Champions Cup · 2026-27
Section Paloise
Section Paloise in every competition →
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Results
About Section Paloise
- Founded
- 1902
- Home town
- Pau
- Ground
- Stade du Hameau
- Colours
- Website
- section-paloise.com (opens in a new tab)
Honours
French champions · 3
1928, 1946, 1964
Pro D2 champions · 1
2015
European Challenge Cup · 1
2000
Notable players and coaches
- Philippe Tissié — Doctor behind the Ligue Girondine d’éducation physique, where barette, an ancestor of rugby, was played; the club began as its Pau section in 1902
- Albert Cazenave — The eldest of the Cazenave brothers at the heart of the golden age: player, coach and president; 5 caps for France
- Charles Lagarde — President from 1932 to 1952: the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1939 and 1952 and the 1946 title
- Jean Capdouze — 'Nano', who scored both tries in the 14–0 win over Béziers in the 1964 final
- François Moncla — Flanker of the golden-age generation, at Pau from 1959 to 1966 after Racing; 31 caps for France
- Robert Paparemborde — Tighthead prop, the club's great revelation of the lean years; at Pau from 1969 to 1983; 54 caps for France
- Imanol Harinordoquy & Damien Traille — Of the generation that won the 2000 Challenge Cup (Harinordoquy at Pau 1999–2004, 82 caps; Traille 2000–04 and 2014–16, 85 caps)
- Conrad Smith — Twice world champion with New Zealand (2011, 2015), 94 Tests; at Pau from 2015 to 2018, back in the top flight
History
The Section Paloise grew out of the Ligue Girondine d'éducation physique, founded on Dr Philippe Tissié's ideas of education through sport, where barette, an ancestor of rugby, was played: in 1902 the league took in the Stade Palois and became the Section Paloise de la Ligue Girondine, independent from 1905 and in green and white from 1912. It moved to the Croix du Prince in 1910 and won its first French title in 1928, 6–4 against Quillan at Toulouse. Its golden age, with the Cazenave brothers and president Charles Lagarde (1932–1952), brought the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1939 and 1952 and the titles of 1946, 11–0 against Lourdes at the Parc des Princes, and 1964, 14–0 against Béziers with two tries by Jean Capdouze. Relegated to Group B in 1977, it played the Group B finals of 1989 and 1990 and moved to the Stade du Hameau in 1990. A new generation won the Du Manoir in 1997 and the Challenge Cup in 2000, 34–21 against Castres; in 1998 the club became the first SAOS, a professional sports company, in French rugby. Relegated in 2006, it won Pro D2 in 2015, and eighth place in 2025 brought its first Champions Cup campaign in 25 years.
Sources: section-paloise.com · section-paloise.com (2) · section-paloise.com (3) · top14.lnr.fr · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org (2) · en.wikipedia.org (3) (opens in a new tab)