Brive

History of Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin

The Brive Rugby Club was formally established in 1910. Although it was formed as a rugby union club, Brive did briefly play rugby league between the First and Second World Wars. Once the Second World War was over, they returned to rugby union. 

Despite playing regularly and establishing themselves as one of the top sides in France, for many years, the Brive rugby team’s only title was the Second Division trophy (now the Pro D2), which they won in 1957. 

Between the 1950s and the 1970s, Brive repeatedly made it to the final of the French Championship but failed to secure a victory. They didn't appear in a French Championship final again until 1996, where they lost to champions Stade Toulousain. In total, they’ve finished as runners-up in the French Championship/Top 14 on four occasions, and they’ve never won the tournament.

That said, in 1996, the club won the Challenge Yves du Manoir. The following year, they won the European Rugby Champions Cup. 

Then, in 2000, following a loss in the 2000 Coupe de France final, the club was relegated to the second division due to bad financial management. Since then, the Brive rugby club has fluctuated between the Top 14 and the Pro D2.

In recent years, the club has regularly made it to the playoff stage of the Pro D2 season. However, they have not played in the French top flight since the 2022-23 season. 

With plenty of ups and downs over the years, we can’t wait to see what’s next for the Brive rugby team.