Bordeaux-Begles's 41-19 thrashing of Leinster in the Champions Cup final secured a sixth straight victory in the competition for the dominant French Top 14 clubs.
Not since Exeter Chiefs edged Racing 92 31-27 in the Covid-affected 2019-20 season has a team from outside of France lifted the Champions Cup trophy.
Toulouse started the run the following year, defeating La Rochelle in what was the first all-French final in six years.
La Rochelle then won successive finals, kicking off Leinster's agonising run of losing four finals in the last five years.
Toulouse secured a record-extending sixth Champions Cup in 2024 before Bordeaux won their first continental title.
The country's success has been largely down to a record television rights deal, sold-out stadia and global superstars.
"In terms of physicality, tactical preparation for matches, mental freshness of players, I think in France we've built something special," Bordeaux-Begles head coach Yannick Bru told reporters after winning the final in Bilbao, Spain.
"You have to congratulate everyone who has been a part of that," he added.
French broadcaster Canal+ currently pays 113 million euros ($131 million) a year for exclusive rights to the Top 14 and second-tier ProD2, with the figure set to increase to 139.4 million euros for the 2027-2031 period.
Bordeaux-Begles can also count on selling out their 32 000-capacity Stade Chaban Delmas throughout the season, giving them the highest average attendance in the world in club rugby.
French clubs are independent from the national federation and the two professional leagues are run by a private body, while Leinster's decisions are dictated by the Irish Rugby Football Union.
"Top 14 teams are a different model to ourselves," Leinster head coach Leo Coullen told reporters.
"That's not to say one is right and one is wrong, that's the cards we have.
"I hope its dominance doesn't continue, but we need to make it happen because we need to continue to get better."
'ECONOMIC CRASH'
Despite their recent dominance, the Top 14 is perhaps not as far ahead of the rest as might be expected in terms of overall Champions Cup successes.
After France's 14 victories, England are the next most successful with 10 in the competition's 30-year history.
The only other country to have seen their sides lift the trophy is Ireland, with seven successes.
Leicester Tigers, who became the first side to defend the title in 2002, last reached the final 17 years ago.
Exeter's success came just after rugby returned from the Covid-19 pandemic, which in part caused three leading English sides – two-time winners London Wasps, former semifinalists London Irish and Worcester Warriors – to go to the wall.
"There was an economic crash," said Bordeaux-Begles assistant coach Christophe Laussucq, who ended his playing career with a season at Tigers in 2007-2008.
"A lot of things made up that English rugby was of a high standard. It was richer than us.
"Then they broke down economically."
Due to French rugby's financial stability, clubs can build strength-in-depth to compete in the almost 10-month-long Top 14 season and the Champions Cup.
Bordeaux-Begles were able to keep Tonga heavyweight prop Ben Tameifuna on the bench with South Africa tight-head Carlu Sadie starting at the San Mames stadium.
Tameifuna moved to France in 2015 with Racing 92, having won back-to-back Super Rugby titles with the Chiefs.
"I think it's one of the toughest tournaments in the world," former New Zealand under-20s front-rower Tameifuna said.
"You have to try and find the balance between resting the boys and being able to play the boys.
"You get to these stages now where the boys tend to get injured or get tired, and injuries start creeping up.
"It's such a long grind and it's a tough season."