The Top 14 is France's professional rugby union league — fourteen clubs, a season running September to June, a final at the Stade de France. It's one of the two strongest club competitions in the world alongside the English Premiership. The squads reflect that: a typical Top 14 roster mixes French internationals with players from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and the British Isles. The wages are competitive enough to attract genuinely world-class players at most stages of their careers.

We started selling Top 14 tickets because customers kept asking. People planning a Paris trip for the Six Nations would want to know if there was club rugby worth watching in the same season. There is — and for some customers, a Top 14 weekend has since become its own reason to go.

The Clubs Worth Knowing

Toulouse are the standard. More French titles than anyone else, multiple European Champions Cup wins, and a consistent track record of developing players who end up as internationals. Antoine Dupont is the obvious recent example. Ernest-Wallon in Toulouse holds around 19,000 — it's a proper rugby ground in a city that takes the sport seriously. If you want to understand what Top 14 looks like at its best, start there.

La Rochelle is the story of the last decade. They spent years in the lower divisions, came up, and proceeded to reach multiple Champions Cup finals — winning the European title twice in consecutive seasons. The Stade Marcel-Deflandre holds around 18,000, which means it's compact and loud. Customers who've been say you feel the match rather than watch it from a distance. Tickets go quickly for anything involving them.

Union Bordeaux-Bègles play at Stade Chaban-Delmas in central Bordeaux. The club has grown into a title contender over recent seasons. Bordeaux as a city makes the trip easy to justify for reasons that have nothing to do with rugby — which is usually how we describe it to customers who need a push.

Beyond those three: Racing 92, Clermont Auvergne, Montpellier, RC Toulon, Castres. None of them are making up the numbers. Regional rivalries in the Top 14 run deep in a way that's different from what you'd find in England or Ireland — clubs represent cities and areas directly, and that shows in the crowd.

Buying Tickets

Popular fixtures — anything involving Toulouse, La Rochelle or Bordeaux, and any derby — sell quickly through official channels. Rugby Box Office offers tickets for a range of Top 14 matches with our RBO Guarantee on eligible bookings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Top 14?

France's elite professional rugby union league. Fourteen clubs compete from September to June. Play-offs in May and June culminate in a final at the Stade de France, which typically attracts around 79,000.

Which Top 14 clubs are most worth watching?

Toulouse for history and quality. La Rochelle for atmosphere relative to size. Bordeaux for the combination of rugby and city. All three work as short break destinations in their own right.

When does the Top 14 season run?

September to late June. Twenty-six rounds of regular season, semi-finals in May, final in late June at the Stade de France.

Are Top 14 matches worth attending if you don't know much about rugby?

Most people we've spoken to who went to their first Top 14 match as a neutral came away wanting to go back. The pace is easy to follow and French crowds make the atmosphere accessible regardless of what's happening on the pitch.