Elite 1 (wheelchair rugby league)
Current season, competition or edition:![]() | |
Sport | Wheelchair rugby league |
---|---|
No. of teams | 6 |
Land | ![]() |
Most recent champion(s) | ![]() |
Most titles | ![]() |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Relegation to | Elite 2 |
Official website | [1] |
The Elite 1 Wheelchair Championship is the highest level of wheelchair rugby league in France.
Starting in 2023, the previous year's league champions play the previous year's British Super League champions in the European Club Challenge.
Background
[edit]Wheelchair rugby league was developed by French rugby league players and coaches, Robert Fassolette and Wally Salvan, in 2000.[1][2][3] The first competition was played by three teams, Vichy, Roanne and Beauvais, as part of a French Téléthon.[3] Meetings establishing the official rules of the sport took place in 2002[4] and in the same year a Trophy of France tournament took place in Vichy with six teams taking part.[5] The sport spread to the south of France with the establishment of teams from Perpignan, Cahors, and Montauban in 2004,[3] and the inclusion of wheelchair rugby league in a national development program that provided equipment to numerous regional sports centres.[5] The French competition was the world's first thought it is unknown at what point the league became the Elite One Championship, named after the highest tier of the French running game. In the 2006–07 season, the three-team Championship was won by Vichy.[6] In the 2011–12 season, six teams competed in the Championship and six more took part in development tournaments.[7] The following season there were four teams in the Elite 1 competition and six in Elite 2.[8] In the 2013–14 season this was restructured as a single Championship of ten teams,[9] but the growth of the sport meant that the following season there were 15 teams divided between Elite 1 and 2 as well as several reserve teams.[10] For the 2023–24 season, it was announced that Elite 1 would have six teams below which would be the Elite 2 and National divisions.[11]
Format
[edit]The competition runs as a double round robin finishing with playoffs and a grand final.[12]
Teams
[edit]As of 2023–24 the six teams are:
- Aingirak
- Avignon
- Catalans Dragons
- Montauban
- Saint Jory
- Toulouse Olympique
Finals
[edit]Season | Champions | Score | Runners-up | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011–12 | Cahors / Cadurciens Devils | 47–38 | ![]() |
[13] |
2012–13 | ![]() |
61–26 | Cahors / Cadurciens Devils | [14] |
2013–14 | ![]() |
44–40 | Cahors / Cadurciens Devils | [15] |
2014–15 | ![]() |
68–26 | Cahors / Cadurciens Devils | [16] |
2015–16 | ![]() |
29–26 | ![]() |
[17][18] |
2016–17 | ![]() |
52–34 | ![]() |
[19] |
2017–18 | ![]() |
43–29 | ![]() |
[20] |
2018–19 | ![]() |
58–42 | ![]() |
[21] |
2019–20 | Did not occur due to the COVID-19 pandemic | [22] | ||
2020–21 | ||||
2021–22 | ![]() |
56–28 | Montauban Pandas | [23] |
2022–23 | ![]() |
56–33 | Montauban Pandas | [24] |
2023–24 | ![]() |
26–22 | Montauban Pandas | [25] |
References
[edit]- ^ "The Fassolette-Kielty Trophy". RFL. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Rules of the Game". NRL Wheelchair. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "Handisport : le Para Rugby XIII et le rugby fauteuil, deux disciplines distinctes au service d'une même cause" (in French). FFRXIII. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Coupe du Monde: Les places pour les demi-finales à Toulouse sont en vente!" (in French). FFRXIII. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Major stages and big events". Rugby XIII Fauteuil. Archived from the original on 13 November 2008.
- ^ "Saison FFR XIII 2006–2007" (PDF). Rugby XIII Fauteuil (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2008.
- ^ "Les chiffres de la saison 2011-2013". FFRXIII (in French). 3 July 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Calendrier XIII Fauteuil – Saison 2012/2013". FFRXIII (in French). 25 November 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Retour au Championnat de France pour le XIII Fauteuil". FFRXIII (in French). 30 August 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "2 jours exclusivement consacrés au XIII Fauteuil". FFRXIII (in French). 16 December 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Para Rugby XIII : une seconde équipe Dragons Handi intègre l'Elite 2". FFRXIII (in French). 12 August 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Para Rugby XIII - Elite 1".
- ^ "XIII fauteuil : Cahors champion". FFRXIII (in French). 12 June 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Résultats XIII Fauteuil – Saison 2012/2013". FFRXIII (in French). 25 March 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Les résultats du week-end". FFRXIII (in French). 10 June 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Les Dragons Catalans handirugby encore sacrés". FFRXIII (in French). 1 June 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "XIII Fauteuil | Les Dragons sacrés Champions pour la 8ème fois de leur histoire !". FFRXIII (in French). 6 June 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Dragons Wheelchair win the title". Catalans Dragons. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Le TO XIII/St Jory Champion de France". FFRXIII (in French). 3 May 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "Les Dragons champions presque dans un fauteuil". FFRXIII (in French). 17 June 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "Et de huit pour les Handi Dragons!". FFRXIII (in French). 27 May 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "Le XIII Fauteuil descend dans l'Arène". FFRXIII (in French). 26 May 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "Finale Elite 1 XIII Fauteuil : le "Saint-Graal" pour les Dragons Handi". FFRXIII (in French). 21 May 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "Printemps du XIII : une première journée bien remplie". FFRXIII (in French). 28 May 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Para Rugby XIII : double sacre pour les Dragons Handi". FFRXIII (in French). 17 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.