Stade Toulousain; the team in red and black
Whilst rugby is in the DNA of the great south-western region of France, in Toulouse it is also at its heart.
5 times champions of Europe, 22 times champions of France, each Stade Toulousain match is followed with fervour and passion, and the whole town goes into the third half as soon as the final whistle blows.
Ernest-Wallon; a temple to the oval ball
The home of the “Red and Blacks" is the Ernest-Wallon Stadium, in the Sept-Deniers quarter. This 19,000-seat stadium plays host to the biggest European rugby clubs during international competitions.
The Whole of Toulouse in the scrum
You have to come to Toulouse the day after winning a final when the team comes to celebrate with the crowd gathered in the Place du Capitole.
The whole city, dressed in red and black, welcomes the trophy on the balcony of the Salle des Illustres or on the Ramblas of the city, and jumps happily (despite a lack of sleep) to the sound of “Qui ne saute pas n'est pas toulousain!”.
And the best rugby player in the world is...
A Toulouse man, of course: Antoine Dupont! Scrum-half for Stade Toulousain and the French national team, he has been named the best player of 2021 by World Rugby. It is the 3rd time that a French player has been awarded this accolade. With two years to go before the Rugby World Cup, which will also be played "at home"... will we all be jumping out of our seats dressed in blue on the Place du Capitole in 2023?
The Chapel of Saint Thomas Aquinas inspired the logo of Stade Toulousain
A mosaic in the saint’s chapel in Saint-Sernin basilica features a T interlaced with an S. The inspiration was right there all along!
Stade Toulousain Women
Stade Toulousain proudly flies the flag for women's rugby, and like the men's team, it provides the French national team with many of its outstanding players, including captain Gaëlle Hermet.
The French women's national team has long been one of the top rugby union teams in the world and has finished third in recent years. This year they are aiming for first place as the Women's Rugby World Cup will be held from 8th October to 12th November 2022 in New Zealand.