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Hautes-Pyrénées (Department, France): Sports clubs

Rabastens XV (Rugby)
Tarbes Gespe Bigorre (Basketball)

See also:

Rabastens XV

Flag of Rabastens XV - Image by Ivan Sache, 2 October 2009

The municipality of Rabastens-de-Bigorre (1,419 inhabitants in 2006; 893 ha) is located 20 km north of Tarbes.
The rugby club Rabastens XV plays in the top league (Honneur) of the Armagnac-Bigorre Federation, a territorial federation that groups 58 clubs located in the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Gers, the most famous of them being Tarbes (national champion in 1919, 1920 and 1973) and Lourdes (national champion in 1948, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960 and 1968). Several famous players of the French national team come from Armagnac-Bigorre, for instance Jean-Michel Aguirre, Pierre Berbizier, Roland Bertranne, Philippe Dintrans, Jean Gachassin, Jean-Pierre Garuet and Jean Prat.
In spite of the recent merchandization of French rugby and the decline of the rugby des villes et des villages (towns and villages' rugby) system, several villages, such as Rabastens, still proudly maintain an amateur rugby club. In the south-west of France, rugby has a strong educational and social value.

The main victories of Rabastens XV are the territorial 4^e Série (2006), Réserves B (2008) and Promotion d'Honneur (2009) leagues. In 2009, the club was defeated in the national final of the Promotion d'Honneur league by Cessenon/Saint-Chinian, 19-21 during the extra-time.

The flag of the club (photos) is vertically divided black-red, the colours of the club.

Ivan Sache, 2 October 2009

Tarbes Gespe Bigorre

Flag of TGB - Image by Ivan Sache, 25 February 2013

Tarbes Gespe Bigorre (TGB) is one of the main French women's basketball club.
The club was founded in May 1983, under the name of Tarbes Gespe Basket, as the merger of Association sportive et culturelle de la Gespe (men's team) and of Basket Club Tarbais (women's team). The club was renamed Tarbes Gespe Bigorre in 1993.
TGB won the national championship in 2010 and the French Cup in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The club won in 1996 the European Cup Liliana Ronchetti. Some of the best French players were trained or played with TGB, including Christine Gomis (1992-1997), Cathy Mélain (1993-1994), Céline Dumerc (b. in Tarbes; 1995-1997, 2000-2003), Laetitia Moussard (1997-1998), Émilie Gomis (2001-2003), and Isabelle Yacoubou (2005-2010).

The flag used by the supporters of TGB is vertically divided violet- white (photo, photo). Violet and white are the traditional colours of the club. The players are nicknamed the "Violettes". The supporters are the "Ultraviolets".

Ivan Sache, 25 February 2013