The 1980–81 French Rugby Union Championship was won by Béziers beating Stade Bagnérais in the final.
Formula For the second time, the clubs of the "Group B" didn't participate to win the title, but played a proper championship.
The group A, like the group B was divided in four pools of ten clubs.
The eight better of each pool were qualified for the knockout stages.
Group A
Qualification round In bold the teams qualified for knock out stages, ordered according to the ranking.
Pool A Bayonne Pau Valence Béziers Oloron Nîmes Thuir Aurillac Mazamet Saint-Jean-de-Luz Pool B Romans Agen Toulouse Dax Carcassonne Narbonne Albi RRC Nice Périgueux Auch Pool C Toulon Perpignan Montferrand
Angoulême Biarritz Stadoceste Castres Avignon Saint-Saturnin Montchanin Pool D Grenoble Lourdes Graulhet Boucau Brive Bègles Stade Bagnérais US Bressane La Rochelle Chambéry
"Last 32"
Team 1 Team 2 Results Perpignan Nîmes 25-6 Valence Thuir 13-10 Béziers Carcassonne 29-6 Grenoble Aurillac 6-12 Bayonne Castres 14-12 Graulhet Stadoceste 9-21 Lourdes Biarritz 23-9 Pau Tulle 22-3 Toulon RRC Nice 6-15 Montferrand Bègles 9-4 Boucau Brive 12-15 Toulouse Narbonne 12-6 Agen Albi 21-10 Angoulême Stade Bagnérais 12-24 Dax Oloron 42-21 Romans US Bressane 21-9
"Last 16" In bold the clubs qualified for the next round
Team 1 Team 2 Results Perpignan Valence 28-7 Béziers Aurillac 22-10 Bayonne Stadoceste 12-18 Lourdes Pau 25-9 RRC Nice Montferrand 9-15 Brive Toulose 24-23 Agen Stade Bagnérais 6-23 Dax Romans 19-9
Quarter of finals In bold the clubs qualified for the next round Team 1 Team 2 Results Perpignan Béziers 12-13 Stadoceste Lourdes 7-9 Montferrand Brive 6-3 Stade Bagnérais Dax 16-9
Semifinals
Team 1 Team 2 Results Béziers Lourdes 35-9 Montferrand Stade Bagnérais 3-6
Final Teams Béziers - Stade Bagnérais Score 22-13 Date 25 May 1981 Venue Parc des PrincesReferee Jean-Pierre Bonnet Line-up Béziers Armand Vaquerin, Alain Paco, Jean-Louis Martin, Alain Estève, Michel Palmié, Jean-Marc Cordier, Pierre Lacans, Henri Mioch, Philippe Morrisson, Jean-Pierre Pesteil, Marc Andrieu, Claude Martinez, Jean-Luc Rivallo, Michel Fabre, Patrick Fort Replacements : Philippe Escande, Yvan Buonomo, Bernard Teissier, Christian Prax, Michel Calas Bagnères Michel Laguerre-Basse, Antranik Torossian, Michel Urtizverea, André Cazenave, René Vergez, Claude Frutos, Albert Cigagna, Omar Derghali, Adrien Mournet, Philippe Fourneau, Michel Dancla, Pierre Rispal, Roland Bertranne, Jean-François Gourdon, Jean-Michel AguirreReplacements : Gérard Chevallier, Yves Duhard, Arnaud Duplan, Roger Bayen, Michel Mardegan, Jean-Louis Carrère Scorers Béziers 2 tries Andrieu and Fabre, 1 conversion and 2 penalties Fort, 2 drops Pesteil Bagnères 2 tries Gourdon, 1 conversion and 1 penalty Aguirre
Béziers held their title of French Champions and won the fourth Bouclier de Brennus in five years. Stade Bagnérais lost the second final, after the one in 1979.
Group B
Qualification round In bold the teams qualified for knockout stages, ordered according to the ranking.
Pool E Annecy Arras Bourgoin Stade Clermontois Dijon La Voulte Le Creusot Montélimar Paris Université Vienne Pool F Cognac Decazeville (Decazeville) Fumel Limoges Mérignac Niort Racing Rodez(Rodez) Stade Foyen (Sainte-Foy-la-Grande) La Teste Pool G US Montauban Cahors Carmaux Castelnaudary Condom Foix (Foix) Lannemezan Millau Lombez Samatan Marmande Pool H US Tyrosse Avenir Aturin Stade Beaumontois Hagetmau Mauléon Mont de Marsan Orthez Peyrehorade (Peyrehorade) Soustons Vic-Bigorre (Vic-en-Bigorre)
"Last 32"
Team 1 Team 2 Results US Tyrosse US Montauban
"Last 16" In bold the clubs qualified for the next round
Team 1 Team 2 Results US Tyrosse US Montauban
Quarter of finals In bold the clubs qualified for the next round Team 1 Team 2 Results US Tyrosse US Montauban
Semifinals Team 1 Team 2 Results US Tyrosse US Montauban
Final
Teams US Tyrosse – US Montauban Score 15-9 (after over-time) Venue Agen
External links Compte rendu finale de 1981 lnr.fr
Notes and references