Editing CA Brive (section)

== History ==
The club was created on 15 March 1910. Before the Second World War, Brive changed from [[rugby union]] to [[rugby league]] but returned to union after the war.

It played regularly in the First Division, and established itself as the stronghold of rugby in [[Limousin (region)|Limousin]] but for many years its only title was a Second Division trophy won in 1957. Brive did not make it to the final of the First Division championship until 1965. On 23 May that year they met [[SU Agen]] at [[Stade de Gerland]] in [[Lyon]] only to lose 15–8. Brive next made it to the final in the 1972 season, where they faced [[AS Béziers]] on 21 May in Lyon again, and again the Black and White came out the losers, as Béziers won their second consecutive title (9–0). Brive met AS Béziers in the final again three season later, in 1975. By then, Béziers had become the unbeatable team of the decade, and they won their fifth title, this time by just one point (13–12), at [[Parc des Princes]] in [[Paris]].

Brive experienced a resurgence in the middle of the 1990s, first in 1996, when they made their first finals appearance since the mid-1970s in Paris. Brive however went down 20–13 to [[Stade Toulousain]]. It was their fourth losing final. Only one club have lost more finals without winning one than them ([[US Dax]], on five). That year however, they won the [[Challenge Yves du Manoir]], defeating [[Section Paloise|Pau]] 12–6. The following season, they made it to the final of the [[Heineken Cup]] where they faced the [[Leicester Tigers]] from [[England]] at [[Cardiff Arms Park]]. Brive finally won a final, defeating the Tigers 28–9.<ref name=Cleary>{{cite book|title=Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1997–98|year=1997|publisher=Headline Book Publishing|location=London|isbn=0-7472-7732-X|editor=Mick Cleary and John Griffiths}}</ref> They are the only club to win the European Cup without ever winning their domestic championship.

On 22 February 1997, Brive, as European champions, were pitted against [[Blues (Super Rugby)|Auckland Blues]] who had recently won the [[Super Rugby|Super 12]]. The French team were no competition to an extra powerful Kiwi side which won easily 47–11.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-roundup-brive-out-with-the-washing-1280240.html |title=Brive out with the washing |first=Bruce |last=Pope |work=[[The Independent]] |date=23 February 1997 |publisher=[[Independent News & Media|INM]] |location=[[London, UK|London]] |issn=0951-9467 |oclc=185201487 |access-date=11 July 2014}}</ref> In 1998 Brive again reached the final of the Heineken Cup, this time against [[Bath Rugby|Bath]]. They came close to capturing back-to-back titles, losing by just one point, 19–18 at [[Parc Lescure]] in [[Bordeaux]].

Since then, however, the club has been in dire straits, as it was subjected to a punitive relegation to the second division in 2000 due to bad financial management. They bounced back two years later but have struggled ever since in the lower echelons of the league table, except in 2004 when they managed to qualify for the playoffs. In 2005, Brive went to the semi-finals of [[European Challenge Cup]], but they lost to [[Section Paloise|Pau]]. In 2009, after taking the sixth place of the Championship, the Black and White could participate in the [[Heineken Cup]], but the competition was difficult for them, against the Europeans champions [[Leinster Rugby|Leinster]], [[Scarlets|Llanelli Scarlets]] and [[London Irish]].

After difficulties and a relegation to the [[Rugby Pro D2|second division]] in 2012, Brive returned to the [[Top 14]] the following year, after defeating [[Section Paloise|Pau]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actualites/Brive-ne-l-a-pas-volee/372291 |title=Brive ne l'a pas volée |first=Hamid |last=Imakhoukhene |work=[[L'Équipe]] |date=19 May 2013 |access-date=11 July 2014|language=fr}}</ref>