Toulouse

Stade Toulousain, known more commonly simply as Toulouse, are one of the best domestic rugby teams in the world. They play in the Top 14, which is the top division of rugby in France, and regularly challenge for European honours. 

Today, the club is the most successful in Europe. This is because the Toulouse rugby team has won the French Championship/Top 14 more than 20 times and the Heineken Cup/European Rugby Champions Cup on six occasions. 

Stade Toulousain was founded in 1907, and the team was successful from the outset. They reached the final of the French Championship in 1909 and won the competition for the first time in 1912. They then followed this with five championship titles in the 1920s.

The inter-war years were slightly quieter for the Toulouse rugby team, but they were still successful. Between 1945 and 1990, the team won the French Championship four times and finished as the runners-up on two occasions. 

It's since 1990 that the Toulouse rugby team has entered a class of its own. Between 1993 and 1999, the side won the French Championship five times out of a possible seven. They also won the inaugural edition of the Heineken Cup (now the European Rugby Champions Cup) in 1996. 

Since 2000, the team has been just as dominant. During this period, they've won the French Championship a further eight times. In fact, between 1994 and 2013, the Toulouse rugby side reached the semi-finals of the French Championship for 20 consecutive seasons.

But, the Toulouse rugby team doesn't just dominate in France. They've also won the European Rugby Champions Cup five more times since their 1996 victory, which makes them the most successful side in the competition's history.

Keen to see whether Toulouse can continue to dominate French rugby? Keep up with the latest news about the team with the rugby gurus at RugbyPass.