Elite One Championship 2023–2024

The 2023–24 Elite One Championship was the 89th season of France's domestic rugby league competition and the 23rd season known as the Elite 1 championship.

Elite One Championship 2023-24
LeagueElite One Championship
Duration18 rounds + playoffs
Teams10
2023–24 season
Champions AS Carcassonne
League leaders AS Carcassonne

The league had the same ten teams as the 2022–23 season with Villeneuve, who finished in last place, retaining their Elite 1 status and Ille declining promotion from Elite 2. The ten teams in the competition each played 18 matches in the regular season. The top six teams progressed to final series played in May 2024.[1] The defending champions were Limoux who had defeated Carcassonne in the 2022–23 Grand Final.[2] Carcassonne reached the Grand Final again in 2023–24 and defeated Albi 8–6 to become champions of France for a thirteenth time. They also achieved a league-cup double having won the Coupe de France Lord Derby earlier in the season.[3][4] In March 2024, the French Rugby League Federation confirmed its plans to expand the top division to eleven teams in 2024–25, therefore there was no relegation from Elite 1 at the end of the 2023–24 season.[5]

Teams

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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
  Pia Donkeys Stade Daniel-Ambert Pia, 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

Regular season

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The regular season started on 30 September 2023 and ended on 14 April 2024. Each team was scheduled to play every other team twice, once at home and the other away making 18 games for each team and a total of 90 games.[1]

Table and results

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Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD BP Pts Qualification CAR ALB LIM PIA LEZ STE AVI STG VIL TOU
1   Carcassonne 18 16 2 636 296 +340 2 50 Semi-finals 30–32 28–8 38–16 38–20 30–12 36–12 52–16 58–6 50–28
2   Albi 18 15 3 515 238 +277 2 47 20–14 4–0 16–0 18–10 36–10 44–12 50–6 40–4 42–18
3   Limoux 18 11 7 418 268 +150 4 37 Qualifiers 22–40 6–14 10–18 10–30 30–14 28–16 32–4 42–4 34–12
4   Pia 18 12 6 412 369 +43 1 37 12–31 20–12 12–20 26–0 28–18 42–16 30–24 48–22 28–0
5   Lézignan 18 10 8 448 360 +88 5 35 10–16 26–24 4–30 26–10 14–19 70–6 48–16 32–24 44–8
6   Saint-Estève Catalan 18 10 8 472 382 +90 3 33 20–26 10–49 6–26 54–10 25–24 50–22 30–22 52–2 22–12
7   Avignon 18 7 11 378 539 −161 5 26 28–46 12–24 18–12 24–26 28–34 25–24 24–14 28–13 16–24
8   Saint-Gaudens 18 4 14 384 574 −190 7 19 16–36 46–24 18–34 14–26 20–10 10–28 28–39 22–18 28–40
9   Villeneuve 18 2 16 289 541 −252 8 14 12–13 4–14 12–20 20–34 22–24 12–24 14–28 37–36 25–10
10   Toulouse Olympique 18 3 15 258 643 −385 3 12 6–54 10–52 14–54 24–26 20–22 4–54 10–24 16–44 24–16
Source: [6][7]
  • 3 points for a victory
  • 1 point bonus for the losing team if the margin is less than 12
  • If two teams have equal points then the separation factor is the point difference. If a team has a greater point difference they rank higher on the table. If still tied then head-to-head matches will be the tie-breaker.

Finals

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At the end of the regular season, the top six teams in the table advanced to the knockout stage. First and second received a bye to the semi-finals where they faced the winners of the qualifying finals. The semi-finals were originally scheduled to be held at the neutral venue of Stade Michel Bendichou, Colomiers, but when the venue became unavailable due to the 2024 Summer Olympics torch relay the matches were moved to the home grounds of the highest seeded teams.[8] The winners of the semi-finals played in the Grand Final on 26 May at Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié in Narbonne. In the Grand Final, Carcassonne, who had won the Lord Derby Cup in April, faced Albi, the only side to have beaten them in the regular season. In a low scoring match Carcassonne led 4–0 at half time. A converted try midway through the second half put Albi ahead 4–6 before Carcassonne regained the lead with a try three minutes from the end to win 8–6.[3][9]

Bracket

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Qualifying FinalsSemi-FinalsFinal
1  Carcassonne44
4  Pia224  Pia4
5  Lézignan161  Carcassonne8
2  Albi6
2  Albi34
3  Limoux443  Limoux18
6  Saint-Estève Catalan10
Source:[7]

Grand Final

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26 May 2024
16:00
Carcassonne   8 – 6   Albi
Tries: Serelevu
Goals: Herrero (2)
[3][10]
Tries: Dupuy
Goals: Hellec
Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne
Attendance: 5,578
Referee: Geoffrey Poumes

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Elite 1 calendar season 2023-2024 with 10 teams". Treize Mondial. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Limoux flies over the Elite 1 final against Carcassonne". Treize Mondial. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Carcassonne shattered Albi's dream and made it a double". Treize Mondial. 26 May 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Treiziste Diary: Carcassonne rule again but they're not the only French rugby league power". Total Rugby League. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  5. ^ "2024-2025 season: Who goes up and who goes down?". Treize Mondial. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Elite 1 classement 2023-2024". Treize Mondial. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Elite 1 calendrier 2023-2024". Treize Mondial. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Elite 1 : les demi-finales chez les co-leaders du championnat" (in French). FFRXIII. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Rugby à XIII – Elite 1 : Carcassonne s'impose contre Albi dans une finale très indécise". L'Indépendant (in French). 26 May 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Elite 1 : Carcassonne réalise le doublé!" (in French). FFRXIII. 26 May 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.