CA Brive

The club was created on 15 March 1910. Before the Second World War, Brive changed from rugby union to rugby league but returned to union after the war.

It played regularly in the First Division, and established itself as the stronghold of rugby in Limousin but for many years its only title was a Second Division trophy won in 1957. Brive did not make it to the final of the First Division championship until 1965. On 23 May that year they met SU Agen at Stade de Gerland in Lyon only to lose 15–8. Brive next made it to the final in the 1972 season, where they faced AS Béziers on 21 May in Lyon again, and again the Black and White came out the losers, as Béziers won their second consecutive title (9–0). Brive met AS Béziers in the final again three season later, in 1975. By then, Béziers had become the unbeatable team of the decade, and they won their fifth title, this time by just one point (13–12), at Parc des Princes in Paris.

Brive experienced a resurgence in the middle of the 1990s, first in 1996, when they made their first finals appearance since the mid-1970s in Paris. Brive however went down 20–13 to Stade Toulousain. It was their fourth losing final. Only one club have lost more finals without winning one than them (US Dax, on five). That year however, they won the Challenge Yves du Manoir, defeating Pau 12–6. The following season, they made it to the final of the Heineken Cup where they faced the Leicester Tigers from England at Cardiff Arms Park. Brive finally won a final, defeating the Tigers 28–9.^[1] They are the only club to win the European Cup without ever winning their domestic championship.

On 22 February 1997, Brive, as European champions, were pitted against Auckland Blues who had recently won the Super 12. The French team were no competition to an extra powerful Kiwi side which won easily 47–11.^[2] In 1998 Brive again reached the final of the Heineken Cup, this time against Bath. They came close to capturing back-to-back titles, losing by just one point, 19–18 at Parc Lescure in Bordeaux.

Since then, however, the club has been in dire straits, as it was subjected to a punitive relegation to the second division in 2000 due to bad financial management. They bounced back two years later but have struggled ever since in the lower echelons of the league table, except in 2004 when they managed to qualify for the playoffs. In 2005, Brive went to the semi-finals of European Challenge Cup, but they lost to Pau. In 2009, after taking the sixth place of the Championship, the Black and White could participate in the Heineken Cup, but the competition was difficult for them, against the Europeans champions Leinster, Llanelli Scarlets and London Irish.

After difficulties and a relegation to the second division in 2012, Brive returned to the Top 14 the following year, after defeating Pau.^[3]

• Heineken Cup / European Rugby Champions Cup
  • Champions (1): 1997
  • Runners-up (1): 1998
• French championship Top 14
  • Runners-up (4): 1965, 1972, 1975, 1996
• Pro D2
  • Champions (1): 1957
  • Runners-up (2): 2013, 2019
• Promotion play-offs Final/Top 14 Access Match
  • Champions (2): 2012–13, 2018–19
• Challenge Yves du Manoir
  • Champions (1): 1996
  • Runners-up (2): 1963, 1974
• French Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2000

The Brive squad for the 2025–26 season is:^[4][5]

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

More information Player, Position ...

Player Position Union Benjamin Boudou Hooker France Yanis Charcosset Hooker France Lucas Da Silva Hooker Portugal Vakh Abdaladze Prop Georgia Zaccharie Affane Prop France Simon-Pierre Chauvac Prop France Francisco Coria Marchetti Prop Argentina Nathan Fraissenon Prop France Henzo Kiteau Prop France Marcel van der Merwe Prop South Africa Hugo Reilhes Prop France Irné Herbst Lock South Africa Konstantin Mikautadze Lock Georgia Alexandre Ricard Lock France Hendré Stassen Lock South Africa Asier Usarraga Lock Spain Anhony Coletta Back row France Sasha Gue Back row France Courtney Lawes Back row England Retief Marais Back row South Africa Samuel Maximin Back row France Yann Peysson Back row France Taniela Sadrugu Back row Fiji Henco Venter Back row South Africa

Player Position Union John Cooney Scrum-half Ireland Mathis Galthié Scrum-half France Maxime Sidobre Scrum-half France Curwin Bosch Fly-half South Africa Jamie Shillcock Fly-half England Hugo Verdu Fly-half Algeria Kévin Fabien Centre France Stuart Olding Centre Ireland Paul Pimienta Centre France Ben Tapuai Centre Australia Eto Bainivalu Wing Fiji Geoffrey Cros Wing France Erwan Dridi Wing France Asaeli Tuivuaka Wing Fiji Nic Krone Fullback France Julien Tisseron Fullback France Thomas Zenon Fullback France

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Espoirs squad

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

More information Player, Position ...

Player Position Union Quentin Algay Hooker France Valerio Siciliano Hooker Italy Giovanny Tafili Hooker France Simote Moala Prop France Pierre-Chanel Tafili Prop France Teun Karst Lock Netherlands Nathan Claassen Lock South Africa Matteo Faintrenie Lock France Luke Griffiths Lock England David Geneste Back row France Ollie Hull Back row England Tana Keletaona Back row France Issa Mendy Back row France Geoffrey Malaterre Back row France Thomas Seguy Back row France

Player Position Union Noe Bros Scrum-half France Matheo Guyon Scrum-half France Mattin Laurent Scrum-half France Leny Broncan Fly-half France Luka Keletaona Fly-half France Bastien Masse Centre France Victor Rayneur Centre France Georges Shvelidze Centre Georgia Manuhere Avaeoru Wing France Maxence Bisaotto Wing France Benjamin Lefranc Wing France Baptiste Peyramard Wing France Lewis Noon Fullback England Noa Sage-Aymard Fullback France

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The following are players who have represented their country, players who have won a title with the club, players who have played a sufficient number of games to go down in the club history or players who came from the academy and have made a significant career in another team:

• List of rugby union clubs in France
• Rugby union in France