Toulouse Masters (rugby union)
The Toulouse International Rugby Masters were two international rugby union tournaments organised by Toulouse rugby club. The first, held in 1986 and known as the "Matra Espace or Matra Masters" for sponsorship reasons,[1][2] is sometimes informally referred to as the first World Club Championships due to the participants within the competition representing seven clubs and one touring side from seven countries across three continents.[3][4] The second tournament, held in 1990 and referred to as the Centenary Masters, marked the centenary of the club.[1][2] Toulouse were the champions of both editions. The tournaments are viewed as the precursor to the European Rugby Champions Cup, in which Toulouse were crowned the winners of the first edition in 1996.[4][5]
History
Jean Fabre, newly elected President of Toulouse rugby club, conceived the idea of an international rugby union club tournament to help pay for the costs to complete improvements in their new stadium, Stade des Sept Deniers, following their move in 1978 from Stade des Ponts Jumeaux.[6][5]
Fabre was influenced by the FIRA European Champions Cup (1962-1967) and by a mini-tournament that was organised by AS Béziers in 1978.[6] The Trophee International Cadenat (Cadenat International Trophy), named after the co-founder of AS Béziers, Jules Cadenat, was an international expansion to the 1970s domestic competition Challenge Jules Cadenat (Jules Cadenat Challenge). In this 1978 international version, three teams from Coventry R.F.C. (from England), Petrarca Rugby (from Italy), and Glamorgan (from Wales) were invited to participate.[6] Béziers defeated Glamorgan 31-8 in the final.[7][8]
The French Rugby Federation (FFR) did not support clubs hosting mini tournaments, which meant any costs incurred hosting unofficial rugby events would be borne by the organising clubs alone.[6] Fabre attained some support from businesses such as Matra Espace (as the main sponsor), La cinq (who screened matches), Aérospatiale, and UTA. [3][6][9] The FFR soon relented in their refusal to be involved and provided minimal assistance in the hosting of the tournament.[3]
Fabre hoped the tournament would be the creation of a European Club Cup competition,[10][11] which would include four British and Irish teams (one club each from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales), two teams from FIRA (Now Rugby Europe) and two teams from France, however, the British and Irish clubs declined their invitation.[3][6] Fabre discarded the European Club Cup competition idea and turned to the southern hemisphere.[6] He invited Ponsonby (from New Zealand) and West Brisbane (from Australia) and while both clubs initially gave assurances of their participation, they soon sent notice of their withdrawal from the tournament due to financial constraints on travelling.[6] Fabre agreed to cover both clubs travelling expenses on condition they participated.[5] Both clubs agreed, however, this decision by Fabre heavily impacted the finances of Toulouse.[5] Banco Nación (from Argentina) and the Fiji Barbarians, who were touring South America and Europe,[12] filled the remaining positions left vacant by the British and Irish clubs declining their invitations. Farul Constanta (from Romania) and L'Aquila (from Italy) (who replaced the Italian champions Petrarca Rugby after they declined their invitation) made up the FIRA invitees and Agen was the other French team that participated.[6]
The 1986 tournament was a great success and Fabre sought to revitalise his idea of creating a European Club Cup competition, with the inclusion of British and Irish clubs, this time to mark the centenary of Toulouse rugby club.[3][6] Pierre Villepreux who had coached the Toulouse team in their 1986 Matra Masters victory was handed the responsibility of organising the 1990 tournament.[13] Bath (from England) were the only British club to accept their invitation.[6] However, their main stars did not arrive for the tournament and Villepreux was not impressed that Bath did not order these players to attend, despite this being before the professional era in rugby union and where players required employment to support themselves and their families.[13] Rumours began to materialise that Toulouse were offering cash incentives to each of their players that participated in a game where they were victorious.[13] More problems appeared when the invitations to other French clubs and to the selected FIRA clubs were declined, however, both Wellington (from New Zealand), and Queensland (from Australia) agreed to participate, on the same conditions Ponsonby and West Brisbane had in the previous tournament, that Toulouse cover the travelling expenses.[5] The final places were made up by national teams that include a Fiji XV (as part of their tour of Hong Kong and France), Romania XV, Soviet Union XV, and Western Samoa XV.[6]
Fabre left his position as president of Stade Tolousain just before the commencement of his second masters tournament in 1990.[5] It was not revealed until 1993 that both masters tournaments left a heavy dent on the clubs finances.[4] While the tournaments seemed on the outside to be a success, inside the club, due in part to Toulouse officials travelling to the southern hemisphere clubs, covering travelling expenses of the southern hemisphere clubs while in France and unforeseen expenses related to television broadcasts, left the club on the verge of bankruptcy.[6] Future plans for further editions of the competition were subsequently shelved.[4]
Later Rugby Masters
Two further rugby masters stand alone matches were played in later years that were not organised by Toulouse. In the first of these games, the format which was similar to Rugby League's World Club Challenge pitted the winner of the Heineken Cup in Europe against the winner of Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere for the right to claim best in the World.[4] The match between the champions of the 1996–97 Heineken Cup, Brive (from France) and the champions of the 1997 Super 12, the Auckland Blues (from New Zealand) ended in a 47-11 demolition win for the New Zealand team.[14] The second masters match brought together the champions of the 2014–15 European Rugby Champions Cup, Toulon (from France) against the eleventh best team in the 2015 Super Rugby season, the Natal Sharks (from South Africa) and ended in a narrow 12-10 win for the South Africans.[15]
1986 Tournament
Participant teams: SU Agen (FRA), CA Banco de la Nación (ARG), Stade Toulousain (FRA), RC Farul Constanța (ROM), Fijian Barbarians (FIJ), L'Aquila Rugby (ITA), Ponsonby (NZ), West Brisbane (AUS).
In the semi-final in Toulouse, the home team Stade Toulousain defeated West Brisbane 27-3. In the final (attendance 12,000) Stade Toulousain defeated RC Farul Constanța 47-3, who eliminated Auckland's Ponsonby in the other semi-final.
References
- ^ a b "L'Europe chevillée au corps, le Stade Toulousain de retour en Champions Cup [Europe pegged to the body, Stade Toulousain back in the Champions Cup]". Le Bien public (in French). 13 October 2018. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Rugby: Stade Toulousain, l'Europe chevillée au corps [Rugby: Stade Toulousain, Europe pegged to the body]". Le Point (in French). 10 October 2018. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Dine, Philip (2001). French Rugby Football: A Cultural History. Berg Publishers. p. 177-179. ISBN 978-1859733271.
- ^ a b c d e "Mundial de clubes de Rugby [Rugby Club World Cup]". Portal do Rugby (in Portuguese). 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Escot, Richard (29 December 2016). "Jean Fabre: "Et malgré tout cela, ça a été le bordel!" [Jean Fabre: "And despite all that, it was a mess!"]". L'Equipe (in French). Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "1986: Le Matra Masters de Toulouse [1986: The Matra Masters of Toulouse]". Ruck N' Maul (in French). 15 October 2010. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
- ^ "Trophée International Cadenat [Cadenat International Trophy]". L'Encyclopédie du Rugby Mondial [Rugby World Encyclopaedia] (in French). 2010. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Trophee International Cadenat 1977-1978 [Cadenat International Trophy 1977-1978]". Finales rugby [Rugby Finals] (in French). 2010. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ Kallenbrunn, Philippe (18 July 2017). ""Le Stade toulousain doit s'associer avec Airbus" ["The Toulouse stadium must partner with Airbus"]". Mediacites (in French). Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ "Jean Fabre Président de 1980 à 1990 [Jean Fabre President from 1980 to 1990]". Musée du Stade Toulousain [Stade Toulousain Museum] (in French). 2015. Archived from the original on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Jean Fabre". Musée du Stade Toulousain [Stade Toulousain Museum] (in French). 2010. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Fiji Barbarians Visit to Wales, 1986:Fiji Barbarians fixtures in Belgium and France, 1986". Aberflyarf Rugby History. 2016. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ a b c Hall, Peter; Gale, Colin (15 October 2010). "Bath Rugby Heritage: 1990-1991". Bath Rugby Heritage. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ Pope, Bruce (23 February 1997). "Rugby Union Round-Up: Brive out with the washing". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Sharks Win Toulon Arm Wrestle". Sport24. 6 February 2015. Archived from the original on 29 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.