The Football Club de Grenoble Rugby (FCG) is a French rugby union club based in Grenoble and founded in 1892.
FC Grenoble won the French Championship in 1954 and finished runners-up in the 1993 championship after one of the most controversial finals in French rugby history, being denied the title following a refereeing error.
The club also won the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1987 and reached the final of the competition in 1969, 1986 and 1990.
FC Grenoble competed in the Top 14, the highest level of the French rugby union league system, during the 2019–20 season before being relegated to Pro D2 at the end of the campaign.
Grenoble has played its home matches at the Stade des Alpes since the 2014–15 season. The stadium has a capacity of 20,068 spectators. The club’s traditional colours are red and blue.
FC Grenoble is currently chaired by Patrick Goffi.
Contents
History
The club was founded in 1892 following the merger of the main sporting clubs in Grenoble, in the Rhône-Alpes region.
Runners-up French Championship 1918
After becoming champions of the Alps in 1912, FCG reached the final of the Coupe de l'Espérance in 1918, a competition that temporarily replaced the French championship during the First World War.
Grenoble subsequently established itself as one of the leading clubs in French rugby and regularly appeared in national finals.
The club contributed several players to the early French national team, including Edmond Besset, Félix Lasserre and Edmond Vellat.
In 1931, Grenoble was one of fourteen clubs that left the French Rugby Federation to form their own organisation, the UFRA.
French Champion 1954
In 1954, the first team, coached by Roger Bouvarel, wrote one of the greatest chapters in the club’s history.
Nicknamed the Foreign Legion by the French press because of the international profile of several players, FC Grenoble won its first Bouclier de Brennus and became French champion after defeating U.S. Cognac 5–3 in the final.
Runners-up European Championship 1963
With former player Jean Liénard becoming coach, Grenoble reached the final of the European Champion Clubs' Cup FIRA in 1963, marking one of the club’s first major international achievements.
Runners-up of the Challenge Yves du Manoir 1969
In 1969, Grenoble lost the final of the Challenge Yves du Manoir against US Dax by 24–12.
Runners-up of the Challenge Yves du Manoir 1986
In 1986, Grenoble again reached the final of the Challenge Yves du Manoir, losing 22–15 to AS Montferrand.
Winner of the Challenge Yves du Manoir 1987
In 1987, Grenoble won the Challenge Yves du Manoir after defeating SU Agen 26–7 in the final.
The victory represented the club’s second major national trophy.
Runners-up of the Challenge Yves du Manoir 1990
In 1990, Grenoble lost the final of the Challenge Yves du Manoir against RC Narbonne by 24–19.
A second French championship title denied after a refereeing error (1993)
The arrival of Jacques Fouroux alongside Michel Ringeval for the 1992–93 season marked the beginning of the famous era of the “Mammoths of Grenoble”.
Built around one of the most powerful forward packs in French rugby, Grenoble eliminated Stade Toulousain in the quarter-finals (19–17) before defeating SU Agen in the semi-finals to reach the French championship final against Castres Olympique.
Nicknamed the “Mammoths” because of their massive pack weighing more than 900 kg, Grenoble relied on a physical and dominant style of play led by players such as Olivier Merle, Olivier Brouzet, Grzegorz Kacała, Hervé Chaffardon and Džoni Mandić.
The 1993 final, played at the Parc des Princes in Paris, remains one of the most controversial matches in French rugby history. Grenoble lost 14–11 to Castres after several disputed refereeing decisions.
Early in the match, a try scored by Olivier Brouzet was disallowed for Grenoble.
The decisive moment came in the second half when Grenoble scrum-half Franck Hueber appeared to ground the ball in his own in-goal area after collecting a high kick from Castres captain Francis Rui. New Zealand lock Gary Whetton then grounded the loose ball, and referee Daniel Salles awarded the try to Castres without consulting his touch judge.
Photographs published after the match appeared to confirm that Hueber had grounded the ball first and that the try should not have been awarded. The refereeing error ultimately handed the championship title to Castres.
Already in conflict with the French Rugby Federation before the final, Jacques Fouroux denounced what he believed to be a conspiracy against Grenoble.
The 2000s and 2010s: relegation and return to the top flight
The club’s decline began during the 1999–2000 season. Despite signing international players such as Diego Albanese and Tony Stanger, Grenoble finished only 17th in the French championship. However, the club became the only team to defeat Northampton Saints during the 1999–2000 Heineken Cup, with the English side later winning the competition.
During the 2000–01 season, the reduction of the top division from 21 to 16 clubs led to Grenoble’s relegation despite nine victories in twenty matches. The club lost a decisive play-off against Section Paloise 33–21 after extra time.
Under coach Jacques Delmas, Grenoble immediately returned to the top division after finishing runners-up in Pro D2.
Young players Brian Liebenberg and Vincent Clerc emerged during this period and later became internationals.
Back in the elite during the 2002–03, Grenoble qualified for the play-offs after notable victories, including an away win against Montferrand.
The club narrowly avoided relegation in 2003–04, with Jean-Victor Bertrand finishing as the league’s top try scorer. Despite the arrival of Sam Cordingley, Grenoble were relegated again at the end of the 2004–05 season.
Severe financial difficulties then struck the club, with debts estimated at €3.64 million.
The Ligue nationale de rugby refused Grenoble’s participation in Pro D2, and the club was administratively relegated to Fédérale 1 in 2005.
Grenoble rebuilt around coaches Franck Corrihons and Jean-François Martin-Culet, relying heavily on academy players. The club spent only one season in the amateur ranks before earning promotion back to Pro D2 after defeating RC Nîmes in the Jean-Prat Trophy play-off.
Honours
French championship Top 14
Champions (1): 1954
Runners-up (1): 1993
Coupe de l'Espérance
Runners-up (1): 1918
Pro D2
Champions (2): 1951, 2012
Runners-up (5): 2002, 2018, 2023, 2024, 2025
Challenge Yves du Manoir
Champions (1): 1987
Runners-up (3): 1969, 1986, 1990
Access Match:
Champions (1): 2018
Runners-up (4): 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025
European Champion Clubs' Cup FIRA
Runners-up (1): 1963
Finals results
Current squad
The squad for the 2025–26 season is:
Notable former players
French international that the club has provided
Vincent Clerc and Louis Bielle-Biarrey are among the symbols of Grenoble’s rugby development system.