Stade Toulousain handed €2.725m salary-cap fine

Stade Toulousain must pay a €2.725 million fine after a specialist appeal commission upheld its salary-cap violations, leaving the four-time reigning French champions facing one of the biggest financial sanctions in French rugby. The club can still challenge the decision before the Administrative Court of Versailles and the French National Olympic and Sports Committee.

The original penalty, imposed by the National Rugby League’s disciplinary commission on July 3, was €2.88 million. The appeal ruling confirmed the finding while reducing the amount by €155,000. Toulouse had faced a maximum possible fine of €5 million.

The case concerns two separate issues. The club was found to have breached the regulations over third-row forward Anthony Jelonch’s image-rights contract with 3S-Alyzia. It was also sanctioned over false victory bonuses paid to several players during the 2024-25 season.

The decision adds to a repeated disciplinary record for Toulouse, which has been cited six times for salary-cap breaches in the past three years. Despite the financial reduction, the appeal outcome leaves the club with the core sanction intact while its legal options remain open.