Coupe de France de Para Rugby XIII
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sport | Wheelchair rugby league |
|---|---|
| Inaugural season | 2006–07 |
| Country |  France |
| Winners |  Catalans Dragons (2024–25) |
| Most titles | Catalans Dragons |
| Related competition | Elite 1 |
The Coupe de France de Para Rugby XIII (lit. 'Wheelchair rugby league French Cup'), is the premier knockout competition for the sport of wheelchair rugby league in France. The earliest recorded Coupe de France took place in the 2006–07 season with the cup displaying the inscription Coupe de France de Rugby A XIII Fauteuil.[1] This was the name of the competition until the French Rugby League Federation began using the name Para Rugby XIII rather than XIII Fauteuil (XIII Wheelchair) for the sport in the 2023–24 season.[2]
In 2000, wheelchair rugby league was developed in France and the first competition was played by three teams, Vichy, Roanne and Beauvais, as part of a French Téléthon.[2] In 2002, meetings took place to establish the official rules of the sport[3] and a Trophy of France tournament was played in Vichy with six teams taking part.[4] In the 2006–07 season, a three-team Coupe de France took place beginning in December when RC Vichy XIII Handi defeated Beauvais XIII Handisport 36–24 in a qualification match to reach the final. This was played in April following the conclusion of the Championship and saw Handisport Roannais, who had received a bye in the first round, defeat Vichy 31–14 to win the competition.[5]
For the 2007–08 season, a Coupe de France final was scheduled to be played in May[6] and by the 2008–09 season the competition had expanded to an eight-team tournament played in June.[7] Over the next seven editions the Coupe de France retained this format but was usually played as a pre-season event.[8][9][a] During this period Catalans Dragons dominated the competition, with the 2013–14 final being reported as the fifth time they had won the trophy.[10][b] The 2015–16 competition was played as a tournament over a single weekend, with teams competing in groups to qualify for the semi-finals,[16] but in 2016–17 the format changed so that three teams took part in the finals day of the competition,[17] and since then it has been played as a single-elimination tournament with fixtures taking place throughout the season.[18]
