RC Lens

Les Sang et Or – The Blood and Gold of French Football

Racing Club de Lens (), commonly referred to as RC Lens or simply as Lens, is a French professional football club based in the northern city of Lens in the department of Pas-de-Calais. The club's nickname, Les Sang et Or (), comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. As of the 2026–27 season, Lens competes in Ligue 1, the highest tier of French football. Lens won the Division 1 (now Ligue 1) title in the 1997–98 season, and has finished as runner-up on five occasions, most recently in the 2025–26 season. Lens also finished as runner-up three times in Coupe de France before securing their maiden cup in 2026. Lens won the Trophée des Champions for the first time in 2026, having finished as runner-up in 1998. The club has a strong rivalry with neighbors Lille OSC, with whom they contest the Derby du Nord.

Quick Facts

Club: Lens
Full name: Racing Club de Lens
Nickname: Les Sang et Or (The Blood and Gold)
Short name: RCL
Founded: 1906
Stadium: Stade Bollaert-Delelis
Capacity: 38,223
Owner: Joseph Oughourlian

Lore & Background

The origins of the club are not clearly documented, although most sources suggest that the club was established in 1906 under the name 'Racing Club lensois'. The name was chosen as a reference to Racing Club de Roubaix and Racing Club de France, both popular clubs at the time. The current name, 'Racing Club de Lens', dates back to 1969. The club originally played in green and black to represent the founding location; they wore green to represent the name of the home pitch, 'Verte' (meaning 'green' in French), and black to represent the omnipresence of the coal mining industry in the surrounding area.

Between 1907 and 1912, the players were forced to change home grounds twice before settling at the Parc des Glissoires, situated between Avion and Lens. During World War I, in common with all French sports clubs, the team's activities were stopped and did not restart until 1919. By this time, Lens had changed their playing colours to sky blue. It was in 1924 that the red and gold colours first appeared.

One legend says that Pierre Moglia, president of the club from 1923 to 1930, chose the colours of the Spanish flag after a colleague from the club remarked that the Saint-Léger church ruins, which they had walked past one evening, were the last visible remains of the local Spanish domination in 1648. Some people also say that the colours were derived as a reference to the local coal mines: the red for the blood of the miners and the gold for the coal which was valuable at the time.

It was also in 1924 that the club was authorised to play at the newly built municipal stadium Raoul Briquet (nowadays Léo Lagrange). The first match for the club in their new colours was played for the inauguration of the stadium. In 1926, British footballer Kid Fenton was the first star who played for Lens. He stayed for eight seasons and became a strong favourite with the club's supporters.

This was also the year the first supporters group was formed, and also saw the first occasion that Lens captured the Championnat d'Artois. In 1929, Lens won the North championship and won promotion for the first time to the Division d'Honneur of the Ligue du Nord with the clubs Olympique Lillois, RC Roubaix, Excelsior Athlétic Club de Roubaix and AC Amiens. In the Artois League, the club steadily gained prestige, and in 1932 the club inaugurated the Stade Félix Bollaert.

Did You Know?

Lens has finished as runner-up in the Coupe de France three times (1948, 1975, 1998) before winning their first cup in 2026.
Lens defeated Arsenal 1–0 at Wembley in the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League.