On 10 March 1901 a group of former students in Rennes, Brittany, founded a multi-sport club. On 10 March 2027 Rennes turns 126. Few people know, however, that the "Red and Blacks" started out wearing… sky blue.

Former students with a ball

Stade rennais was created by former students of the city, among them Duchesne, Philippe Ghis, Henri Jamin and Paul Peter. The first pitch was near boulevard Voltaire, in the Mabilais district. About two weeks after its founding the club played its first match and lost 6-0 to local side FC Rennais.

Blue before red

The first shirts had stripes in sky blue and navy. On 4 May 1904 the club merged with its former rival FC Rennais and became Stade rennais université club. The new team kept FC Rennais's red and black vertical stripes.

One historian reads the combination as a union of "republican" red and "clerical" black, but that is an interpretation. In 2019 Rennes recalled its roots with an all-blue Puma away shirt, which the club described as a return to its original colours.

The ermines of Brittany

Since the 1970s the crest has shown two white ermines around a ball on a red and black background. The ermine is the symbol of Brittany, and Rennes never hides its identity. In Breton the club is called Stad Roazhon.

On 23 May 1972 the football section became independent under the name Stade rennais Football Club. Fans simply call the team "Les Rouge et Noir".

Route de Lorient: one ground, one century

Since 1912 the team has played on the same spot, at the Stade de la Route de Lorient. Today it is called Roazhon Park, is owned by the city and holds almost 30,000 spectators. It was renovated in 1955, 1983 and 1999.

In 1932 the club's application to join the professional league was initially rejected over its finances. Supporters dug into their pockets and Rennes took part in the first professional season, finishing sixth. Its German striker Walter Kaiser became the first-ever top scorer of the top division.

Three Cups and a talent factory

The first Coupe de France came in 1965 under coach Jean Prouff, after a replayed final against Sedan. A second followed in 1971, 1-0 against Lyon at Colombes thanks to an André Guy penalty, and the same year brought the Trophée des Champions too. In 2019 Rennes came back from 0-2 against Paris Saint-Germain and won 6-5 on penalties.

In 1998 the club was bought by businessman François Pinault. Its academy produced Ousmane Dembélé, Eduardo Camavinga, Yoann Gourcuff and Sylvain Wiltord.

The shirt was also worn by Petr Čech and Ivorian Laurent Pokou. He arrived in January 1974, with the team fighting relegation, and changed its fortunes right away. He left for Nancy after the 1976 relegation, in the middle of a financial crisis.

The academy also counts four Coupe Gambardella titles, in 1973, 2003, 2008 and 2025. In the league Rennes has never won the title, with third place in 2019-20 its best finish.

Celebrate with us

From the sky-blue stripes of 1901 to red nights at Roazhon Park, Rennes remains the proud club of Brittany. Happy 126th birthday to the Red and Blacks!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Roazhon Park on a match night – Tilly antoine, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.