Elite One Championship 2020–2021

The 2020–21 Elite One Championship was the 86th season of France's domestic rugby league competition and the 20th season known as the Elite One Championship. There were ten teams in the league. Each team played 18 matches in the regular season. The top six teams progressed to the finals series.

Elite One Championship 2020–2021
LeagueElite One Championship
Teams10
Broadcast partnersFrance ViàOccitanie
2020–21
Champions FC Lézignan
4th Elite One title
League leaders AS Carcassonne

There were no draws. In case of an equal score, the rule of the "Golden point" was applied.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, games were played behind closed doors.

Some games were televised on the free to air TV regional channel ViàOccitanie. Yet, as this channel was facing economic difficulties, the clubs tend to broadcast their home games via the social networks.

Teams

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Elite One Championship
Team Stadium Location
  Albi Tigers Stadium Mazicou Albi, Tarn
  SO Avignon Parc des Sports (Avignon) Avignon, Vaucluse
  AS Carcassonne Stade Albert Domec Carcassonne, Aude
  FC Lézignan Stade du Moulin Lézignan-Corbières, Aude
  Limoux Grizzlies Stade de l'Aiguille Limoux, Aude
  Palau XIII Broncos Stade Georges Vaills Palau-del-Vidre, Pyrénées-Orientales
  Saint-Estève Catalan Stade Municipal Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales
  Saint-Gaudens Bears Stade Jules Ribet Saint-Gaudens, Haute-Garonne
  Toulouse Olympique Broncos Stade des Minimes Toulouse, Haute-Garonne
  Villeneuve Leopards Stade Max Rousie Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Lot-et-Garonne

Ladder

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Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1   AS Carcassonne 20 17 0 3 597 378 219 53
2   FC Lézignan 20 16 0 4 662 387 275 51
3   Saint-Estève Catalan 20 13 0 7 573 408 165 44
4   Limoux Grizzlies 19 12 0 7 530 348 182 41
5   SO Avignon 20 12 0 8 589 455 134 40
6   Villeneuve Leopards 19 11 0 8 497 448 49 35
7   Albi Tigers 18 4 0 14 366 549 -183 19
8   Palau Broncos 18 4 0 14 308 583 -275 17
9   Toulouse Olympique Broncos 18 3 0 15 376 585 -209 17
10   Saint-Gaudens Bears 18 3 0 15 297 654 -357 13

At the end of the preliminary phase, the top two clubs qualified for the semi-finals.

The other ones played the Playoffs. The third and fourth best-placed clubs hosted the Elimination finals.

Source:[1]

Playoffs

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Elimination-Finals Semi-Finals Grand Final
  AS Carcassonne 27
  Limoux 22   SO Avignon 18
  SO Avignon 24   AS Carcassonne 12
  FC Lézignan 16
  FC Lézignan 26
  Saint-Estève Catalan 43   Saint-Estève Catalan 18
  Villeneuve Leopards 24

All playoffs games were broadcast on YouTube.

Grand Final

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20 June 2021 FC Lézignan   16 – 12   AS Carcassonne Stade Ernest-Wallon, Toulouse
15:00 UTC+02:00 (CEST) Report Attendance: 3,200

Media

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Television

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Unlike, for instance, the BBC, France Television didn't offer any program to the French public about Rugby League. This has been a real issue for the game. Explanations usually given are the low number of participants in France but also pressure which would be made by the Union authorities on the French Public Television Group.

In the early 2020s, some Elite 1 games are televised by a local channel ViàOccitanie; this is a free-to-air channel in the South of France but they are also available on the internet and via the triple play internet devices. Therefore, they offer, indirectly, a nationwide coverage of the domestic championship.

Presently, French clubs have to fund the broadcast of their own games or to televise their own matches themselves via the social networks or YouTube.

Radio

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Radio Marseillette, a local Southern radio, has rugby league debate and news every Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00. They also have commentary on some Elite League games.

Press

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The French national mainstream media barely follow the game. Very occasionally, some articles about the sport are published in newspapers such as Le Monde, Le Figaro or the national Sport newspaper L'Équipe.

Nevertheless, there is undoubtedly a French specificity: the Weekly Rugby Union magazine Midi Olympique has a one-page section devoted to Rugby League. However, only two local newspapers genuinely cover the game; L'Indépendant ( based in the South of France) and la Dépêche du Midi (based in the South west of the country).

The British Rugby League press cover this championship; for example magazines like Rugby Leaguer & League Express offer a weekly report of the games. In Australia, the monthly publication Rugby League Review offer a few columns about the games as well.

References

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  1. ^ "Championnat Elite 1". Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII (in French). Retrieved 2020-09-20.