Stade d'Albert Domec, Municipal rugby stadium in Carcassonne, France

Stade Albert Domec is a municipal stadium in Carcassonne whose white masonry entrance gate carries the name in dark raised capitals above a central arch, flanked by two square pillars topped with silver light fixtures. Inside, a rugby pitch is ringed by an eight-lane 400 m athletics track, with stands along the touchlines; a 2012 renovation added a 1,800-seat stand housing dressing rooms, a medical room, nine boxes and a reception hall.

The ground opened in 1899 as Stade de la Pépinière, created by the Amicale des sports de Carcassonne. The city bought it in July 1933 and laid out pitches for rugby, athletics and football. It was renamed Albert Domec just after his death in 1948, and its old cement track, used for the Tour de France and car races, was demolished in 2002.

A bronze statue at the stadium entrance shows Puig Aubert, a legendary rugby league player who captained France's national team. The monument makes the strong bond between this sport and the city of Carcassonne visible to every visitor.

The stadium is easy to reach and hosts rugby and athletics events throughout the year. It is worth checking in advance which sport or match is on your visit day, since the schedule alternates between rugby union and rugby league competitions.

The 1949 French rugby league championship final between Carcassonne and Marseille drew around 23,500 spectators to this ground. That figure gives a sense of how central this venue once was to French rugby history.