Per inhabitant, the most rugby-playing town in France is Urrugne, with 29.8 / 1 000 hab., ahead of Tarnos (24.9 / 1 000 hab.) and Lavaur (24.4 / 1 000 hab.).
The table below ranks the top 100 of the 1,036 cities in the dataset, each with its département, its region and the figure it is ranked on (rugby players per 1,000 inhabitants), so you can see not just the order but how far apart the places are. The numbers are official public data: INSEE legal populations and the IGN commune registry, with the exact method and the exact scope stated under the table rather than left to be guessed at.
The same data answers neighbouring questions too: see The French cities with the most pétanque players and The French cities with the most golfers, or all rankings for the full list. All of it comes from Hexagone, a free daily game that gives you five French cities and one of these statistics and asks you for the order.
| # | City | Region | Players / 1,000 | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 64Urrugne | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 29.8 / 1 000 hab. | 10,661 |
| 2 | 40Tarnos | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 24.9 / 1 000 hab. | 12,957 |
| 3 | 81Lavaur | Occitanie | 24.4 / 1 000 hab. | 10,965 |
| 4 | 33Léognan | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 23.3 / 1 000 hab. | 10,670 |
| 5 | 13Châteaurenard | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 22.1 / 1 000 hab. | 16,545 |
| 6 | 40Biscarrosse | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 21.9 / 1 000 hab. | 15,836 |
| 7 | 07Tournon-sur-Rhône | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 21.7 / 1 000 hab. | 11,279 |
| 8 | 81Castres | Occitanie | 21.2 / 1 000 hab. | 42,505 |
| 9 | 82Castelsarrasin | Occitanie | 21 / 1 000 hab. | 14,343 |
| 10 | 33Mios | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 20.8 / 1 000 hab. | 12,043 |
| 11 | 83Le Pradet | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 19.4 / 1 000 hab. | 10,933 |
| 12 | 12Millau | Occitanie | 18.5 / 1 000 hab. | 22,044 |
| 13 | 81Graulhet | Occitanie | 18.5 / 1 000 hab. | 13,129 |
| 14 | 31Tournefeuille | Occitanie | 18.4 / 1 000 hab. | 30,168 |
| 15 | 19Brive-la-Gaillarde | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 18.2 / 1 000 hab. | 47,095 |
| 16 | 15Aurillac | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 18.2 / 1 000 hab. | 26,214 |
| 17 | 32Auch | Occitanie | 18.1 / 1 000 hab. | 22,428 |
| 18 | 66Argelès-sur-Mer | Occitanie | 17.6 / 1 000 hab. | 10,616 |
| 19 | 64Bayonne | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 17.3 / 1 000 hab. | 54,306 |
| 20 | 69Chassieu | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 17 / 1 000 hab. | 11,208 |
| 21 | 63Pont-du-Château | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 16.9 / 1 000 hab. | 12,412 |
| 22 | 81Mazamet | Occitanie | 16.8 / 1 000 hab. | 10,085 |
| 23 | 64Hendaye | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 16.5 / 1 000 hab. | 18,102 |
| 24 | 64Oloron-Sainte-Marie | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 16.5 / 1 000 hab. | 10,684 |
| 25 | 66Cabestany | Occitanie | 16.5 / 1 000 hab. | 10,465 |
| 26 | 09Pamiers | Occitanie | 16.4 / 1 000 hab. | 16,473 |
| 27 | 33Cestas | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 16.3 / 1 000 hab. | 16,666 |
| 28 | 33Biganos | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 16.3 / 1 000 hab. | 11,431 |
| 29 | 82Montauban | Occitanie | 16.2 / 1 000 hab. | 62,945 |
| 30 | 64Anglet | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 16.2 / 1 000 hab. | 43,271 |
| 31 | 40Dax | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 15.6 / 1 000 hab. | 22,109 |
| 32 | 63Gerzat | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 15.5 / 1 000 hab. | 10,335 |
| 33 | 82Moissac | Occitanie | 15.2 / 1 000 hab. | 13,419 |
| 34 | 31Fonsorbes | Occitanie | 15 / 1 000 hab. | 12,954 |
| 35 | 974L'Étang-Salé | La Réunion | 14.7 / 1 000 hab. | 14,464 |
| 36 | 31Auterive | Occitanie | 14.7 / 1 000 hab. | 10,456 |
| 37 | 81Gaillac | Occitanie | 14.6 / 1 000 hab. | 16,162 |
| 38 | 33Gujan-Mestras | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 14.2 / 1 000 hab. | 22,153 |
| 39 | 38L'Isle-d'Abeau | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 14.1 / 1 000 hab. | 17,515 |
| 40 | 11Castelnaudary | Occitanie | 14.1 / 1 000 hab. | 12,151 |
| 41 | 83Le Beausset | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 14.1 / 1 000 hab. | 10,219 |
| 42 | 40Saint-Pierre-du-Mont | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 14.1 / 1 000 hab. | 10,092 |
| 43 | 31Blagnac | Occitanie | 13.9 / 1 000 hab. | 27,604 |
| 44 | 64Orthez | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 13.9 / 1 000 hab. | 10,881 |
| 45 | 78Montesson | Île-de-France | 13.7 / 1 000 hab. | 14,549 |
| 46 | 29Plouzané | Bretagne | 13.7 / 1 000 hab. | 13,567 |
| 47 | 38Saint-Égrève | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 13.4 / 1 000 hab. | 17,986 |
| 48 | 11Narbonne | Occitanie | 13.3 / 1 000 hab. | 57,587 |
| 49 | 38Fontaine | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 13.2 / 1 000 hab. | 22,020 |
| 50 | 47Agen | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 13.1 / 1 000 hab. | 32,801 |
| 51 | 19Tulle | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 13.1 / 1 000 hab. | 13,401 |
| 52 | 48Mende | Occitanie | 13.1 / 1 000 hab. | 12,464 |
| 53 | 31Castelginest | Occitanie | 13.1 / 1 000 hab. | 11,271 |
| 54 | 40Saint-Paul-lès-Dax | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 13 / 1 000 hab. | 14,481 |
| 55 | 26Portes-lès-Valence | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 13 / 1 000 hab. | 10,477 |
| 56 | 84Monteux | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 12.9 / 1 000 hab. | 13,301 |
| 57 | 83Solliès-Pont | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 12.9 / 1 000 hab. | 12,521 |
| 58 | 64Biarritz | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 12.7 / 1 000 hab. | 26,206 |
| 59 | 84Sorgues | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 12.6 / 1 000 hab. | 19,006 |
| 60 | 33Parempuyre | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 12.6 / 1 000 hab. | 10,672 |
| 61 | 69Tarare | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 12.4 / 1 000 hab. | 10,893 |
| 62 | 31Balma | Occitanie | 12.3 / 1 000 hab. | 17,772 |
| 63 | 2APorto-Vecchio | Corse | 12.3 / 1 000 hab. | 11,198 |
| 64 | 31Plaisance-du-Touch | Occitanie | 12.2 / 1 000 hab. | 21,079 |
| 65 | 13Fos-sur-Mer | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 12.2 / 1 000 hab. | 15,862 |
| 66 | 63Thiers | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 12.2 / 1 000 hab. | 11,637 |
| 67 | 47Marmande | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 12.1 / 1 000 hab. | 17,328 |
| 68 | 31Seysses | Occitanie | 12.1 / 1 000 hab. | 10,539 |
| 69 | 73La Motte-Servolex | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 12 / 1 000 hab. | 12,067 |
| 70 | 31Villeneuve-Tolosane | Occitanie | 11.9 / 1 000 hab. | 11,044 |
| 71 | 83La Crau | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 11.8 / 1 000 hab. | 19,556 |
| 72 | 64Lons | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 11.8 / 1 000 hab. | 13,606 |
| 73 | 69Genas | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 11.6 / 1 000 hab. | 13,421 |
| 74 | 65Lourdes | Occitanie | 11.6 / 1 000 hab. | 13,266 |
| 75 | 33Saint-Loubès | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 11.6 / 1 000 hab. | 10,027 |
| 76 | 31Colomiers | Occitanie | 11.5 / 1 000 hab. | 40,882 |
| 77 | 56Guidel | Bretagne | 11.5 / 1 000 hab. | 12,338 |
| 78 | 31Saint-Gaudens | Occitanie | 11.5 / 1 000 hab. | 12,139 |
| 79 | 31Saint-Jean | Occitanie | 11.5 / 1 000 hab. | 11,261 |
| 80 | 40Mont-de-Marsan | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 11.4 / 1 000 hab. | 31,592 |
| 81 | 94Villecresnes | Île-de-France | 11.2 / 1 000 hab. | 11,647 |
| 82 | 63Aubière | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 11.2 / 1 000 hab. | 10,459 |
| 83 | 79Parthenay | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 11.2 / 1 000 hab. | 10,140 |
| 84 | 83La Farlède | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 11.2 / 1 000 hab. | 10,014 |
| 85 | 01Valserhône | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 11.1 / 1 000 hab. | 16,712 |
| 86 | 31L'Union | Occitanie | 11 / 1 000 hab. | 12,638 |
| 87 | 33Saint-Médard-en-Jalles | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 10.8 / 1 000 hab. | 32,910 |
| 88 | 38Bourgoin-Jallieu | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 10.8 / 1 000 hab. | 30,151 |
| 89 | 60Senlis | Hauts-de-France | 10.8 / 1 000 hab. | 15,157 |
| 90 | 26Romans-sur-Isère | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 10.7 / 1 000 hab. | 33,464 |
| 91 | 33Le Bouscat | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 10.7 / 1 000 hab. | 25,081 |
| 92 | 83La Valette-du-Var | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 10.7 / 1 000 hab. | 23,719 |
| 93 | 01Oyonnax | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 10.7 / 1 000 hab. | 22,480 |
| 94 | 84Pernes-les-Fontaines | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 10.7 / 1 000 hab. | 10,504 |
| 95 | 35Bruz | Bretagne | 10.6 / 1 000 hab. | 19,683 |
| 96 | 66Canet-en-Roussillon | Occitanie | 10.6 / 1 000 hab. | 13,227 |
| 97 | 83La Garde | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 10.5 / 1 000 hab. | 26,476 |
| 98 | 12Rodez | Occitanie | 10.5 / 1 000 hab. | 23,981 |
| 99 | 63Riom | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 10.5 / 1 000 hab. | 18,820 |
| 100 | 31Cugnaux | Occitanie | 10.4 / 1 000 hab. | 20,662 |
Scope: France, metropolitan and overseas, Corsica and the DROM included. This dataset holds every commune of 10,000 inhabitants or more, plus smaller communes famous enough to be household names, 1,131 in all. It is not the full list of 35,000 French communes, so a village can sit outside a ranking whose extreme it would otherwise hold. This particular ranking is a rate per inhabitant, so it covers towns of 10,000 people or more only: in a village of a hundred, three licence holders would read as thirty per thousand and outrank a town with a professional club, so no rate is published below that size rather than a meaningless one.
Method and sources: populations are the INSEE legal populations, boundaries and coordinates come from the IGN commune registry, both served by geo.api.gouv.fr. Density is the population divided by the commune's area; distances are measured as the crow flies from the commune's centre. Data read on August 11, 2026.
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Per inhabitant, the most rugby-playing town in France is Urrugne, with 29.8 / 1 000 hab., ahead of Tarnos (24.9 / 1 000 hab.) and Lavaur (24.4 / 1 000 hab.).
In order: Urrugne (29.8 / 1 000 hab.), Tarnos (24.9 / 1 000 hab.), Lavaur (24.4 / 1 000 hab.), Léognan (23.3 / 1 000 hab.), Châteaurenard (22.1 / 1 000 hab.), Biscarrosse (21.9 / 1 000 hab.), Tournon-sur-Rhône (21.7 / 1 000 hab.), Castres (21.2 / 1 000 hab.), Castelsarrasin (21 / 1 000 hab.), Mios (20.8 / 1 000 hab.).
Because this counts players per inhabitant, not in total. Toulouse has the most decorated club in European rugby and, in raw numbers, one of the largest bodies of players in the country; divided by half a million residents it lands mid-table. The top of this ranking is the Basque country, the Landes and the Tarn, where a town of twelve thousand fields enough licensed players to change its own percentage.