Don’t be alarmed if you hear neighing just a few steps away from the Paul Lignon Stadium. The national stud farm, Rodez, is only a short trot away. Things actually used to be a lot cosier in the early 1930s, when the proud horses of Rodez shared paddocks with the athletes. Fortunately, those arrangements were short-lived. In 1934, the horse enclosures were returned to their rightful occupants. This was decided on the grounds that ‘noise from the matches prevented stallions from performing their duties well’! After a few years of quarrelling between the city and local council, the stadium was built in its present location and inaugurated after the Second World War. The stadium owes its name to a 31-year-old amateur rugby player who died at the beginning of the war in the Ardennes. All this knowledge is sure to impress others if you see a match during your visit!
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