Le Top 16 is the name of the French national rugby union league.

Traditionally in the first phase of the Top 16 hase of the Top 16 the teams were divided into two pools of eight. This was followed by a second phase, in which the eight highest-ranked teams played for semi-final spots and the bottom eight teams battled against relegation. The championship final, in which the Bouclier de Brennus was at stake, took place at the Stade de France. Development players are given a chance in the Coupe de la Ligue, with its fixtures planned when the top players are with the national team.

It is now a league of 16 teams in one pool, from 2005/6 the competition will be run with a single pool of 14 teams.

French first division

1. Agen

2. Bourgoin

3. Brive

4. Castres

5. Bayonne

6. Montferrand

7. Pau

8. Béziers

9. Biarritz

10. Grenoble

11. Auch

12. Montpellier

13. Narbonne

14. Perpignan

15. Toulouse

16. Stade Français


French 2nd division

1. Pays d'Aix

2. Albi

3. Aurillac

4. Bayonne

5. Bordeaux

6. Dax

7. La Rochelle

8. Limoges

9. Lyon

10. Métro-Racing

11. Mont de Marsan

12. Oyonnax

13. Périgueux

14. Tarbes

15. Toulon

16. Tyrosse

Past winners

2004 Stade Français

2003 Stade Français

2002 Biarritz

2001 Toulouse

2000 Stade Français

1999 Toulouse

1998 Stade Français

1997 Toulouse

1996 Toulouse

1995 Toulouse

1994 Toulouse

1993 Castres

1992 Toulon

1991 Bègles

1990 Racing C.F.

1989 Toulouse

1988 Agen

1987 Toulon

1986 Toulouse

1985 Toulouse

1984 Béziers

1983 Béziers

1982 Agen

1981 Béziers

1980 Béziers

1979 Narbonne

1978 Béziers

1977 Béziers

1976 Agen

1975 Béziers

1974 Béziers

1973 Tarbes

1972 Béziers

1971 Béziers

1970 La Voulte

1969 Bègles

1968 Lourdes

1967 Montauban

1966 Agen

1965 Agen

1964 Pau

1963 Mont de Marsan

1962 Agen

1961 Béziers

1960 Lourdes

1959 Racing CF

1958 Lourdes

1957 Lourdes

1956 Lourdes

1955 Perpignan

1954 Grenoble

1953 Lourdes

1952 Lourdes

1951 Carmaux

1950 Castres

1949 Castres

1948 Lourdes

1947 Toulouse

1946 Pau

1945 Agen

1944 Perpignan

1943 Bayonne

1939 Biarritz

1938 Perpignan

1937 Vienne

1936 Narbonne

1935 Biarritz

1934 Bayonne

1933 Lyon OU

1932 Lyon OU

1931 Toulon

1930 Agen

1929 Quillan

1928 Pau

1927 Toulouse

1926 Toulouse

1925 Perpignan

1924 Toulouse

1923 Toulouse

1922 Toulouse

1921 Perpignan US

1920 Tarbes

1914 Perpignan AS

1913 Bayonne

1912 Toulouse

1911 SBUC

1910 Lyon FC

1909 SBUC

1908 Stade Français

1907 SBUC

1906 SBUC

1905 SBUC

1904 SBUC

1903 Stade Français

1902 Racing CF

1901 Stade Français

1900 Racing CF

1899 SBUC

1898 Stade Français

1897 Stade Français

1896 Olympique

1895 Stade Français

1894 Stade Français

1893 Stade Français

1892 Racing CF

Between 1915 and 1919, due to World War I the "Coupe de l'Espérance" was played instead.

See also