News: So, who are Castres?
By Jonathan Stockham
June 27 2010
They're the one side in our Heineken Cup Pool for 2010/11 that we haven't bumped into before, Edinburgh and Cardiff being the others. Castres Olympique finished the Top 14 in a creditable 5th place, just 1 point behind this year's European Champions, Toulouse and 7 points below league leaders Perpignan and Toulon.
However, they fared less well in the Amlin Challenge Cup last season, finishing 3rd in a pool dominated by Toulon and Saracens .
The club is based at Stade Pierre Antoine on Rue de Bisséous - 81100 CASTRES although memorabilia collectors will want to head for the boutique at 205, Avenue Charles de Gaulle. The club's web site is at www.castres-olympique.com
Castres have 2 players in the current French squad touring South Africa and Argentina, namely Luc Ducalcon and Marc Andreu.
The town of Castres is located in the Tarn departement of France and in fact sits astride the River Tarn itself. It lies some 40 miles east of Toulouse and just under 30 miles north of Carcassonne, both of whose airports will be well known to travelling Saints fans. Castres has an airport of its own but only has connections to Paris Orly and Lyon, with 2 flights per day to each destination.
The ever wondrous French railway system will deliver you from Paris in a little over 7 hours but a change at Toulouse (if you can persuade the TGV to slow down) seems inevitable.
The local tourist office web site with maps of the town etc is at www.ville-castres.fr
From that site on Castres today:
"With 46,000 inhabitants, Castres is today the central city of the Castres-Mazamet urban area which includes sixteen communes and 85,000 inhabitants. The traditional know-how of the textile, granite and wood craftsmanship runs alongside more recent activities such as mechanical engineering, pharmacology and cosmetology.
The Castres-Mazamet airport offers links to Paris and Lyon.
A rugby city,with the Castres Olympique(CO), Castres also has a garrison force represented by the 8th Marine Infantry Paratrooper Regiment. (Calm down girls! - Ed)
For several years now Castres has been developing a veritable centre for
academic education, especially university education, by multiplying the
post-Baccalaureate study opportunities. Begun in 2003 and to be continued over
several years yet, important urban planning and restoration works will allow
for an enhancement of the architectural and urban heritage: restoration of Our
Lady of La Platé, of the Goya Museum and of the Belfry, re-structuring of the
place Jean Jaurès and of the city centre."
No mention of hats on wheels but we live in hope!
More details will follow nearer the date the fixture, including the location of " The Irish Bar." They're bound to have one!
ed - widdling on Stockers chips:
Pubs
The Quay, an Irish pub with live music and TV screens for taking in some of the other Heineken Cup rugby over the weekend that is open until 2am is located at 23 rue Frederic Thomas.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:06:27:22:55:58 by Little saint.
It's a very quiet town, particularly on Sundays when pretty much everything is closed.
David L
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
- Live wrong and preposterously
I distinctly remember us being undone by the speed of there attack from their scrum on our 25 they were over before we could blink.
30/07 Castres Olympique v Pau (Hagetnau)
04/08 Castres Olympique v Glasgow (Laucune)
07/08 Castres Olympique v Colomiers (Lavaur)
Top Quartorze itself starts the weekend of 13/08.
