Last modified: 2014-04-28 by ivan sache
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![[Flag]](../images/f/fr-31@co.gif)
Flag of US Colomiers' supporters - Image by Ivan Sache, 17 January 2014
The municipality of Colomiers (35,784 inhabitants in 2011; 2,083 ha) is located just west of Toulouse.
The first rugby team in the town was established in 1915, headquartered in café Berger. Most players were hired by bigger clubs of the region, especially Stade Toulousain, so that the team winded up in 1928.
Subsequently re-established, US Colomiers (USC; website) joined the 3rd league in 1976 and the 2nd league in 1980. On 3 May 1981, USC defeated Langon (16-15) in Valence-d'Agen and joined the National League. During its last season as an amateur team (1998), USC won the European Conference, undefeated.
At the end of its first professional season (1998), USC was defeated in the final of the European Cup by Ulster (21-6). The next year (1999), the club was defeated in the final of the national championship by Stade Français-CASG (28-23).
Relegated to the 2nd League in 2005 and to the 3rd League in 2007, Colomiers joined back the 2nd League in 2012.
The emblematic player of USC is Fabien Galthié (b. 1969), who played for the club from 1981 to 2001. Captain of the French team (1991-2003), Galthié is the single French to have played in four World Cups (1991, 1995, 1999, 2003); he was elected 2002 Best Player in the World by the IRB. USC was the only club (1976-2004) of Jean-Luc Sadourny (b. 1966, another member of the French team and author of the "trial of the century" against New Zealand in 1994. David Skrela (b. 1979) started his career with USC (1997-2003) and came back to the club in 2013 to end his career.
A black and white photo dated 1981 shows the flag of USC as diagonally divided by a white bend charged with the letters "USC".Ivan Sache, 29 May 2013