Short name Saint Esteve Coach Gregory Simon Competition National Division 2 | Chairman Richard Masforne Date founded 1965 | |
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Full name Saint-Esteve XIII Mavericks Ground(s) Stade Municipal (6,000) | ||
Saint Esteve XIII Mavericks are a French Rugby League side based in Saint-Esteve near Perpignan in the region of Pyrenees-Orientales. Originally known as AS Saint Estève. They was founded in 1965. The club compete in the National Division 2 Languedoc-Rousillon league. Home games are played at the Stade Municipal.
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History
The club was founded in 1965 as Association Sportive Saint-Esteve XIII better known as AS Saint Esteve. For a club of its size the success they had was remarkable their best spell was between 1986 and 2000 when they contested 17 finals winning 8 of them. Their best season was 1992-93 when they completed their one and only league and cup double. In 2000 Bernard Guasch brought Saint Esteve and XIII Catalan together to form Union Treiziste Catalane, better known in the English speaking world by their European Super League identity of Catalans Dragons. The aim was to get the new club into the Super League which they did in 2006. A presence in the French Elite One Championship was maintained by firstly the retaining of the name Union Treiziste Catalane and then after a rebranding Saint-Esteve XIII Catalan.
Meanwhile, the youth teams which had been set up in 1968 were maintained under a new name Saint-Esteve XIII nicknamed the Mavericks. It was then decided that the Elite One club needed a feeder team so the Mavericks introduced a senior side to go along with their junior sides. Thus a new club was born out of an old club while retaining its own identity
Stadium
Saint-Esteve play at the Stade Municipal which is a stadium used for rugby. It has floodlights and a main stand with 2,000 seats. In 2015 it hosted France A match against the Serbia national rugby league team. The stadium is also used by Saint-Esteve XIII Catalan in the French Elite One Championship.