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Stade Français Paris

Stade Français
Stade Francais logo.png
Full name Stade Français Club Athlétique des Sports Généraux
Nickname(s) All Pinks
Founded 1883; 134 years ago (1883)
Location Paris, France
Ground(s) Stade Jean-Bouin (Capacity: 20,000)
Stade de France (Capacity: 80,000)
President Thomas Savare
Coach(es) Gonzalo Quesada (Manager)
Captain(s) Sergio Parisse
League(s) Top 14
2015–16 12th
Official website
www.stade.fr

Stade Français CASG (French pronunciation: ​[stad fʁɑ̃sɛ]) is a French professional rugby union club based in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The club plays in the Top 14 domestic league in France and is one of the most successful French clubs of the modern era.

Stade Français was founded in 1883; its traditional home is Stade Jean-Bouin, though the club has recently played some home games at the 80,000-seat Stade de France, taking anywhere from two to five matches to the larger venue each season since 2005–06. Starting with the 2010–11 season, it moved its main home ground to the 20,000-capacity Stade Charléty in Paris to allow a new stadium to be built at the Jean-Bouin site. The club was founded in its current form in 1995 with the merger of the rugby sections of the Stade Français and Club Athlétique des Sports Généraux (CASG).

The team participated in the first French championship final in 1892, and went on to win numerous titles during the early 1900s. Stade Français spent about 50 years in the lower divisions of French rugby, until entrepreneur Max Guazzini took over in 1992, overseeing a rise to prominence, which saw the team returning to the elite division in just five seasons, and capture four French championships in seven years. After a financial crisis plagued the club in 2011, Guazzini sold a majority stake and stepped down as club president. From 2009 to 2015, the team struggles, failing reach the final phases. 2015 marked a rebirth for them, as the team reached the final phases and won three games in row, against Racing Métro, Toulon and Clermont and won also Top 14.

Stade Français was established in 1883 by a group of students in Paris. On 20 March 1892 the USFSA organised the first ever French rugby union championship, a one-off game between Racing Club de France and Stade Français. The game was refereed by Pierre de Coubertin and saw Racing win 4–3. However the club were able to make up for the loss the next season when the two teams met again in the final, with Stade Français winning 7 points to 3. The team quickly became a powerful side in the competition, featuring in every championship in succession until 1899, successful in 1894, 1895, 1897 and 1898.


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