Coupe de France Lord Derby

The Coupe de France Lord Derby (), or just Coupe Lord Derby ('Lord Derby Cup'), is the premier knockout competition for the sport of rugby league football in France, as well as the name of its championship trophy. The tournament was first contested in 1934–35, which also marked the inaugural season of the French Rugby League Championship.

Each round is played in single-elimination mode. The Lord Derby Cup was previously open to all professional and amateur clubs, but since the 2023–2024 edition has been limited to teams in the top two divisions.

Format For much of the tournament's history, games played at predetermined or mutually agreed upon neutral sites were the norm. While Toulouse struggled to field a stable team in the new code until 1937, it was still the go-to host city for many games during the tournament's formative years, both because it was viewed as a key market and because the relationship with rugby union authorities was much less contentious there than elsewhere in the country. In fact, Stade Toulousain considered renting its Stade Ernest-Wallon to the French Rugby League for the 1939 Lord Derby Cup final, before organizers settled on Stade du TOEC. In the modern era, games at predetermined sites were gradually reduced to encourage fan attendance, and are typically only used in the last two rounds.

While all divisions have been actively encouraged to send teams in recent times, the level of amateur participation has varied over the years. In the 2023–24 season, only teams in the top two divisions, Elite 1 and Elite 2, took part in the competition.

Trophy Following in the footsteps of his father Frederick, patron of ice hockey's Stanley Cup, Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby, donated the silver trophy that bears his name to inaugural French Cup champions US Lyon-Villeurbanne in 1935. Stanley was honorary president of the Rugby Football League, a former minister and former British ambassador in Paris. The trophy was actually not presented to the Lyon players during the French Cup final. Rather, it was handed over to them one week later on 12 May 1935 by John Wilson, general secretary of the Rugby Football League, at Stade Buffalo near Paris, during a special Cup Winners' Match against Challenge Cup champions Castleford, for which Lyon had qualified by virtue of their domestic cup win.

The actual name of the trophy, as engraved on the bowl, is Coupe de Lord Derby, although the more natural-sounding "Coupe Lord Derby" is almost always preferred. Among the rugby league crowd, the cup is affectionately known as La vieille dame ('The Old Lady'). Since 2017, each player from the winning team has received a replica of the cup for him to keep, which is slightly smaller than the original at in height.

Notable cup runs

Cinderella runs The Lord Derby Cup has historically been dominated by first division teams. Nonetheless, one-off wins by lower division clubs are not unheard of, and a handful of underdogs have produced cinderella runs over the years. In 1983, fourth-level side Le Soler advanced to the semifinals, beating top-flight club Pia in the process, before losing to powerhouse XIII Catalan. In 2005, third-level team Salses beat two Elite 1 teams (Lyon-Villeurbanne and Villeneuve-sur-Lot) before bowing out in the semifinals as well, this time to Limoux.

Toulouse curse Toulouse Olympique has endured many heartbreaks in the Lord Derby Cup, losing all of its first six finals, including three straight between 1962 and 1964. One of star player Georges Aillères' career regrets was never hoisting the Lord Derby Cup while playing for his longtime club, despite making it to four finals with them. Ironically, he won the trophy in his only season played away from Toulouse, in 1965 with Lézignan. Toulouse would eventually break the curse in 2014, in their seventh final appearance.

Satellite tournaments Junior French Cup The equivalent of the Lord Derby Cup for Under-19 players is the Coupe Luc-Nitard ('Luc Nitard Cup'), whose final has traditionally been played as a curtain-raiser to the Lord Derby Cup final.

Other cup competitions To provide minor league clubs with a more accessible level of competition, the French federation has maintained a trio of secondary cup tournaments which are reserved for them. Each of these tournaments is marketed as a "Coupe de France" in its own right, although in practice they more closely fit the definition of a league cup. They are: The Coupe Georges-Aillères ('Georges Aillères Cup'), for clubs at the Elite 2 level The Coupe Paul-Dejean ('Paul Dejean Cup'), for clubs at the National Division level The Coupe Albert-Falcou ('Albert Falcou Cup'), for clubs at the Federal Division level.

List of Finals

Results

Year Winners Score Runner-up Venue Attendance 1934–35 Lyon 22–7 XIII CatalanStade Jacques-Thomas, Toulouse6,000 1935–36 Côte Basque 15–8 Villeneuve Parc de Suzon, Talence 12,600 1936–37 Villeneuve 12–6 XIII Catalan Parc de Suzon, Talence12,100 1937–38 Roanne 36–12 VilleneuveStade des Minimes, Toulouse11,000 1938–39 XIII Catalan 7–3 ToulouseStade du TOEC, Toulouse 15,200 1939–40 Final did not take place due to the Second World War 1940–44 Rugby league banned by Vichy regime 1944–45 XIII Catalan 23–14 CarcassonneParc des Princes, Paris 1945–46 Carcassonne 27–7 XIII CatalanStade Jacques-Chapou, Toulouse 18,000 1946–47 Carcassonne 24–5 AvignonStade Vélodrome, Marseille 1947–48 Marseille 5–4 Carcassonne Stade Jacques-Chapou, Toulouse 1948–49 Marseille 12–9 Carcassonne Stade Vélodrome, Marseille 24,000 1949–50 XIII Catalan 12–5 LyonStade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 13,500 1950–51 Carcassonne 22–10 Lyon Stade Vélodrome, Marseille 1951–52 Carcassonne 28–9 XIII Catalan Stade Vélodrome, Marseille 14,384 1952–53 Lyon 9–8 Villeneuve Stade Jean-Laffon, Perpignan 12,200 1953–54 Lyon 17–15 XIII CatalanStade Joseph-Lombard, Cavaillon 8,000 1954–55 Avignon 18–10 MarseilleStade de la Roseraie, Carpentras 11,600 1955–56 Avignon 25–12 BordeauxStade Jean-Laffon, Perpignan 5,800 1956–57 Marseille 11–0 XIII CatalanStade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 16,633 1957–58 Villeneuve 20–8 AvignonStade Jean-Laffon, Perpignan 5,473 1958–59 XIII Catalan 7–0 Avignon Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 11,000 1959–60 Lézignan 7–4 Carcassonne Stade Jean-Laffon, Perpignan 15,800 1960–61 Carcassonne 5–2 LézignanStade Jean-Laffon, Perpignan 1961–62 Roanne 16–10 Toulouse Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 8,395 1962–63 Carcassonne 5–0 Toulouse Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan5,100 1963–64 Villeneuve 10–2 Toulouse Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan5,166 1964–65 Marseille 13–8 Carcassonne Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan8,294 1965–66 Lézignan 22–7 Villeneuve Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 10,067 1966–67 Carcassonne 10–4 XIII Catalan Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 16,250 1967–68 Carcassonne 9–2 Toulouse Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 6,400 1968–69 XIII Catalan 15–8 Villeneuve Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 9,532 1969–70 Lézignan 14–8 Villeneuve Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 7,460 1970–71 Marseille 17–2 Lézignan Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 6,310 1971–72 Saint-Estève 12–5 Villeneuve Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 8,250 1972–73 Saint-Gaudens 22–8 Carcassonne Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 10,300 1973–74 Albi 21–11 Lézignan Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 6,580 1974–75 Pia 9–4 Marseille Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 9,021 1975–76 XIII Catalan 23–8 Toulouse Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 6,395 1976–77 Carcassonne 21–16 XIII Catalan Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 10,085 1977–78 XIII Catalan 18–7 Lézignan Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 15,939 1978–79 Villeneuve 15–5 CarcassonneStadium Municipal, Albi 6,642 1979–80 XIII Catalan 18–8 Carcassonne Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 8,783 1980–81 Final cancelled 1981–82 Avignon 18–12 Carcassonne Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 4,663 1982–83 Carcassonne 10–3 XIII Catalan Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 7,235 1983–84 Villeneuve 18–7 Limoux Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 6,851 1984–85 XIII Catalan 24–7 Limoux Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 11,362 1985–86 Le Pontet 35–10 Saint-Estève Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 1986–87 Saint-Estève 20–10 XIII Catalan Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 8590 1987–88 Le Pontet 5–2 Saint-Estève Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 5,000 1988–89 Avignon 12–11 Saint-Estève Stadium Municipal, Albi 6,000 1989–90 Carcassonne 22–8 Saint-Estève Stadium Municipal, Albi 6,832 1990–91 Saint-Gaudens 30–4 Pia Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 6,000 1991–92 Saint-Gaudens 22–10 RC Carpentras Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 7,000 1992–93 Saint-Estève 12–10 XIII Catalan Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 6,401 1993–94 Saint-Estève 14–12 XIII Catalan Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 1994–95 Saint-Estève 28–8 Pia Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 6,000 1995–96 Limoux 39–12 Carcassonne Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 9,000 1996–97 XIII Catalan 25–24 Limoux Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 8,000 1997–98 Saint-Estève 38–0 Avignon Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 7,000 1998–99 Villeneuve 20–5 Lézignan Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 9,000 1999–2000 Villeneuve 34–14 XIII Catalan Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 9,000 2000–01 Union Treiziste Catalane 38–17 Limoux Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 8,000 2001–02 Villeneuve 27–18 Pia Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 8,500 2002–03 Villeneuve 16–14 Pia Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 7,000 2003–04 Union Treiziste Catalane 36–24 Carcassonne Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 10,500 2004–05 Union Treiziste Catalane 31–12 Limoux Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 11,000 2005–06 Pia 36–20 Lézignan Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 9,344 2006–07 Pia 30–14 Carcassonne Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 5,500 2007–08 Limoux 17–14 Albi Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 7,751 2008–09 Carcassonne 18–16 Limoux Stadium Municipal, Albi 6,697 2009–10 Lézignan 18–14 LimouxParc des Sports, Avignon 8,140 2010–11 Lézignan 27–18 Pia Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 5,350 2011–12 Carcassonne 14–12 Pia Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 6,892 2012–13 Avignon 38–37 Limoux Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 6,877 2013–14 Toulouse 46–10 Carcassonne Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 6,763 2014–15 Lézignan 27–25 Saint-Estève XIII Catalan Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 4,124 2015–16 Saint-Estève XIII Catalan 33–16 Limoux Stade Albert-Domec, Carcassonne 4,200 2016–17 Carcassonne 30–24 Lézignan Parc des Sports, Avignon 5,500 2017–18 Saint-Estève XIII Catalan 30–26 Limoux Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 5,243 2018–19 Carcassonne 22–6 Saint-Estève XIII Catalan Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 5,000 2019–20Competition abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France2020–21 Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France2021–22Competition abandoned due to a resurgence of COVID-19 induced by the Omicron variant2022–23 Carcassonne36–12 Albi Stade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 4,102 2023–24 Carcassonne22–6 LézignanStade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan 2024–25 Saint-Estève XIII Catalan 26–18 Albi Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne 2025–26 Carcassonne44–6 AlbiStade Gilbert-Brutus, Perpignan

Gallery

Coupe de France Lord Derby

Bron en licentie