Racing Club Albi XIII

{{short description|French semi-professional rugby league club}} {{more citations needed|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox rugby league club | clubname = Albi Rugby League | image = 175px | fullname = | nickname = The Tigers | shortname = | founded = {{start date and age|1934}} | ground = Stade Mazicou | capacity = 5,000 | chairman = | ceo = | coach = Tony Gigot Ben Shea | manager = | league = Super XIII | season = 2024-25 | position = 1st | pattern_la1 = | pattern_b1 =_blacksides | pattern_ra1 = | pattern_sh1 = | pattern_so1 =_blackhoops | leftarm1 = FF5500 | body1 = FF5500 | rightarm1 = FF5500 | shorts1 = 000000 | socks1 = FF5500 | web = {{Official website|https://www.albirugbyleague.com/}} }}

'''Albi Rugby League XIII''' originally called '''Racing Club Albigeois XIII'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ffr13.fr/conference-de-presse-a-albi-j-10-avant-la-finale-elite-1/ |title=Conférence de presse à Albi {{!}} J-10 avant la Finale Elite 1 |website=FFRXIII |language=fr |date=11 May 2016 |access-date=19 December 2024}}</ref> and more recently also known as '''RC Albi XIII''' are a semi-professional rugby league team based in Albi in the Occitanie region in southern France. Formed in 1934 the club compete in the Super XIII the highest level of competition in France. They have won the French title on six occasions and the Lord Derby Cup once. Their current home stadium is Stade Mazicou.

== History ==

Racing Club Albigeois XIII were one of the founder clubs of rugby league in France indeed they were the second club formed after US Villeneuve in May 1934. They were formed by Jean-Marie Vignal one of Jean Galia's pioneers who would be the club's first captain/coach and Simon Bompunt who would be the club's first chairman. Initially the club recruited from nearby Toulouse as the local Rugby Union club SC Albi refused players to move to the new club, only two would move in the early years. The club finished 7th in their debut season their first ever match finishing in a 6–26 defeat at Bordeaux XIII<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rylance|first1=Mike|title=The Forbidden Game|date=1999|publisher=League Publications LTD|isbn=9781901347258|pages=98}}</ref>

In season 1937-38 despite finishing 7th the club won through the play-offs to reach the final and then caused a major upset, beating US Villeneuve 8–3 to lift their first trophy.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rylance|first1=Mike|title=The Forbidden Game|date=1999|publisher=League Publications LTD|isbn=9781901347258|pages=133}}</ref> They reached the semi-final in 1939–40 in what would be the last championship before war broke out. During the war the Vichy Government banned Rugby League in France and the club were forced to join with the rugby union club in the town SC Albi under a new name '''Albi Olympique'''. After the war the club went back to Rugby League, they enjoyed a good spell at the end of the 1950s as they won the French rugby league championship three times in six years.<ref name=TMelite1>{{cite web|url=https://treizemondial.fr/palmares-championnat-de-france-elite-1-rugby-a-xiii/ |title=France Elite One Championship |website=Treize Mondial |access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref> They also hosted the touring Australia national rugby league team, losing 22–31 in 1952<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42766063|title=Kangaroos Beat Albi Side|newspaper=Cairns Post |location=Cairns |date=27 December 1952 |access-date=12 December 2024 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and 20–25 in 1956,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91230680|title=Kangaroos Shine On Firm Ground|newspaper=The Canberra Times |location=Canberra |date=27 December 1956 |accessdate=12 December 2024 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> but in 1959 they earned a 19–10 win against them in front of 5,845 spectators.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/kangaroos-tour-1959/game-29/rc-albi-vs-australia.html |title=Kangaroos Tour 1959 Series Game 29 |website=Rugby League Project |access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>

The club won the Lord Derby Cup in 1974<ref name=TMcdf>{{cite web|url=https://treizemondial.fr/palmares-coupe-de-france-lord-derby/ |title=Lord Derby French Cup Awards |website=Treize Mondial |access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref> and won the league championship for a fifth time in 1977.<ref name=TMelite1/>

The club withdrew from the Elite One Championship at the end of the 2007–08 season due to financial reasons but in 2014–15 they won the Elite Two Championship<ref name=TMelite2>{{cite web|url=https://treizemondial.fr/palmares-championnat-de-france-elite-2/ |title=France Elite Two Championship Prize List |website=Treize Mondial |access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref> and returned to the top flight finishing a creditable 5th in 2015–16.

In the 2024–25 season, Albi won the Super XIII title by defeating AS Carcassone 26–16 in the final.<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>

The club currently runs youth sides and a ladies team.

== Colours and Badge ==  The club have always played in amber and black. The Badge has been changed originally it was a French cockerel stood on a rugby ball with the number 13 on the ball. This was changed to a tiger next to a tower logo before the current one was used. The reference to 'Tigers' comes from the 90s when they followed many other clubs in adopting a moniker, possibly along the lines of Castleford Tigers who happen to play in the same colours

== Stadium == They club are currently based at Stade Mazicou. thumb|right|Stadium Municipal d'Albi They were previously based at the Stadium Municipal d'Albi which had been the club's home ground since it opened for rugby in 1964. The main stand is a cantilever grandstand while opposite is newer stand both these stands are all seated, at either end there is terracing. In 1977 the French rugby league championship was held here despite RC Albi being in the final against AS Carcassonne. A record rugby crowd of 20,000 witnessed an Albi win, their last to date. In 1979 France national rugby league team beat the touring Papua New Guinea national rugby league team 16–9. The stadium underwent a major revamp in 2007 resulting in the now 13,058 capacity including 8,000 seated.

== Current squad == {{Rls |squadname=RC Albi XIII 2025-26 Squad |templatename=RC Albi XIII current squad |source=[https://treizemondial.fr/equipe/albi-rugby-league/ Albi Rugby League Squad] |date={{date|{{REVISIONTIMESTAMP}}|DMY}}

|column1_title=Squad - 2025-26 Super XIII season |list1a={{Rls player|pos=LK|name=Yannis Ballet}} |list1b={{Rls player|pos=PR|name=Chase Bernard}} |list1c={{Rls player|pos=HB|name=Ilan Boualem}} |list1d={{Rls player|pos=CE|name=Robin Brochon}} |list1e={{Rls player|pos=WG|name=Julien Cance}} |list1f={{Rls player|pos=HK|name=Thibault Correges}} |list1g={{Rls player|pos=FE|name=Mathis Dumont}} |list1h={{Rls player|pos=SR|name=Tristan Dupuy}} |list1i={{Rls player|pos=FE|name=Baptiste Fabre}} |list1j={{Rls player|pos=WG|name=Romain Franco}}

|list2a={{Rls player|pos=SR|name=Jayson Goffin}} |list2b={{Rls player|pos=CE|name=Theo Guinguet}} |list2c={{Rls player|pos=PR|name=Theo Lardot}} |list2d={{Rls player|pos=SR|name=Corentin Le Cam}} |list2e={{Rls player|pos=PR|name=Mathias Leveille}} |list2f={{Rls player|pos=HK|name=Mathieu Liauzun}} |list2g={{Rls player|pos=WG|name=Mathis Martin-Ramos}} |list2h={{Rls player|pos=SR|name=Dean Matterson}} |list2i={{Rls player|pos=FE|name=Aymeric Papailhau}} |list2j={{Rls player|pos=WG|name=Nittim Pedrero}}

|list3a={{Rls player|pos=SR|name=Dominique Peyroux}} |list3b={{Rls player|pos=HK|name=Noah Phalp}} |list3c={{Rls player|pos=PR|name=Maxime Puech}} |list3d={{Rls player|pos=PR|name=Axel Rodrigues}} |list3e={{Rls player|pos=LK|name=Maia Sands}} |list3f={{Rls player|pos=CE|name=Cedric Soule}} |list3g={{Rls player|pos=CE|name=Clement Tailhades}} |list3h={{Rls player|pos=PR|name=Louis Tailhades}} |list3i={{Rls player|pos=PR|name=Maxence Vuillermet}} |list3j={{Rls player|pos=FE|name=Brad Wall}} |list3k={{Rls player|pos=CE|name=Fouad Yaha}}

|column3_title=Coaching staff | coach = Tony Gigot and Ben Shea<ref>{{cite web |url=https://treizemondial.fr/tony-gigot-et-ben-shea-aux-manettes-dalbi/ |title=Tony Gigot et Ben Shea aux manettes d'Albi |publisher=Treize Mondial}}</ref> |assistant= }}

== Honours ==

* '''French Championship''' / '''Super XIII''' (6): 1937–38, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1976–77, 2024–25 * '''Elite 2''' (2): 1990–91, 2014–15 * '''Lord Derby Cup''' (1): 1973-74

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website|https://www.albirugbyleague.com/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albi, Racing Club}} Category:Rugby league teams in France Category:Sport in Albi Category:Sport in Tarn (department) Category:1934 establishments in France Category:Rugby clubs established in 1934