Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne is a Frenchrugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system. The club was founded in 1911 as AS Michelin, and changed its name in 1922 to AS Montferrandaise. Even after it adopted its current name in 2004, the club is still frequently referred to as Montferrand both within and outside of France.
They play at Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin (capacity 16,000). They wear yellow and blue, which are the colours of Michelin, the tyre manufacturer, which is based in Montferrand and whose founder, Marcel Michelin, started the club for its workers before World War I. L'ASM, as they are also called, are the traditional underdog, always cited among early favourites and praised for their style of play, but never winning come spring. They reached the French Championship final nine times (a French record), losing all of them, including six by less than 7 points.
The club was established in 1911 as AS Michelin, though they changed their name to AS Montferrandaise in 1922. The club was started by Marcel Michelin, the son of André Michelin, founder of the Michelin tyre manufacturer. The club made its first final of any competition in 1935, where they played Perpignan for the Challenge Yves du Manoir. AS Montferrand lost the match, 3-3 and 6-0. The following year they featured in their first championship final; though they lost to RC Narbonne 6 points to 3. They made the final again in 1937, though that match was also lost, 13 points to 7 to CS Vienne. However the following season the club won its first title; winning the Challenge Yves du Manoir by defeating Perpignan 23 points to 10.
During the 1940s the club contested the Coupe de France on two occasions, in 1945 and 1947. The club lost on both occasions, by one point, 14 to 13 to SU Agen in 1945, and then 14 to 11 against Toulouse in 1947. It would be another 10 years until the club featured in another competition final; losing to US Dax in the 1957 Challenge Yves du Manoir. The club became a force during the 1970s, starting in 1970 with a 3 points to nil championship loss to La Voulte Sportif. The club then contested the Challenge Yves du Manoir twice in a row over the 1972-73 seasons; losing both finals, against AS Béziers and Narbonne respectively. They then won the competition in 1976, defeating SC Graulhet 40 points to 12. The club then contested the championship final in 1978, though they lost to Béziers. They also lost the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1979, against Narbonne.
In 1994 season the club contested both the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir. They lost the Challenge Yves du Manoir to Perpignan (the third time the clubs had met in the competition final). They also lost the championship, defeated 22 points to 16 by Toulouse. The club contested two finals in the 1999 season as well, the French championship and the European Challenge Cup. They won the European Challenge Cup, defeating fellow French club CS Bourgoin-Jallieu 35 points to 16. However they lost the domestic final, being defeated by Toulouse 15 points to 11. The club would meet Toulouse again in the season final of 2001, with Toulouse winning 34 points to 22. In 2004 they contested the European Challenge Cup again, though they lost to English club Harlequins, by one point, 27 to 26.
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