Elite One Championship

Infobox sports league
logo=
pixels=200x244px
sport=Rugby League
founded=2002
teams=11
country=FRA
champion= Lezignan Sangliers

The Elite One Championship (French: "Le Championnat de France Elite") is the top-tiered, exclusively French, rugby league domestic competition.

The French Rugby League Championship began in 1934 but the current name and format were adopted in 2002 when the first game commenced in April. Currently the league is in its fifth year and features 11 clubs.

Since then the league has strengthened both on and off the pitch with members of the French national team playing in the league and growing attendances - some derby matches now get a crowd of 3,000. Recently the league has grown internationally too with players from Morocco, Serbia, Russia and Algeria. The season usually runs from October to April so that fans can also attend Catalans Dragons matches.

Teams

Winners

Year	Winners	Score	Runner-up	Venue
2002	Villeneuve Leopards	17 - 0	UTC	Béziers
2003	Villeneuve Leopards	34 - 18	Saint-Gaudens Bears	Béziers
2004	Saint-Gaudens Bears	14 - 10	UTC	Béziers
2005	UTC	66 - 16	Toulouse Olympique	Toulouse
2006	Pia Donkeys	21 - 18	Toulouse Olympique	Toulouse
2007	Pia Donkeys	20 - 16	Lezignan Sangliers	Colomiers
2008	Lézignan Sangliers	26-16	Pia Donkeys	Béziers

ee also

* Elite One Championship V "(current season)"
* Elite Two Championship
* French Rugby League Championship
* French rugby league system
* Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII
* Lord Derby Cup
* Rugby league in France

External links

* [http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100404294442427692349.000443b361b88a2a5c657 Google map showing location of Elite One sides]
* [http://www.ffr13.com/ French rugby league federation]
* [http://www.infostreize.com/pages/c02_00.html Infostreize]
* [http://lemondedurugby.chez.tiscali.fr Le monde du rugby à XIII]