Famous French Rugby Union Clubs and Their Legendary Players

The Top 14 is the tournament where the best teams play. We look at the Top 14 teams, and which are the best options to place your bets in 2024-25.

The Best Teams in French Rugby

There is no better team with French rugby clubs than Toulouse, which not only has 23 overall titles, but it won the most recent Top 14 Championship. Boasting recent titles in 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2024, most of the best players want to play for Toulouse, which leads State Francais in the premiership department.

State Francais has 14 titles, with its most recent coming in 2015. It hasn’t been able to win any recent titles, but it finished second in the regular season premiership behind Toulouse in 2024.

Toulouse couldn’t have been any more impressive winning in 2024. It won the final against Union Bordeaux Begles 59-3, in one of the most one-sided rugby union finals anywhere in the world.

With four wins in the last five years, the reign of Toulouse is back, but there is always room for an upset. Montpellier Herault Rugby won in 2022, and it’s one of the more dynamic French rugby union clubs.

The top six teams from the Top 14 competition qualify for the European Rugby Champions Cup, and also for the Top 14 playoffs. It’s usually a close premiership ladder, so let’s look at the French rugby teams who are always around the mark.

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French Rugby Contenders

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not all about Toulouse when it comes to French rugby union clubs. As the 2024 premiership table showed, there are many teams within striking distance of winning the title each year.

Toulon is also a top-level team, having finished fourth in 2024. The Toulon team has four titles to its name, with the most recent coming in 2014. Racing 92 won the title in 2016 and Castres Olympique won in 2018, so it shows the depth of the Top 14 teams.

Montpellier Herault has only one title to its name, which came in 2022, so even new teams can compete in the wide-open competition.

Over the course of history, the top six teams are Toulouse, State Francais, AS Beziers, SU Agen, FC Lourdes, and State Bordelais. The unluckiest team is ASM Clermont Auvergne, which won in 2010 and 2017. However, it has 12 runner-up finishes, which is three clear of the next best in State Francais.

2025 could be the year when ASM Clermont plays its best rugby to win its third title.

France Rugby Team Players

There have been some legends of the sport coming from the French League. The most famous is arguably Sebastian Chabal, who played lock for Bourgoin, Metro 92, and the French national team.

He made headlines all over the world for his appearance, and he was a fierce competitor on the field, leading France to many top finishes at the international level.

Thierry Dusautoir played from 2006-2015, and he earned 80 test caps playing for France. He won the Top 14 competition with Biarritz in 2006, before winning with Toulouse in 2008, 2011, and 2012. He was one of the most dynamic France rugby team players, and he ranks at the top of the list for many.

Fellow Biarritz player Serge Blanco is also on the list. He played his rugby from 1974-1992, all with the same club.

In more recent times, Antoine Dupont has been a standout player on the world stage. The 27-year-old is a four-time Top 14 champion with Toulouse, and he won the European Cup twice with the team. With the French national team, he won the 2022 Six Nations, and he won the 2021 World Rugby Player of the Year, beating out the fancied All Blacks and South African players.

As always, make sure to check the latest Rugby news before placing your bets.

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.

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