If you look just ahead, you’ll spot Cassayet Stadium by its classic concrete grandstand with orange trim and the rugby posts rising proudly above a lush green field.
You’ve made it to one of Narbonne’s most historic sporting hotspots-and the oldest playing field around! Picture this: It’s the early 1900s, and instead of a rugby stadium, this spot was covered in grapevines. That’s right-what you’re standing on was once a vineyard! But soon after the Racing Club Narbonnais rugby team sprang to life, those vines were yanked up and the very first version of the stadium was laid out. At first, the field saw more galloping horses and trampled turf than perfect passes, since it was used mainly for equestrian contests. Imagine those poor rugby players trying to sprint across a bumpy, battered patch of grass while dodging leftover hoof prints-now that’s what I call a home field disadvantage!
Fast forward to 1922, when the rugby club’s president finally secured the stadium just for rugby. Not long after, excitement buzzed through Narbonne as the stadium was chosen for the 1925 French championship final - a once-in-a-lifetime event! To mark the big occasion, the cement grandstand you see before you was built, making space for cheering fans and the smell of fresh-cut grass mixed with suspense and the scent of local pastries wafting from the stands. By 1928, the place had a new name: Cassayet Stadium, in honor of Aimé Cassayet-Armagnac, a legendary club player with a heart as big as his tackles.
Though the main team moved on in the ‘70s, Cassayet remains the proud old-timer of Narbonne’s sports world-the soul of rugby here, still housing the RCN’s headquarters and echoing with shouts and laughter during every match and practice. You might say this pitch is where Narbonne’s sporting dreams, thunderous celebrations, and even a few dramatic tumbles have played out for generations!
