Stade Français facts for kids
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| Full name | Stade Français Paris | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Les Stadistes Les Soldats Roses (The Pink Soldiers) La Pink Army |
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| Founded | 1883 (Stade Français) 1995 (Stade Français CASG) |
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| Location | Paris, France | |||
| Ground(s) | Stade Jean-Bouin (Capacity: 20,000) | |||
| Chairman | Hans-Peter Wild | |||
| CEO | Thomas Lombard | |||
| Coach(es) | Laurent Labit Karim Ghezal |
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| Captain(s) | Paul Gabrillagues | |||
| Most appearances | Julien Arias (327) | |||
| Top scorer | Diego Domínguez (1,763) | |||
| Most tries | Julien Arias (100) | |||
| League(s) | Top 14 | |||
| 2023–24 | 2nd | |||
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| Official website | ||||
Stade Français Paris is a professional rugby union club from Paris, France. It's often called Stade Français. The team plays in the Top 14, which is the top rugby league in France. It's known as one of the most successful French rugby clubs today.
The original Stade Français club started in 1883. The current club was formed in 1995. This happened when the rugby teams of Stade Français and Club Athlétique des Sports Généraux (CASG) joined together.
The team's usual home is Stade Jean-Bouin. However, since 2005, they have played some big games at the much larger Stade de France, which can hold 80,000 people. Between 2010 and 2013, the team played at Stade Charléty while a new stadium was built at the Jean-Bouin site.
Stade Français played in the very first French championship final in 1892. They won many titles in the early 1900s. After that, the club spent about 50 years in lower rugby divisions. In 1992, a businessman named Max Guazzini took over. He helped the team rise quickly, returning to the top league in just five seasons. They then won four French championships in seven years. In 2015, the team won the Top 14 again, showing a strong comeback.
Contents
Club History
Stade Français was started in 1883 by a group of students in Paris. On March 20, 1892, the first French rugby union championship was held. It was a single game between Racing Club de France and Stade Français. Pierre de Coubertin was the referee, and Racing won 4–3.
The next season, Stade Français won against Racing in the final, with a score of 7 to 3. The team quickly became very strong. They played in every championship final until 1899, winning in 1894, 1895, 1897, and 1898.
From 1899 to 1908, Stade Français played in the championship final seven times against Stade Bordelais. They won in 1901 and again in 1908. Stade Français also beat SOE Toulouse in 1903. After a lot of success in the early years, Stade Français didn't reach another final until 1927. They lost to Toulouse 19 to 9. After this, Stade Français spent over 50 years in the lower divisions of French rugby.
While the team was in the third division, a businessman named Max Guazzini took over in 1992. His goal was to bring top-level rugby back to Paris. In 1995, Stade Français CASG was created by combining Stade Français with another Parisian team, Club Athlétique des Sports Généraux (CASG). The team returned to the top division in 1995, and Bernard Laporte became the head coach. By 1998, the team reached the championship final and won their first title since 1908, beating Perpignan 34 to 7.
Laporte left to coach the national team. He was replaced by Georges Coste, and then by John Connolly in 2000. Connolly led the club to their first Heineken Cup final in 2001, where they lost to the Leicester Tigers 34 to 30. Connolly left in 2002, and South African Nick Mallet took over. Stade Français won the French league again in 2003 and 2004. In the 2004–05 season, they almost won both the French league and the Heineken Cup, but lost both finals. Mallett returned to South Africa, and former player Fabien Galthié became head coach. Stade won the 2006–07 championship, beating Clermont 23 to 18.
The club faced money problems in 2011. Max Guazzini sold most of his shares and stepped down as president. Jean-Pierre Savare, chairman of a security company, bought a large part of the club. His son, Thomas Savare, became president.
After six years, Thomas Savare handed over the presidency to Hans-Peter Wild. Dr. Wild, a Swiss businessman, stopped a planned merger with rival Racing 92 in 2017. He announced a five-year plan focusing on training young French players.
Modern Era: Fans, Stadiums, and Communication
The Max Guazzini Era
Max Guazzini wanted to attract more fans to Stade Français. In 1996, he let people into games for free. About 7,000 people came to matches. Later, women could enter for free for some games. He believed it was better to have many happy fans than a few paying ones. He said, "It's a question of philosophy."
Guazzini also made matches more like a family event. He added cheerleaders, music, special sounds when points were scored, and even a remote-controlled car to bring the kicking tee to players. He used famous people like Mathilda May, Madonna, and Naomi Campbell as club sponsors. This plan worked, and more women and children started coming to games.
Since 2005, the team has been famous for its pink jersey. This color was surprising for rugby, which is seen as a tough sport. When the team first wore it in September 2005, it caused a stir. Even though they lost that game, the pink jersey became a huge success. About 20,000 jerseys were sold in the first year. The next year, new designs, including pink lilies, were added. The club aimed to sell 100,000 jerseys.
It took about ten years for the club to become very popular. Almost all home matches were sold out. Because Stade Jean-Bouin was too small (holding about 10,000 people), Guazzini decided to play bigger games elsewhere. In April 2005, a European Champions Cup match against Newcastle was played at Parc des Princes, which sold out with 48,000 fans.
Guazzini then decided to play at Stade de France, a much larger stadium. He offered cheap tickets (as low as €5 or €10) and used strong advertising. On October 15, 2005, Stade Français Paris set a world record for attendance at a regular rugby league match, with 79,502 spectators. They broke this record three more times: against Biarritz (March 4, 2006, 79,604 fans), again against Biarritz (October 14, 2006, 79,619 fans), and against Toulouse (January 27, 2007, 79,741 fans).
At Stade de France, there was extra entertainment. Thousands of blue and pink flags were placed on seats. Famous singers, circus performers, and even a giant karaoke were part of the show. The rugby ball would arrive in spectacular ways, like in a chariot or with Miss France 2006 emerging from a giant egg.
Some people criticized the low ticket prices, saying it was easy to fill the stadium that way. However, the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, supported Stade Français playing in Paris.
Since 2004–2005, Stade Français Paris played many league matches outside Jean-Bouin. Guazzini believed the club needed its own bigger stadium to grow. After many discussions, a new stadium plan was approved in 2010. Demolition of the old stadium began, and the new 20,000-seat Jean Bouin was opened on August 30, 2013.
In April 2011, the club faced serious money problems. Max Guazzini put the club up for sale.
The Thomas Savare Era
Thomas Savare, from the Oberthur Fiduciaire group, became the new President. He invested 11 million Euros into the club. During the 2012–13 season, Stade Français played some European Challenge Cup matches in other cities like Le Havre, Le Mans, and Valenciennes. They also played a league match against Toulon in Lille.
The club continued to have financial losses, and Thomas Savare had to keep investing money. This caused tension within his family, who also owned parts of the company. Thomas Savare called it an "investment out of passion."
Failed Merger with Racing 92
On March 13, 2017, Thomas Savare announced a plan to merge the club with its neighbor, Racing 92. The next day, Stade Français players decided to go on strike. They refused to train or play until the merger was canceled. Because of this strong opposition, the two presidents decided to cancel the merger a few days later.
The Hans-Peter Wild Era
On May 14, 2017, Thomas Savare chose German-Swiss businessman Hans-Peter Wild to take over the club. Dr. Wild, who founded Capri-Sun, was a big fan of rugby and Paris. He said he wanted to lead the club for a long time and help it grow in France and worldwide. He appointed Hubert Patricot as club President and Fabien Grobon as managing director.
Rebuilding the Team
Dr. Wild asked Robert Mohr to lead a new rebuilding effort. Starting in 2017–2018, many changes were made. Heyneke Meyer, a former coach of the South African national team, joined to improve the team's skills. New players like Gaël Fickou, Yoann Maestri, and Nicolás Sánchez also joined for the 2018–2019 season.
Under Pascal Papé, a former Stade Français player and France captain, the club focused on developing young players and helping professional players with their careers. They aimed for better performance with more discipline and a new game plan.
New Brand and Logo
Dr. Wild also wanted to update the club's brand and logo. The new logo kept the shield shape and the color pink, which represents the club's unique and creative style. The lightning bolts, which show the club's history, were changed to symbolize energy and new goals.
The new sports plan and logo honored the club's past while looking to the future. This "R)evolution" was presented on May 16, 2018, the anniversary of the club's first Top 14 title win in the Guazzini era.
Name, Logo, and Colors
In the 1880s, many new sports clubs in France used English names. But the name Stade was chosen by students to remember Ancient Greece, where athletes competed in a "Stadium." Français (French) was added later. It might have been used by British players to tell them apart from other Paris teams, as rugby was popular with foreigners back then. France also remembered losing a war to Germany in 1871.
The choice of blue, white, and red, the colors of the French flag, likely showed a patriotic spirit. Blue and red are also the colors of Paris, which has supported the club since 1994.
Stade Français's traditional colors are royal blue jerseys, red shorts, and white socks. The club's old logo had white "S" and "F" letters on a red and blue shield. The twelve blue stars on it represented their twelve championship wins. The team's current colors are dark blue and pink. The new logo is a blue shield with pink "S" and "F" letters and three pink lightning flashes.
President Guazzini wanted the jerseys to be easily recognized. He added three lightning flashes, which are now the club's symbol. In 2005, Guazzini decided to use a pink away jersey. This was meant to surprise the "macho" world of rugby, as pink is rarely used by sports teams. Stade Français first wore the pink jersey in September 2005. They then used it regularly.
The club sold 20,000 pink replica jerseys in 2005–06. Guazzini also had over 10,000 pink flags made for fans at Stade de France games. In 2006–07, new jerseys were introduced. One was pink, designed by fashion designer Kenzo. Another was navy blue with big pink lilies and green numbers, which was unusual as green is not a club color. The remote-controlled car that brought the kicking tee to players was also painted pink.
Home Grounds
The team's main stadium is Stade Jean-Bouin, which holds 20,000 people. Before 2011, it held 12,000, which was too small for some big European games. So, Club President Guazzini decided to play a European quarter-final match at the much larger Parc des Princes.
Guazzini also booked the national stadium of France, the 80,000-seat Stade de France, for a Top 14 game against Toulouse. This was a huge success, with 79,502 people attending. This broke the record for regular season attendance in France. Guazzini then booked the venue for another match, drawing an even larger crowd of 79,604.
On October 14, 2006, the record was broken a third time with 79,619 fans for a game against Biarritz. On January 27, 2007, Stade Français set another French attendance record with 79,741 people at Stade de France for their win over Toulouse. They continued to play big games at Stade de France in later seasons, often drawing over 75,000 fans.
In the 2000s, Stade Français also played some matches at Stade Charléty in Paris. Its capacity of 20,000 was larger than Jean-Bouin at the time. In 2010–11, Stade Charléty became their regular home while Jean-Bouin was being renovated.
Club Image
Max Guazzini, who worked in media, wanted to make the club a modern business. He used marketing to promote the club and create excitement. He wanted to offer a great show so people would become regular fans. Guazzini added female cheerleaders, music before games, bells to mark the end of each half, fireworks, and a radio-controlled car to bring the kicking tee to players.
His successful radio station, NRJ, also sponsored the club. His connections in show business allowed him to bring superstars like Madonna and Naomi Campbell to some games. The club's official song became "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor.
Guazzini's ideas, like using pink jerseys and playing in huge stadiums, were sometimes criticized. Older rugby fans, especially in the south of France, felt it hurt the traditional image of rugby. They thought it was too much like show business. Others believed it was good for rugby, helping it stay popular and change its old-fashioned image.
Rivalries
Today, Stade Français doesn't have one main local rival. However, Racing 92 might become one as they get stronger. There's often a "Paris versus the provinces" feeling, meaning fans outside Paris might cheer against Stade Français. Since the club's comeback in the 1990s, their main rivals have been other strong teams not from Paris.
Racing 92
Paris was where French rugby union began. Stade Français and Racing Club de France, both from Paris, played the first club match in France in 1891. They were the only two clubs in the first championship the next year. In fact, the first seven championships were only played between Parisian teams. Racing was seen as a more upper-class club, while Stade was more popular. This rivalry was renewed in 2009–10 when Racing Club's new team, Racing Métro, joined the Top 14.
Bordeaux
Another rivalry started with Stade Bordelais when clubs from outside Paris were allowed to play in 1899. These two teams met in 7 of the next 10 finals. Bordeaux won 5 of them. The most intense rivalry was in 1901. Stade accused Bordeaux of using players who weren't allowed by the rules. The league ordered a replay, but Bordeaux refused. So, Stade Français was declared the winner.
Bordeaux got their revenge three years later in a very rough final. Players were kicking and punching each other. Spectators even joined in the booing. A reporter called it "thug fights." Bordeaux won the next three finals against Stade. This rivalry was strong because many players from both teams also played for the French national team. The First World War ended this rivalry, as neither club regained its past glory.
Toulouse
The fight for the top spots means Stade Français also has big rivalries with Toulouse and Biarritz Olympique. Toulouse had won four titles in a row before Paris won the next one. The clubs took turns winning titles for four years, but never met in a final until 2003. Stade Français won easily against Toulouse (32–18). Toulouse got their revenge in 2005, winning a close Heineken Cup final in extra time (18–12). The clubs often argue in the news, but there's usually no real tension on the field. This is because many players play together for France.
Biarritz
Games between Stade Français and Biarritz are also a big rivalry. Biarritz became a strong team in 2002. In April 2005, Stade's win in the Heineken Cup semi-final created tension. Christophe Dominici scored the winning try after nine minutes of extra time. Biarritz felt it was unfair. A month later, the two clubs played in the Top 14 final, which was very physical and intense. Biarritz won in extra time (37–34).
Five months later, they met again. A huge fight broke out after just five minutes. The referee gave out yellow and red cards to players from both teams. The rest of the game was very rough. Stade won 14–7. After the match, both teams blamed each other. Since then, games between the two teams have been calmer.
Honours
- French championship Top 14
- Champions (14): 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1898, 1901, 1903, 1908, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2015
- Runners-up (9): 1892, 1896, 1899, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1927, 2005
- Heineken Cup/European Rugby Champions Cup
- Runners-up (2): 2001, 2005
- European Rugby Challenge Cup
- Champions (1): 2017
- Runners-up (2): 2011, 2013
- French Cup
- Champions (1): 1999
- Runners-up (1): 1998
- Coupe de l'Espérance
- Runners-up (1): 1916
Notable Former Players
Alexandre Albouy- Géo André
- Benoît August
- David Auradou
- Mathieu Bastareaud
- Lionel Beauxis
- Mathieu Blin
- Hugo Bonneval
- Olivier Brouzet
- Denis Charvet
- Christophe Dominici
- Geoffrey Doumayrou
- Julien Dupuy
- Jerome Fillol
- Fabien Galthié
- Roland Garros
- Stéphane Glas
- James Haskell
- Christophe Juillet
- Jean-Baptiste Lafond
- Raphaël Lakafia
- Fabrice Landreau
- Brian Liebenberg
- Marc Lièvremont
- Thomas Lombard
- Sylvain Marconnet
- Rémy Martin
- Olivier Milloud
- Vincent Moscato
- Pascal Papé
- Pierre Rabadan
- Olivier Roumat
- David Skrela
- Rabah Slimani
- Dimitri Szarzewski
- Patrick Tabacco
- Pieter de Villiers
Felipe Contepomi- Ignacio Corleto
- Juan Martín Hernández
- Juan Manuel Leguizamón
- Agustín Pichot
- Gonzalo Quesada
- Rodrigo Roncero
George Smith
Mauro Bergamasco- Mirco Bergamasco
- Sergio Parisse
- Diego Domínguez
Byron Kelleher
Brian Lima
Shaun Sowerby
Head Coaches
- Bernard Laporte (1995 – 1999)
- John Connolly (2000 – 2002)
- Nick Mallett (2002 – 2004)
- Fabien Galthié (2004 – 2008)
- Ewen McKenzie (2008 – 2009)
- Michael Cheika (2010 – 2012)
- Gonzalo Quesada (2013 – 2017)
- Heyneke Meyer (2018 – 2020)
- Gonzalo Quesada (2020 – 2023)
Images for kids
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The 1897 team that won the third league title in the history of the club
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Illustration showing Stade Français (in dark blue jersey) playing Racing Club, 1906
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Stade Francais wearing the pink jersey in 2007. The shirt, introduced two years before, caused some controversy but it has remained as the main uniform of the club since then
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Stade Francais (in white) playing Stade Toulousain in 2012
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Although not used in rugby, the red and blue logo is still the main emblem of the club
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Stade Francais in 2004, still wearing the dark blue shirt.
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Alternate jersey worn in the 2006–07 season. The use of pink in team uniforms and the addition of elements such as flowers, or an image of Blanche of Castile, set a precedent in the world of rugby
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Stade Jean-Bouin (team's home venue)
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Parc des Princes
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Stade Charléty
In Spanish: Stade Français Paris para niños
