Stade Français and Club Athlétique des Sports Généraux (CASG) it has grown increasingly popular with rugby fans as a result of its impressive list of wins (French league champions in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2004, French Cup finalist in 1998 and, above all, European Cup finalist in 2001), its media visibility (with its annual “locker room nudes” calendar featuring the stadium stars), its stirring anthem (“borrowed” by France’s 1998 football World Cup-winning team in 1998) and the renown of its charismatic manager Max Guazzini, who discusses cutting-edge trends in music and his team’s latest match against Perpignan or Clermont-Ferrand with equal ease. This combination of factors has led to Stade Français’s reputation as an exciting team. Every weekend, they put on a real show that’s a mix of deft play by the three-quarters and muscled action by the forwards. These well-attended matches are colourful affairs - and Stade Français is (for different reasons) undoubtedly one of the few rugby teams to attract both men and women!

FHR

Photo D.R.