French Stage CASG Paris

|- | colspan=" 2" style=" text-align: center; padding: 0.5em; " bgcolor=" white" | |- | Club founded in | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| 1883 |- | traditional Colors | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| Royal blue, red and white |- | Colors 2007-2008 | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| Khaki; pink |- | Stage 1 | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| Stage Jean-Bouin
(12 000 places) |- | Stage 2 | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| Stade de France
(80 000 places) |- | Seat | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| 2, rue du Commandant Guilbaud
75016 Paris |- | Web site | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| Stade.fr |}

The French Stade Paris is a club of Rugby to XV French taking part in the SIGNAL 14. It is resulting from the fusion of the section Rugby of the French Stade and that of CASG (athletic Club of the general sports) Paris. The club is more commonly called French Stade (Paris).

History

Origins

The French Stage is a founded sporting institution in 1883 (or 1887, according to the sources) by pupils of the Lycée Saint-Louis, boulevard Saint-Michel with Paris. It is then a question of making sport, in particular of the race on foot, but quickly, certain high-school pupils are interested in this “Rugby football” practiced by British students of Paris, and which becomes the discipline headlight of the club. Obviously considering its conditions of creation, the “French” Stage is not, at its beginnings, a popular club. Indeed, the colleges then have a recruitment strongly middle-class and especially aristocratic, as the compositions of teams of the time show it (seven noble plays the first final of the championship, 4 side Racing club of France, 3 French Stade side), which undoubtedly explains partly this passion for a discipline practiced by the British of the good company which it was of good tone to imitate then. Georges Pastre allots also this interest of the young high-school pupils to the fact that Rugby “appeared to them soon most intellectual of all the sports”.

The first meetings are done against these British of Paris, and it would be them which would have joined the “French” adjective in the name of “Stage”, chosen by the students in homage to the athletes of Antiquity. The Stage recruits even several British, of which C. Heywood, professor with the Buffon college and half of opening, which will be the captain of the team overcome by the Racing club of France at the time of the first final of 1892.

The Stage is the first French club to only take part in a match of international Rugby in 1892 with London, vis-a-vis Rosslyn Park. The March 26th 1894, the French Stage finds this team of Rosslyn Park to Bécon-the-Heathers, for a first hexagonal victory vis-a-vis a nonFrench team, over the score from 9 to 8. The captain is then Louis Dedet. In 1892, the student's club of the Paris FC also accepted Rosslyn Park, but had to be inclined.

Between 1893 and 1908, Stadistes are eight times champions of France. The club disputes well the finale of the championship 1927, but it will have to wait 90 years front to join again with the national title. The club falls first once in the Second Division in 1947, goes up immediately, but for the only season 1948-49 which shows a tie, nine defeats and no victory. It evolves/moves then in second and the third divisions until the beginning of the year 1990.

The French Stage enormously provides the international ones to the first teams of France. Five of them take part in the first match of the XV of France, disputed on January 1st, 1906 against the All Blacks, of which Henri Amand which becomes the first captain of the history of national Rugby. On the whole, more than one about fifty Stadistes will carry the shirt of the team of France.

The August 10th 1960, at the time of the third round of the team of France in South America, the club plays a friendly match for the first time vis-a-vis a national selection (France A) with Santiago of Chile, which it loses 6 to 55.

The modern period: scores

In 1992, the French Stage is taken again by max Guazzini, one of the founders of the radio station NRJ of which he was then managing director of the programs. With the head of one of greatest fortunes of France, this impassioned Rugby, originating in South-east and lawyer in formation, decides to start again with Paris the Rugby of high level club, which suffered from the vexations of Racing club of France. The club is then in the Second Division. It injects money there, restructures it and in 1995, causes the fusion of the section Rugby of the French Stage with that of CASG Paris (Athletic Club of the General Sports), then at the edge of the abandonment, but owner of the Stade Jean-Bouin, and organizer of the challenge of the same name during its last years.

Its first master stroke is engagement as trainer of Bernard Laporte, which involved the Stade of Bordeaux then. With him at its head, the club crosses each year a level: Group B in 1995, then Groupe A2 in 1996, then Groupe A1 of the first division in 1997. As of its first season with the more high level, the French Stage is crowned champion of France at the time of the first final disputed with the Stade de France, by beating the USA Perpignan in 1998.

It gains four other national titles (2000, 2003,2004,2007), and disputes three other lost finales: two in 2005 after prolongations, one national, against Biarritz, the other European, against the Stade Toulousain, and another out of Cut of Europe (2001) - incontestably the “Graal” of the club - against Leicester.

The title of 2000 arrived in strange circumstances. The players not getting along with the trainer of then, Georges Coste, they fomented a “putsch” which showed the departure of the Catalan in May. It is virtually without trainer that they finally arrived, even if Fabrice Landreau had taken the technical reins of the team and that Bernard Laporte acknowledged thereafter to have followed the team also at the request of max Guazzini.

Australian the John Connolly, current trainer as a chief of the Wallabies, brought the Stage finally Cut of Europe in 2001. It was replaced in 2002 by the South-African Nick Mallett, former player of Saint-Claude and the ACBB which it made go up in the First division, and old coach of the Springboks that it led to a series record of 17 consecutive victories in 1997 and 1998. This one was at the origin of two new consecutive national titles in 2003 and 2004. It is the former captain of the XV of France and the club, Fabien Galthié, which succeeds to him. Under its crook, as of its first year as a trainer, the Stage disputes two new finales, in H-Cup vis-a-vis the Stade Toulousain (demolished after prolongations 12-18) and in championship vis-a-vis the Olympic Biarritz (demolished 34-37 after prolongations also).

In 2005-06, the club is eliminated at the time of the phase of hens of the Coupe of Europe, then fall in semi-final from the championship from France against Toulouse (9-12).

In 2007, after a new disillusion in Cut of Europe (demolished of a point on the ground of Leicester, future finalist, in quarterfinal), the Stage joins again with a title by gaining the championship of France against ASM Clermont Auvergne (23-18). Handicapped by the wounds from one end to another of the season (with until about fifteen players on the side at the same time), the Parisian ones carry out the exploit at the head to remain championship of the first at the last day, before beating double holding of the title in semi-final, then Clermont, victorious Biarritz of the European 15 days before and strong Challenge of all its manpower. The final will apply to the suspense which will see the winner changing four times during the last fifteen minutes, the Stage registering the decisive test at three minutes of the term by Radike Samo.

The modern period: popular support, stages and communication

When he becomes president, max Guazzini knows that it is necessary to make speak about his club so that it develops in a city as anonymous as Paris, where saw a population if not little rugbyphile in his majority (even ignorant of Rugby), at least without club to which to stick. Gradually, thanks to “media moves”, surrounding of the exceptional athletic performances without which nothing would be possible, the club is built and enracine.

Understanding that the Parisian ones are difficult with fidéliser, max Guazzini tries initially a tariff new approach in order to attract the barge. In 1996, whereas the Stage evolves/moves in a2 group, it opens Jean-Bouin free. 7.000 spectators will thus attend meetings against Lourdes or Valence-D' Agen. Thereafter, the women will be able to enter without paying with certain matches. He affirms at the time: “With Paris, any club forever made entries. Even when Racing was champion of France in title, or the way to become it. Me, I prefer to have 7.000 happy people in our stage that 200 who bring back a handle of francs. It is a question of philosophy. ” “We have in Ile-de-France more than 20% of the population of our Rugby and I find abnormal that the stages are empty. That could not last any more! ”

Parallel to the question of the tariffs, Guazzini considers the match like the principal element of an exit in family and works front animation, during and after the match: pom-pom girls, music, jingles punctuating the marked points, bells which sound at the end of each half-time, convey remote-controlled bringing the tee to the striker, anthem of the club involving (I Will Survive of Gloria Gaynor, well before it is taken again by the team of France of football) etc Homme of show business, it enlists Mathilda May, Madonna and Naomi Campbell like godmothers. This strategy openly aims the women and family and functions because much of women and children compose from now on the public of the club.

The calendar of the Gods of the Stage , in which famous players pose for photographs stripped in black and white, défraie the chronicle as of its first appearance in 2001. In a sense, it is the symbol of the spirit of the club, mixing with the innovation, a bit of provocation and a little business.

Like all large sporting club, the French Stage is also a company. The club promotes French the Stade mark thus through a line of clothing and objects derived from any nature. Since 2005, the headlight of the collection is the pink shirt, color considered as with the antipodes of the posted virility of the rugbymen, which disconcerts the world of Rugby in September 2005, when the players of the team first of the club endorse it for a match of championship to Perpignan. In spite of the sporting defeat, the French Stage holds a phenomenal business success. 20.000 specimens of the shirt manufactured by Adidas are sold in 2005-2006. The following year, two new drawn by the house Adidas is launched: one pink, other navy blue decorated with pink lilies (and not of flowers of lily, with the heraldic connotation) (see photo). The reason for the lily is declined on a hull for cellphone. The objective of the club for 2006-2007 is to sell 100.000 shirts on the whole.

With the critics who affirm that it denatures Rugby with its “provocations” and its insistence on the communication, in particular those which declare guaranteeing traditional spirit of the sport, Guazzini answers that is necessary, because so that Rugby becomes a really popular and national sport, it must go beyond its natural public: “The COM' does not owe asresser with the initiates. It is not them whom it is necessary to dredge, they are the different ones. It is necessary to collect the interest of all those which do not know Rugby. Or badly… Or not enough… Is thus needed a shifted glance. (…) Rugby is not any more one sport amateur. (…) It is necessary to be creative. (…) The initiates who speak to the initiates, very little for me. ” Speaking about the receptions of after-match, it scratches in the passing the guards of the temple of South-west: “It is a little exceeded the eternal tent with bandaged, the foie gras and the sausage. One should not be limited to the South-western culture which does not represent nevertheless all France. ”

Guazzini remains nevertheless attached to certain traditions. As of its arrival in 1992, it thus forces the players to wear the official blazer and the tie of the club. “I do not tolerate any carelessness. The tradition Rugby it is blazer-tie and I find that very well. ”

It is necessary approximately ten years so that the club finds finally its rooting popular. The Stage plays almost all its matches in residence with closed counters. In front of the limits of the stage Jean-Bouin (10 000 places approximately), and always eager to promote its club in waiting of a larger stage, Guazzini wants to be increasingly more ambitious. In April 2005, it wishes to organize a first match with the Park of the Princes, located opposite the Jean-Bouin stage, at the time of the quarterfinal of the Cut of Europe against Newcastle. Success is total: the match is played counters closed (48 000 spectators approximately).

Guazzini wants logically to thus give that at the time of a match of championship against Toulouse and a match of Cut of Europe against Leicester to the autumn. But this time, the leaders of the Paris Saint-Germain oppose it, fearing the damage that the rugbymen would cause with the lawn. Guazzini, upset, and shocked by the little of solidarity of the prestigious neighbor, affirms that it will fill the Stade de France. Thanks to an aggressive sales strategy (half of the places is proposed with €5 or 10€, of the sponsors is canvassed) and an effective communication, he arrives to his ends: October 15th, 2005, the French Stage beats the world records of multitude for a match of championship of Rugby to XV of regular season (79 502 spect.). He will repeat three times: against Biarritz (March 4th, 2006, 79.604 spect.), then always against Biarritz (October 14th, 2006, 79.619 spect.) and finally against Toulouse (January 27th, 2007, 79.741 spect.).

Beyond the tariff policy, the device of animation is very reinforced at the Stade de France: thousands of blue or pink flags posed on the seats, famous singers and musicians (the Drums of Bronx on October 15th, 2005, Michel Delpech on January 27th, 2007), artists of circus, karaoké giant, ravelled children of schools of Rugby of the Paris region (January 27th, 2007) arrival of the balloon each time different and spectacular, brought once on a tank drawn by two horses (Oct. 15, 2005), once by Miss France 2006 emerging of a giant egg in the center of the ground (Jan. 27, 2007), dancers of the Moulin-Rouge, wrestling matches, the Gipsy Kings (May 13rd, 2007), fireworks after meeting etc Each match is pretext with new original ideas.

The detractors point out that it is not difficult to fill the Stade de France with such a low tariff policy. Pierre Blayau, the president of Paris Saint-Germain, which refused to lend the Park of the Princes in 2005, affirmed even on this occasion: “I find their communication (…) a little excessive. (…) I do not know how much requests I would have had if one had programmed PSG-Lyon with tickets with three, five or seven euros. Perhaps 400.000”.

The new direction of the Paris Saint-Germain however agreed to again accommodate the French Stage at the time of a match of Cut of Europe against the Sale Sharks, on December 10th, 2006 (44 112 spect.). As for the match of Cut of Europe against Leicester, he was played finally Stade Charléty. The Stage King-Baudouin with Brussels and the Stade Felix-Bollaert of Lens had offered their services, but the mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë, very near to Guazzini and backer to the club, had put his veto, affirming that the French Stage was a Parisian club and that it was to thus play Paris.

Since 2004-2005, the French Stage played ten times out of Jean-Bouin in championship, including five times at the Stade de France and four with the Park of the Princes. Three additional meetings should be held at the Stade de France at the time of the season 2007-08 against Clermont-Ferrand, Toulouse and Biarritz. Nevertheless, these matches of official reception cannot be organized per annum more than two to three times and do not mask what, according to max Guazzini, is the principal problem of the French Stage: the absence of a true stage devoted exclusively to Rugby, bases essential to develop the club seriously by accommodating the public under conditions of reasonable comfort. Guazzini to this end canvassed during long years the town hall of Paris, affirming that the club was likely to go down again as a Pro D2 and threatening to resign if it did not have win. Three solutions were considered: a delocalization with the Stage Charléty, refused by Guazzini with the reason which it was unsuited (too much been windy, surrounded by a track of athletics which moves away the spectators of the players); the construction of a new stage, drawn aside by the town hall for financial reasons; finally, the restoration of Jean-Bouin, selected option on February 12th, 2007 by a vote of the municipal council of Paris. The project should carry the capacity of the stage in 18.000 covered places, include cabins (absent in the current configuration), a carpark of 500 places and an commercial arcade. The renovated enclosure should be inaugurated in September 2011, at an estimated cost of 110 million euros.

Prize list

Champion of France: 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1898, 1901, 1903, 1908, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007

Finalist of the Championship of France: 1896, 1899, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1927, 2005
Finalist of the Cut of Europe: 2001, 2005 Victorious

of the Coupe de France: 1999

Finalist of the Cut of the Hope: 1916

(7 players of the French Stage were Olympic champions in 1900: Alexandre Pharamond, Auguste Giroux, Constantin Henriquez de Zubiera, Victor Larchandet, Jacques Herve, Jean-Guy Gautier, and Joseph Olivier, captain)

Finales of the French Stage

One reaches the article which deals with one particular season while clicking on the score of the finale.

Championship of France

¹ The title was decreed at the conclusion of a final hen including/understanding 5 clubs. The French Stage had 10 points, the Olympic one of Paris 8.
² The title was decreed at the conclusion of a final hen including/understanding 6 clubs. The French Stage had 10 points, Racing 6.
³ In 1901, the Stage of Bordeaux gained the final with regular on the score of 3-0. But the U.S.F.S.A. cancelled the result and decided that the final was to be rejouée in Paris, the Stage of Bordeaux had indeed made play three players irregularly. The Stage of Bordeaux refusing this decision, the French Stage was declared victorious on carpet vert.
⁴ Greater number of spectators for a final of championship of France of rugby.
⁵ Greater number of points marked finally.

Cut of Europe

Transfers 2007/08

Current manpower

List trainers

Players emblematic

Era max Guazzini

Era pre-max Guazzini

Notes & references

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