1959–60 French Rugby Union Championship

French Rugby Championship 1959–60
Countries France
Number of teams56
ChampionsLourdes (7th title)
Runners-upBéziers

The 1958–59 French Rugby Union Championship was contested by 56 clubs divided in seven pools of eight clubs.

The four better of each pool and the four better classified as 5th (for a sum of 32 clubs) were qualified for the final phase.

The Championship was won by Lourdes who beat the Béziers in the final.

Context

The 1960 Five Nations Championship was won by France and by Ireland.

The Challenge Yves du Manoir was won by Mont-de-Marsan that beat the Béziers (9-9 the score but Mont de Maresan won for the number of tries scored)

Qualification round

In bold the qualified to "last 32" phase

Poule A

Poule B

Poule C

Poule D

Poule E

Poule F

Poule G

"Last 32"

In bold the clubs qualified for the next round

Team 1 Team 2 Results
Lourdes Toulouse Olympique EC 14-6
Cahors Limoges 14-3
Chambéry La Voulte 6-3
Tulle Angoulême 11-3
Dax Toulose 8-0
Tyrosse Montferrand 8-6
Vichy Bayonne 16-3
Mazamet Toulon 9-3
Béziers Auch 18-0
Foix Périgueux 9-0
Mont-de-Marsan Hendaye 15-3
Stadoceste Vienne 6-3
Pau Racing 14-6
Aurillac Biarritz 9-5
Graulhet Cognac 8-3
Brive Grenoble 21-5

"Last 16"

In bold the clubs qualified for the next round

Team 1 Team 2 Results
Lourdes Cahors 10-3
Chambéry Tulle 9-3
Dax Tyrosse 11-3
Vichy Mazamet 8-6
Béziers Foix 6-3
Mont-de-Marsan Stadoceste 14-3
Pau Aurillac 8-6
Graulhet Brive 9-6

Quarter of finals

In bold the clubs qualified for the next round

Team 1 Team 2 Results
Lourdes Chambéry 15-3
Dax Vichy 12-5
Béziers Mont-de-Marsan 19-16
Pau Graulhet 12-6

Semifinals

Team 1 Team 2 Results
Lourdes Dax 13-8
Béziers Pau 3-3

The Béziers because with the same number of point and tries, had a better number of penalties (1 –0, Pau score only a drop)

Final

Teams Lourdes - Béziers
Score 14-11
Date 22 May 1960
Venue Stadium Municipal, Toulouse
Referee Louis Parrot
Line-up
Lourdes Jean-Louis Taillantou, Pierre Deslus, Thomas Manterola, André Laffont, Louis Guinle, Michel Crauste, Henri Domec, Roland Crancée, François Vallée, Antoine Labazuy, Pierre Faur, Roger Martine, Arnaud Marquesuzaa, Pierre Tarricq, Guy Calvo
Béziers Raoul Barrière, Emile Bolzan, Francis Mas, Pierre Mercier, André Gayraud, Roger Gensane, François Rondi, Jean Arnal, Pierre Danos, Robert Raynal, Jacques Fratangelle, Robert Spagnolo, Yvan Boggiano, Lucien Rogé, Paul Dedieu
Scorers
Lourdes 2 tries Fauré and Crauste, 2 penalties and 1 conversion Labazuy
Béziers 1 try Raynal, 1 conversion and 2 penalties Danos

Lourdes team was renewed from the previous year because of the retirement of Maurice and Jean Prat, The farewell of François Labazuy (moved to Tarbes), Henri Rancoule (to Touloun), Pierre Lacaze and Jean Barthe (to play rugby league). The departures was compensated by the arrivals of Michel Crauste and Arnaud Marquesuzaa and Roland Crancée.

Notes and references