The 1992–93 French Rugby Union Championship was won by Castres who beat Grenoble 14–11 in the final, in a match decided by an irregular try accorded by the referee.[1]
| French Rugby Championship 1992–93 | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  France |
| Number of teams | 32 teams |
| Champions | Castres (3rd title) |
| Runners-up | Grenoble |
| Relegated | Chalon, US Tyrosse, Cognac and Le Creusot |
It was the third bouclier de Brennus for the Castres Olympique, the first after 43 year
Formula
editThe championship, called "Group A" was contested by 32 clubs divided in four pools.
At the end of the first phase, the teams classified in the first four of each pool were qualified to play a "Top 16" divided in four pools of four teams.
The eight teams ranked first and second of each pool were admitted to knockout stages
At the end of the season, four club were relegated to the second division: Chalon, l'US Tyrosse, Cognac and Le Creusot.
They were replaced by Périgueux, Dijon, Lyon OU and Lourdes.
Participants
editThe teams are linked according to the ranking, in 'bold the ones qualified for "Top 16"
|
Pool 1 |
Pool 2 |
|
Pool 3 |
Pool 4 |
Top 16
editKnock Out stage
editFinal
edit| 5 June 1993 |
| Castres | 14 – 11 | Grenoble |
| Try: Whetton Pen: Labit (2) Drop: Rui | Try: Vélo Pen: Savy Hueber |
| Parc des Princes, Paris Referee: Daniel Salles |
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A try by Olivier Brouzet was disallowed for Grenoble.[2]
The decisive try by Gary Whetton was awarded by referee Daniel Salles, despite Grenoble player Franck Hueber having grounded the ball first in his own in-goal area.[3]
This refereeing decision allowed Castres Olympique to win the title. At the time, video refereeing did not exist.
Jacques Fouroux, in conflict with the French Rugby Federation, denounced a conspiracy.[4]
However, FC Grenoble did not file an official complaint with the French Rugby Federation regarding refereeing decisions.[5]
Thirteen years later, referee Salles admitted he had made a crucial refereeing mistake, acknowledging that Grenoble had been wrongly denied a championship-winning try.[6]
Today, this final is considered one of the most controversial matches in French rugby history, marked by refereeing controversies and disputed decisions.[7]
Even twenty years later, the sense of injustice among Grenoble players and supporters remained strong.[8]
Notes
edit- ↑ the first match won by Castres (38-33) was annulled after a protest of Narbonne
References
edit- ↑ Escot, Richard; Rivière, Jacques (2010). Un siècle de rugby (in French) (13th ed.). Calmann-Lévy. p. 268. ISBN 978-2-7021-4118-2.
- ↑ Simon Valzer (3 January 2013). "Combien de fois Bayonne s'est imposé dans la capitale ?". rugbyrama.fr. Midi Olympique. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
- ↑ Richard Escot (13 June 2015). "Le Top 5 des finales les plus marquantes". L'Équipe. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
- ↑ "Top 14 : Toulon–Castres, souviens-toi, il y a vingt ans..." Le Point. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
- ↑ "Rugby". L'Humanité. 10 June 1993. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
- ↑ Frédéric Cormary (1 June 2013). "Daniel Salles à propos de Castres-Grenoble en 1993 : « Je me suis trompé »". Sud Ouest. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
- ↑ Clément Garioud (1 August 2019). "Ces sombres affaires qui ont entaché la réputation du rugby français". actu.fr. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ↑ "Vingt ans après FCG / Castres, il n'y a toujours pas essai !". Le Dauphiné. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
Bibliography
edit- Un siècle de rugby (in French). Calmann-Lévy. 17 November 2010. ISBN 978-2-7021-4118-2. siècle.