While most rugby league clubs in England broke away from the Rugby Football Union in the late 19th century, for French club Toulouse the opposite happened.

During the Second World War just a year after the French Rugby League Championship was founded the French government banned the sport and forced league clubs to play rugby union.

The ban was eventually lifted in 1949, but rugby league was not allowed to use the word 'rugby' in its title and instead had to be known as 'jeu à treize' (game of 13), terminology which stood until 1991.

Distinguished French players Pierre Lacaze and Georges Aillères were members of the team who went on to win the French Championship in 1965 and Toulouse carried off the League title again in 1973 and 1975.

As the Super League era approached, the club changed its name to Spacers de Toulouse - Toulouse Spacers which they were known as until 2002.

It was under that name that they won the French Championship for a fourth time and then harboured aspirations of playing in the Super League.

In 2003 they were overlooked in favour of Union Treiziste Catalane, but two years later enjoyed their proudest recent moment when they routed Widnes Vikings 40-24 to become the first French side to reach the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, only to succumb 56-18 to world champions Leeds Rhinos.

Toulouse's main aim now is to qualify for the Super League after missing out on the first set of franchises.