[2] Several recent French rugby internationals, including Imanol Harinordoquy, Damien Traille, Lionel Beauxis and Antoine Hastoy started their professional club careers with Section.

Section Paloise, now under the leadership of Gilbert Pierrot [fr], achieved remarkable success during the 1927–28 French Rugby Union Championship, as the team won the title of Côte Basque champion for the second consecutive year.

A crowd of 30,000 spectators attended this highly anticipated match against the players of patron Jean Bourrel, an industrialist who had made his fortune in the hat industry.

For Jean Bourrel, a hat maker by profession, the logic was clear: "I am certain to have more commercial publicity by putting together a team to compete for the French championship than by plastering posters around the region."

The emblematic captain at the time was Albert Cazenave, who was admirably supported by players such as Georges Caussarieu, David Aguilar, Robert Sarrade, Fernand Taillantou, and the indispensable François Récaborde.

Before the war, the Section paloise won the Challenge Yves du Manoir in the 1938-1939 edition against RC Toulon by a score of 5–0 after extra time, courtesy of a try by Desperbasque and transformed by the full-back Courtade.

[3] Despite a lackluster start to the competition, Section overcame Stade Toulousain in the quarter-finals and USA Perpignan in the semi-finals (6–3 after extra time), earning a spot in the final against local rivals FC Lourdes in Paris.

Jean Piqué, who lost his wife to leukemia during the playoffs, played the final with a photo of her tucked into his jersey, a poignant moment that underscored the emotional weight of the victory.

The championship sparked days of jubilant celebration in Béarn's capital, with the Boulevard des Pyrénées overflowing as 30,000 fans gathered to honor the team.

Section Paloise missed their chance to uphold the 18-year rule (winning titles in 1928, 1946, and 1964), as they fell short in 1982, narrowly losing to SU Agen in the Round of 16.

In 1994 and 1995, Section Paloise failed to return to the Top 16 and instead participated in the Moga Cup, ultimately losing the final to rivals Aviron Bayonnais in Mont-de-Marsan.

In 1997, the club claimed the Challenge Yves du Manoir title and reached the quarter-finals of the 1996–97 French Rugby Union Championship, facing CS Bourgoin-Jallieu in both competitions.

In 2000, Section Paloise, coached by Jacques Brunel and Jean-Michel Aguirre, won the 1999–2000 European Challenge Cup by defeating Castres Olympique 34–21 at the Stade des Sept Deniers in Toulouse.

At the beginning of the 2000s, André Lestorte, then president of Section Paloise, initiated an ambitious project to merge the club with the rivals from Bigorre, Stadoceste Tarbais and FC Lourdes.

He envisioned a Pyrenean club based between Pau, Tarbes, and Lourdes, with a new stadium to be built in the middle, in line with the growing trend of more professional and elitist rugby.

On the field, Section Paloise eliminated AS Montferrand 28–27 in the quarter-finals of the 1999-00 French Championship but narrowly missed the final, losing 24–22 in extra time to US Colomiers in the semi-finals.

Despite staying in the top division, Section Paloise lost several key players during the off-season, including international fullback Nicolas Brusque, who joined Biarritz Olympique, and Lionel Mallier, who moved to USA Perpignan.

Promising youngsters Lionel Beauxis and Fabien Cibray were closely monitored, and the club extended long-term contracts for its rising stars at the Stade du Hameau.

Beauxis made his debut on November 22, 2003, in a friendly against AS Béziers at the Stade de la Méditerranée, replacing his childhood idol, David Aucagne.

The following week, Beauxis played his first competitive match in the league at Stade Amédée-Domenech, where he scored 19 points and excelled against his direct opponent, veteran fly-half Alain Penaud.

They reached the final under the captaincy of Jean-Charles Cistacq but were ultimately defeated by the Sale Sharks, led by Sébastien Bruno, a former Section Paloise hooker.

However, due to ongoing financial difficulties, Section Paloise was relegated during the 2005–06 Top 16 season under controversial circumstances on the final day of the competition against Castres.

[6] As soon as the season ended, Simon Mannix used his extensive network to bring in high-profile players such as Colin Slade,[7] Carl Hayman and Conrad Smith,[8] widely regarded as one of the best centres in the world.

The championship was suspended on 13 March 2020, and after an extraordinary meeting of the LNR's executive board and club presidents, the decision was made to terminate the season on 30 April 2020.

A highlight of the season was the emergence of young talent Émilien Gailleton, who made a strong impression on Fabien Galthié, the head coach of the French national team.

The 2023–24 season began on a high note, with Pau leading the standings during the first half of the campaign, thanks to stellar performances from Joe Simmonds, Jack Maddocks, Théo Attissogbé, and Hugo Auradou.

The song, composed by Didier Fois (Arraya, Hestiv'Oc festival, Ostau Bearnés), was met with a mixed reception in its early days and soon became a must for fans, who sing it at the start of every match.

Finally, Section has long-standing sporting rivalries dating back to the 1910s with the other major historical clubs of the Adour region: Aviron Bayonnais, Biarritz Olympique, FC Lourdes, Stade Montois & US Dax.

As of the latest elections, the board members include:[14] The budget of Section Paloise has grown significantly since the 2012–2013 season, driven primarily by increased investments from TotalEnergies, a major partner with a strong presence in Pau through its CSTJF research center.

[15] In addition to Total, several other local economic partners provide essential support to the club, including the Pau Béarn Pyrénées Agglomeration Community, Teréga, Cave de Gan Jurançon, Cancé, Crédit Agricole Pyrénées Gascogne, Autaa, Euralis, and key institutional actors like the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Departmental Council and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional government.