CA Brive

The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on 12 October 1912. 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 May 21 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 5). That year however, they won the famed 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 the 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 agonizingly 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 and 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 to 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 in second division in 2012, Brive returned to the Top 14 the following year, after defeating Pau.[3]

Brive have bred some 30 players who went on to play for France. Among them, Amédée Domenech, nicknamed "Le Duc"" ("the Duke") who played there in the 50s and 60s, and gave his name to the stadium shortly after his death in 2003. Prolific flanker Olivier Magne, fly-half Christophe Lamaison or Alain Penaud, number-eight Jean-Luc Joinel and hooker Michel Yachvili, the father of Dimitri Yachvili, also wore the CAB jersey. Argentinian fly-half Lisandro Arbizu and powerful prop Christian Martin also played for them. Two French internationals are currently playing for Brive, fullback Alexis Palisson and Arnaud Méla. But the club has become home to many Pacific Islanders including the Fijian Norman Ligairi, the Samoa and Gloucester legend Terry Fanolua and Tongan Suka Hufanga. They recently signed Welsh International, Barry Davies from the Llanelli Scarlets and Andy Goode from the Leicester Tigers, and have also signed New Zealand-born England international Riki Flutey from London Wasps effective with the 2009–10 season.

The Brive squad for the 2021–22 season:[4]

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Thomas Acquier Hooker France Florian Dufour Hooker France Vano Karkadze Hooker Georgia Peniami Narisia Hooker Fiji Soso Bekoshvili Prop Georgia Daniel Brennan Prop France Pietro Ceccarelli Prop Italy Simon-Pierre Chauvac Prop France Luka Japaridze Prop Georgia Wesley Tapueluelu Prop Tonga Cody Thomas Prop Portugal Hayden Thompson-Stringer Prop England Steevy Cerqueira Lock Portugal Victor Lebas Lock France Mitch Lees Lock Australia Lucas Paulos Lock Argentina Tevita Ratuva Lock Fiji Andrés Zafra Lock Colombia Esteban Abadie Back row France So'otala Fa'aso'o Back row Samoa Otar Giorgadze Back row Georgia Saïd Hireche Back row Algeria Kitione Kamikamica Back row Fiji Dylan Lam Back row New Zealand Retief Marais Back row South Africa Matthieu Voisin Back row France

Player Position Union Paul Abadie Scrum-half France Vasil Lobzhanidze Scrum-half Georgia Enzo Sanga Scrum-half France Tedo Abzhandadze Fly-half Georgia Enzo Hervé Fly-half France Maxence Darthou Centre France Wesley Douglas Centre England Sevanaïa Galala Centre Fiji Guillaume Galletier Centre France Nico Lee Centre South Africa Stuart Olding Centre Ireland Pierre Tournebize Centre France Setareki Bituniyata Wing Fiji Axel Müller Wing Argentina Valentin Tirefort Wing France Joris Jurand Fullback France Thomas Laranjeira Fullback France Seta Tuicuvu Fullback Fiji

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

• (in French) CA Brive Official website
• Unofficial fan's site
• CA Brive profile on Rugby15