Élite 1
 | |
| Formerly | Top 8 (2015–2018) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Rugby union |
| Founded | 1971 |
| First season | 1972 |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Country | France |
| Most recent champion | Stade Bordelais (2025) |
| Most titles | Toulouse Femina Sports (9) |
| Relegation to | Élite 2 Féminine |
| Official website | Élite 1 |
Élite 1 Féminine (since 2018, and previously Top 8 from 2015 to 2018) is the top national league for women's rugby union clubs in France. It was founded from the 1971–1972 season under the aegis of the French Women's Rugby Association before being taken over by the French Women's Rugby Federation, it has been organized by the French Rugby Federation since 1989. The first season was won by the ASVEL Rugby women's team.
The championship used to take place in two phases: a so-called qualification phase, which is contested by all the teams, and a final phase which is played by direct elimination. From 2015 to 2018, the championship is referred to as the Top 8. From 2018-2024, the championship went from a single pool of 8 clubs to two pools of 16, with the 8 best clubs qualifying for the final phase; meanwhile two clubs would be relegated to Élite 2 at the end of the championship.
Beginning again with the 2024-25 season it returned to a single pool of 8, playing in a double round robin, with 4 teams qualifying for the final phase, and 1 team being relegated to Élite 2. This ensured that the top teams would play each other more frequently, and the FFR believes will improve results for the national team Les Bleues. Beginning in 2025 AXA came on as official sponsor for the league.[1]
As with men, the most successful club in France is Toulouse: it is Toulouse Fémina Sports, with 9 French championship titles, in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984 and 1985. Montpellier RC is the second most successful team with eight titles (2007, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019).[2][3]
ASM Romagnat won the Élite 1 2020–2021 season.[4] Stade Bordelais are the most recent champions, winning three consecutive titles (2023, 2024, 2025).[5]
Teams
2025–26 Élite 1 season teams:
|
 Location of teams in the 2025–26 Élite 1 season
|
Champions
1970–79
| Season |  Champion
|
Score |  Runner-up
|
Venue | Attendance | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | ASVEL | 10–8 | RC Adour | Lombez | ||
| 1973 | FC Auch | 10–8 | Tarbes Rugby | Morlaàs | ||
| 1974 | Violettes bressanes | 25–10 | FC Auch | La Voulte | ||
| 1975 | Toulouse Fémina Sports | 18–3 | OF Valence Les Dragons Blancs | Romagnat | ||
| 1976 | Toulouse Fémina Sports | 8–3 | Violettes bressanes | Castres | ||
| 1977 | Toulouse Fémina Sports | 12–7 | Violettes bressanes | Montaigut-le-Blanc | ||
| 1978 | Toulouse Fémina Sports | 7–0 | FC Auch | Montaigut-le-Blanc | ||
| 1979 | Toulouse Fémina Sports | 19–0 | Coquelicots de Tournus | Montaigut-le-Blanc |
1980–89
| Season | Champion
|
Score | Runner-up
|
Venue | Attendance | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Toulouse Fémina Sports | 7–0 | Violettes bressanes | Montaigut-le-Blanc | ||
| 1981 | Violettes bressanes | 10–3 | Coquelicots de Tournus | Montaigut-le-Blanc | ||
| 1982 | Toulouse Fémina Sports | 7–0 | Violettes bressanes | Montaigut-le-Blanc | ||
| 1983 | La Teste Rugby | 10–0 | Violettes bressanes | Tulle | ||
| 1984 | Toulouse Fémina Sports | 10–0 | Coquelicots de Tournus | Privas | ||
| 1985 | Toulouse Fémina Sports | 6–0 | Violettes bressanes | Montaigut-le-Blanc | ||
| 1986 | La Teste Rugby | 8–0 | Toulouse Fémina Sports | |||
| 1987 | La Teste Rugby | 16–4 | Coquelicots de Tournus | Bègles | ||
| 1988 | La Teste Rugby | 8–0 | Violettes bressanes | Anglet | ||
| 1989 | Violettes bressanes | 19–12 | AS Romagnat | Montaigut-le-Blanc |
1990–99
| Season | Champion
|
Score | Runner-up
|
Venue | Attendance | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Saint-Orens | 7–6 | Violettes bressanes | Tours | ||
| 1991 | Rugby Club de Chilly-Mazarin | 3–0 | Saint-Orens | Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche | ||
| 1992 | Pachys d'Herm | 10–3 | Saint-Orens | Marciac | ||
| 1993 | Saint-Orens | 13–3 | Violettes bressanes | L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue | ||
| 1994 | AS Romagnat | 21–12 | Saint-Orens | Maurs | ||
| 1995 | AS Romagnat | 10–6 | Pachys d'Herm | |||
| 1996 | Rugby Club de Chilly-Mazarin | 3–0 | AS Romagnat | Romorantin | ||
| 1997 | Pachys d'Herm | 30–17 | Saint-Orens | Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris | ||
| 1998 | Pachys d'Herm | 20–11 | AS Romagnat | Mussidan | ||
| 1999 | Caen Rugby Club | 25–12 | Pachys d'Herm | Leucate |
2000–09
| Season | Champion
|
Score | Runner-up
|
Venue | Attendance | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Caen Rugby Club | 12–5 | Pachys d'Herm | Poitiers | ||
| 2001 | Pachys d'Herm | 20–19 | Caen Rugby Club | Limoges | ||
| 2002 | Caen Rugby Club | 10–3 | Saint-Orens | Tyrosse | ||
| 2003 | Pachys d'Herm | 23–15 | Caen Rugby Club | Parthenay | ||
| 2004 | USAT XV Toulouges | 8–6 | Ovalie caennaise | Isle | ||
| 2005 | USAT XV Toulouges | 7–3 | Ovalie caennaise | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | ||
| 2006 | USAT XV Toulouges | 8–3 | Stade Rennais rugby | La Roche-sur-Yon | ||
| 2007 | Montpellier RC | 10–3 | Ovalie caennaise | Grenoble | ||
| 2008 | USAT XV Toulouges | 18–15 | Montpellier RC | Narbonne | ||
| 2009 | Montpellier RC | 19–16 | USAP XV Féminin | Gruissan |
2010–19
| Season | Champion
|
Score | Runner-up
|
Venue | Attendance | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | USAP XV Féminin | 26–5 | Montpellier RC | Stade Jean Bouin, Paris | ||
| 2011 | USAP XV Féminin | 15–11 | Stade rennais rugby | Saint-Médard-en-Jalles | 1,200 | |
| 2012 | Rugby club lonsois | 14–10 | Montpellier RC | Stade de Loudes, L'Union | ||
| 2013 | Montpellier RC | 15–12 | Lille MRC Villeneuvois | Stade Robert-Barran, Vierzon | [6] | |
| 2014 | Montpellier RC | 29–19 | AC Bobigny 93 Rugby | Stade de l'Escale, Arnas | ||
| Top 8 | ||||||
| 2015 | Montpellier RC | 17–3 | Lille MRC Villeneuvois | Stade Marcel-Verchère, Bourg-en-Bresse | ||
| 2016 | Lille MRC Villeneuvois | 18–7 | Montpellier RC | Stade Jules-Ladoumègue, Massy | ||
| 2017 | Montpellier RC | 17–11 | Lille MRC Villeneuvois | Stade André-Moga, Bègles | 1,500 | |
| 2018 | Montpellier RC | 15–12 | Stade Toulousain | Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne | ||
| Élite 1 | ||||||
| 2019 | Montpellier RC | 22–13 | Stade Toulousain | Stade Maurice-Trélut, Tarbes | ||
2020–29
| Season | Champion
|
Score | Runner-up
|
Venue | Attendance | Ref | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Season interrupted by COVID-19 | ||||||
| 2021 | ASM Romagnat | 13–8 | Blagnac | Stade Ernest-Argelès, Blagnac | 1,000 | [7] | |
| 2022 | Stade Toulousain | 16–10 | Blagnac | Stade Lesdiguières, Grenoble | [8] | ||
| 2023 | Stade Bordelais | 27–23 | Blagnac | Stade Sainte-Germaine | [9] | ||
| 2024 | Stade Bordelais | 32–17 | ASM Romagnat | Stade Pierre Rajon Bourgoin-Jallieu | [10][11] | [12] | |
| 2025 | Stade Bordelais | 32–24 | Stade Toulousain | Stade Marcel-Michelin | [13] | ||
| 2026 | |||||||
| 2027 | |||||||
| 2028 | |||||||
| 2029 | |||||||
Winners and runners up
- Current Élite 1 Féminine participating clubs indicated in bold
| Club | Wins | Runners-up | Winning Seasons | Last win |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toulouse Fémina Sports | 9 | 1 | 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1982 1984 1985 | 1985 |
| Montpellier RC | 8 | 4 | 2007 2009 2013 2014 2015 2017 2018 2019 | 2019 |
| Pachys d'Herm | 5 | 3 | 1992 1997 1998 2001 2003 | 2003 |
| USAT XV Toulouges | 4 | 0 | 2004 2005 2006 2008 | 2008 |
| La Teste Rugby | 4 | 0 | 1983 1986 1987 1988 | 1988 |
| Violettes Bressanes | 3 | 9 | 1974 1981 1989 | 1989 |
| Caen Rugby Club | 3 | 2 | 1999 2000 2002 | 2002 |
| Stade Bordelais | 3 | 0 | 2023 2024 2025 | 2025 |
| Saint-Orens | 2 | 5 | 1990 1993 | 1993 |
| AS Romagnat | 2 | 3 | 1994 1995 | 1995 |
| USAP XV Féminin | 2 | 1 | 2010 2011 | 2011 |
| Rugby Club de Chilly-Mazarin | 2 | 0 | 1991 1996 | 1996 |
| Stade Toulousain | 1 | 3 | 2022 | 2022 |
| Lille MRC Villeneuvois | 1 | 3 | 2016 | 2016 |
| FC Auch | 1 | 2 | 1973 | 1973 |
| ASM Romagnat | 1 | 1 | 2021 | 2021 |
| Rugby Club Lonsois | 1 | 0 | 2012 | 2012 |
| ASVEL | 1 | 0 | 1972 | 1972 |
| Coquelicots de Tournus | 0 | 4 | ||
| Blagnac Rugby Féminin | 0 | 3 | ||
| Ovalie Caennaise | 0 | 3 | ||
| Stade Rennais Rugby | 0 | 2 | ||
| OF Valence Les Dragons Blancs | 0 | 1 | ||
| AC Bobigny 93 Rugby | 0 | 1 | ||
| RC Adour | 0 | 1 | ||
| Tarbes Rugby | 0 | 1 |
References
- ^ "Le championnat de France de rugby féminin devient « AXA Élite 1 »". rugbypass.com (in French). Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "Elite 1 - En quête d'homogénéité, l'Elite féminine entame sa mue". Rugbyrama (in French). 17 September 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ^ "France reorganises its elite league – again". Scrum Queens. 9 May 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ^ "Romagnat win French championship". Scrum Queens. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ^ "Bordeaux seal third straight French title with epic win over Toulouse". rugbypass.com. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ Birch, John (1 July 2013). "French Top 10: The south triumphs!". ScrumQueens. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ France Rugby (22 June 2021). Elite 1 féminine : Le résumé de la finale 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ Résumé Finale Elite 1 2022 : Toulouse - Blagnac | 📺 Le résumé de la finale ! C'était serré jusqu'au bout à Grenoble samedi soir 🤩 #Elite1 | By Élite 1 Féminine | Facebook. Retrieved 29 March 2025 – via www.facebook.com.
- ^ France Rugby (10 June 2023). Elite 1 féminine : Les Bordelaises championnes de France. Retrieved 29 March 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ Charpenet, David (8 June 2024). "Elite 1 féminine - Stade bordelais - ASM Romagnat : le résumé du sacre des Bordelaises". rugbyrama.fr. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ "Congratulations to the Bordeaux women's rugby team!". Le Bonbon.
- ^ France Rugby (10 June 2024). Elite 1 féminines 2024 : Le résumé complet de la finale Stade Bordelais - ASM Romagnat. Retrieved 29 March 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Stade Bordelais Women vs Toulouse Women Elite 1 Womens Final 2025". YouTube.