France Feibyan Cornell Tukino Back row New Zealand Dimitri Dronov Back row Russia Remi Loop Back row Belgium

Player Position Union Simon Benoist Scrum-half France Louison Gras Fly-half France Daniel Catanzaro Centre Spain Joris Dupont Centre France Crimson Tukino Centre New Zealand Sacha Palchine Fullback France

• List of rugby union clubs in France
• Rugby union in France

• (in French) Castres Olympique Official website