Rugby Pro D2 [SEP] sport
Rugby Pro D2


Rugby Pro D2, also known as Pro D2 is the second tier of rugby union club competition division in France. It is operated by Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) which also runs the division directly above, the first division Top 14. Rugby Pro D2 was introduced in 2000. It is the world's best supported second tier rugby union league. There is relegation and promotion between both the Top 14 and Fédérale 1, the third-level competition. The top club at the end of the season is automatically promoted
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SC Albi


Sporting Club Albigeois is a professional French rugby union club playing the second-level Rugby Pro D2. During the past years it went back and forth between Top 14, the highest level of the French league system and the second-level Rugby Pro D2. Their last time in the Top 14 was for 2009–10 after winning the 2008–09 promotion playoffs. The previous one began in 2006 and came to an end after the 2007–08 season due to financial issues. Founded in 1907, the club plays at the Stadium municipal d'Albi (capacity
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Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne


Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne (commonly known as Aurillac) is a French rugby union club that play in Rugby Pro D2, the second division of French rugby. The club currently play at the Stade Jean Alric, which has a capacity of around 10,000. The club was founded in 1904. They participated in the 2005-06 Pro D2 competition, but were relegated to the amateur Fédérale 1 league for the 2006-07 season, from which they regained their place in the Pro D2 for the 2007-08 Pro D2 competition
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RC Massy


Rugby Club Massy Essonne is a French rugby union club from Massy, Essonne that play in Rugby Pro D2, the second tier of the French league system. They are based in Massy, Essonne, in the southern suburbs of Paris and were founded in 1971. They were promoted from the Fédérale 1 at the end of the 2011–12 season, entering professional rugby for the first time in their history. Their stay in Pro D2 was short-lived: they were demoted at the end of the 2012–13 Rugby Pro D2 season.
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2018–19 Rugby Pro D2 season


, LNR and the French Rugby Federation (FFR) changed the promotion process from Fédérale 1 to Pro D2. For three seasons (2017–18 to 2019–20), only one team will be promoted to Pro D2 through the Fédérale 1 competition. The second promotion place will be a "wild card" granted by LNR to a club that meets the following criteria: Starting with the 2020–21 season, LNR will create a third professional league, slotting between Pro D2 and Fédérale 1 in the league system. Normally, the teams that finish
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2017–18 Rugby Pro D2 season


the next season's final Top 14 place. At the same time, LNR and the French Rugby Federation (FFR) will change the promotion process from Fédérale 1 to Pro D2. For three seasons (2017–18 to 2019–20), only one team will be promoted to Pro D2 through the Fédérale 1 competition. The second promotion place will be a "wild card" granted by LNR to a club that meets the following criteria: Starting with the 2020–21 season, LNR will create a third professional league, slotting between Pro D2
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US Colomiers


Union sportive Colomiers rugby or US Colomiers is a French rugby union club currently competing in Pro D2, the second level of the French rugby pyramid. They had been relegated from Pro D2 after finishing last in the 2006-07 season, but earned promotion from Fédérale 1 at the first opportunity in 2007-08, and survived a relegation scare in 2008–09, finishing 14th, in the last safe position. The club was relegated from Pro D2 in the 2010–11 season. The club, based in Colomiers in the Haute-Garonne
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2019–20 Rugby Pro D2 season


team for the next season's final Top 14 place. At the same time, LNR and the French Rugby Federation (FFR) changed the promotion process from Fédérale 1 to Pro D2. For three seasons (2017–18 to 2019–20), only one team will be promoted to Pro D2 through the Fédérale 1 competition. The second promotion place will be a "wild card" granted by LNR to a club that meets the following criteria: Starting with the 2020–21 season, LNR will create a third professional league, slotting between Pro
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Robins Tchale-Watchou


He was initially a basketball player and took up rugby at the age of sixteen after French rugby player Olivier Vachiet convinced him to swap sports. He made his début for Cameroon in 2002, aged 19. He received his first professional contract in 2005, with Aurillac in the French Pro D2. In his first season Aurillac were relegated and Robins joined UA Gaillac, who had just been promoted to the D2. Gaillac are also relegated, this time for financial reasons, but Tchale-Watchou impressed and was signed by Top 14
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Soyaux Angoulême XV Charente


Soyaux Angoulême XV Charente is a French rugby union club from Angoulême, currently playing in the second level of the country's professional rugby system, Pro D2. The team plays in violet and purple shirts, and play their home matches at the 8000-capacity Stade Chanzy in Angoulême. The team origins dates back to 15 February 1910, when a multi-sports organisation called Sporting Club d'Angoulême was formed. The rugby team was part of this organisation until 2003, when it broke away to become an independent entity, called Sporting Club d'Angoulême
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2009–10 Rugby Pro D2 season


initially relegated to Fédérale 1, but were further relegated by French sporting authorities to Fédérale 2 due to financial problems. Béziers finished bottom of the league; they would have however stayed in Pro D2 for the next season, had Tarbes not successfully appealed the decision of the DNACG ("Direction nationale d'aide et de contrôle de gestion"), the LNR's financial arm, to relegate them to Fédérale 1. The other promoted team in 2008–09, Colomiers, stayed up, finishing in 14th, the first safe spot. Lannemezan
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Sofiane Chellat


club, he went to the US Montauban, which is playing in Pro D2 for the 2015–16 season. He makes his first appearance in Pro D2 in the club against Biarritz Olympique August 28, 2015. He honored his first international cape in Algeria on March 1, 2014 against the Ivory Coast team at Ernest Dufer Stadium (Toulouse). Then he participated in 2015 in the Crescent Cup organised by World Rugby and the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation and in their first official match against Kazakhstan after this session Chellat did not return to
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Blagnac SCR


Blagnac Sporting Club Rugby is a French rugby union team that currently takes part in Fédérale 1, the top level of the country's amateur league system. The club is currently attempting to make a comeback to the professional ranks after having been relegated due to both sporting and financial issues. In 2007-08, the club played in France's second professional level, Rugby Pro D2, but finished bottom of the table. This automatically led to their relegation to the first amateur level, Fédérale 1, but a postseason audit revealed
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Mathieu Raynal


age of 25, Raynal had officiated at amateur rugby matches in the Fédérale 3, Fédérale 2 and Fédérale 1, and was promoted to Rugby Pro D2, the second division of professional rugby in France. His first professional game as a match official was between Grenoble and Toulon in the 2006–07 Rugby Pro D2 season, and was named on the Top 14 refereeing panel for the 2007–08 season. He was appointed by World Rugby, then known as the International Rugby Board, to the refereeing panel for the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship
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2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season


newly promoted to Pro D2 for the 2007–08 season, finished bottom of the table and were initially relegated to Fédérale 1, but were further relegated by French sporting authorities to Fédérale 2 due to financial problems. Limoges finished second-from-bottom for the second consecutive year; unlike 2006–07, when Limoges were reprieved when Gaillac were denied a professional license due to financial issues, they received no such break in 2007–08. The other promoted team in 2007–08, Aurillac, stayed up, finishing in 11th. Colomiers and Bourg-en
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Pierre-Yves Montagnat


Pierre-Yves Montagnat (born March 5, 1986) is a professional rugby union fullback or winger currently playing for Lyon OU in the Pro D2, for whom he signed on June 5, 2009 after two years spent at Oyonnax. After leaving Bourgoin's youth system, where he won the 2007 Coupe Frantz Reichel (the French under-21 championship), Montagnat joined the nearby Pro D2 club Oyonnax. During his second season there, he finished as the top point scorer in the 2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season with 336 points.
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French rugby union system


promotion and relegation system between the Top 14 and Pro D2. From the 2017–18 season, the bottom club after the regular season is relegated to Pro D2 and replaced by the Pro D2 champion, now determined by a six-team knockout playoff. The second-from-bottom Top 14 side enters a playoff with the runner-up of the Pro D2 playoffs, with the winner either remaining in or promoted to Top 14. Since the 2009–10, the knock-out stages for the Top 14 have involved six teams and
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Top 14


the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. That season, the Top 14 played on all of the Six Nations weekends and on some of the Heineken Cup weekends. The Top 14 is organized by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), which runs the professional rugby leagues within France (Top 14 and Rugby Pro D2). There is a promotion and relegation system between the Top 14 and Pro D2. Starting with the 2017-18 season, only the lowest-placed club in the table after the regular season is
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Rassie Jansen van Vuuren


to France, joining for the 2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season. After making 70 appearances in three seasons for Aurillac, he joined Top 14 side prior to the 2011–12 Top 14 season. He spent two seasons in Montpellier before joining in the 2013–14 Rugby Pro D2 season. He helped them win promotion in his first season at the club and avoid relegation in the 2014–15 Top 14 season. He once again dropped into the Pro D2 for 2015–16, joining . After one season there, he returned to South Africa to join the Pumas
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Jason Marshall (rugby union)


Jason Marshall (born 5 February 1985 in North Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian rugby union player. His position is tighthead prop, and he has played 27 tests for the Canadian national team. Marshall currently plays for La Rochelle in the Rugby Pro D2. Marshall had previously played rugby in the British Columbia Premiership with Capilano RFC and James Bay Athletic Association, BC Bears in the Canadian Rugby Championship, and Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne in the Rugby Pro D2. Marshall originally had aspirations of becoming a professional football player as
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Andrei Ostrikov


was transferred from Agen to SACA (Aurillac) in the same division PRO D2 where he played for a further two years. Later, Clermont-Auvergne, the French giant of European rugby became interested in Andrey but in 2011, the sports director of an English club Sale Sharks Steve Diamond (a former coach of the Russian National Rugby Team), poached Ostrikov to Northern Powerhouse team, Sale Sharks. During these four years Andrey has received excellent feedback from sports journalists and sport fans. Andrey almost completely missed the season 2012–13
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AS Béziers Hérault


Association Sportive Béziers Hérault (), often referred to by rugby media simply by its location of Béziers, is a French rugby union club currently playing in the second level of the country's professional rugby system, Pro D2. They earned their most recent promotion as 2011 Fédérale 1 champions, but the club also won 11 Top 14 titles since its establishment in 1911. Béziers was a major force in French rugby throughout the 1970s and 1980s; however, at the end of 2004–05 season they were relegated to Pro D2. After
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Valence Romans Drôme Rugby


Valence Romans Drôme Rugby (fomerley L’Union sportive romanaise and péageoise) is a French rugby union club based in Romans-sur-Isère (Drôme). For the 2019-20 season they will be playing in Rugby Pro D2 having been promoted from Fédérale 1. L’US romanaise and péageoise was founded in 1908 as the sport association of two town on both side of the Isère, Romans-sur-Isère and Bourg-of-Péage. Le club was the formed by a lot of worker of Shoes's factory. After
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2019–20 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2019–20 Rugby Pro D2 will be the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2019–20 season. It will run alongside the 2019–20 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Changes in the lineup from 2018–19 were: The regular season uses a double round-robin format, in which each team plays the others home and away. The LNR uses a slightly different bonus points system from that used in most other rugby competitions. It
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James Hart (rugby union)


James Hart (born 28 July 1991) is an Irish rugby union player who currently plays for French Rugby Pro D2 side Biarritz. He plays as a scrum-half. Hart grew up playing amateur rugby in Dublin for Clontarf FC. In 2011, he accepted a trial invitation from French Rugby Pro D2 side Grenoble, where ex-Leinster player Bernard Jackman was a coach, and earned a place in the club's academy. He played his first game for the club against London Welsh. After 5 seasons with Grenoble,
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2017–18 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2017–18 Rugby Pro D2 is the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2017–18 season. It runs alongside the 2017–18 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Changes in the lineup from 2016–17 were: The regular season uses a double round-robin format, in which each team plays the others home and away. The LNR uses a slightly different bonus points system from that used in most other rugby competitions. It trialled a
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US Montauban


US Montauban () is a French rugby union club that currently competes in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system. They have also competed at the top level, Top 14, in the past, most recently between 2007 and 2010. The club is based in Montauban in the "département of" Tarn-et-Garonne in Occitania. In April 2010, it was announced the club would be relegated from the Top 14 to the Rugby Pro D2 at the end of the 2009/2010 season
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2018–19 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2018–19 Rugby Pro D2 will be the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2018–19 season. It will run alongside the 2018–19 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). On 29 March 2019, Massy became the first side to be relegated, a narrow home defeat against Montauban condemning them to the drop with four games still left to play. The other relegation spot was much more keenly fought, going all the way to the
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2015–16 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2015–16 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2015–16 season. It ran alongside the 2015–16 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Changes in the lineup from 2014–15 were: The top team at the end of the regular season (after all the teams played one another twice, once at home, once away), is declared champion and earns a spot in the next Top 14 season. Teams
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2016–17 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2016–17 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2016–17 season. It ran alongside the 2016–17 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Changes in the lineup from 2015–16 were: The top team at the end of the regular season (after all the teams played one another twice, once at home, once away), is declared champion and earns a spot in the next Top 14 season. Teams
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2009–10 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2009–10 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2009–10 season. It ran alongside the 2009–10 Top 14 competition; both competitions were operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Dax and Mont-de-Marsan, the two major clubs from the Landes "département", got relegated at the end of the previous Top 14 season and replaced Racing Métro and Albi, who gained promotion to the Top 14. This season also welcomed Lannemezan and
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2007–08 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2007-08 Rugby Pro D2 was a French rugby union club competition. The season ran alongside the 2007-08 Top 14 competition, which is the highest club competition. Both competitions were operated by the Ligue nationale de rugby (LNR). At the end of the previous season, Auch were champions and thus automatically promoted to Top 14. They were eventually followed by Dax who beat La Rochelle in the final providing the second promotion place. Colomiers were relegated to Fédérale 1; Limoges finished in a relegation spot,
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2014–15 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2014–15 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2014–15 season. It ran alongside the 2014–15 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). The average team salaries at the outset of the 2014–15 season were €5.97m; Biarritz and Perpignan had the highest team salaries with €11.07m. Changes in the lineup from 2013–14 were: The top team at the end of the regular season (after all the
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2012–13 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2012–13 Rugby Pro D2 is the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2012–13 season. It ran alongside the 2012–13 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Changes in the lineup from 2011–12 were: The top team at the end of the regular season (after all the teams played one another twice, once at home, once away), is declared champion and earns a spot in the next Top 14 season. Teams
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2013–14 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2013–14 Rugby Pro D2 is the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2013–14 season. It ran alongside the 2013–14 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Changes in the lineup from 2012–13 were: The top team at the end of the regular season (after all the teams played one another twice, once at home, once away), is declared champion and earns a spot in the next Top 14 season. Teams
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Jonny Fa'amatuainu


Jonny Fa'amatuainu (born 29 December 1983 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a Samoan rugby union player, who currently plays for Colomiers in the French Pro D2 competition. Fa'amatuainu's position of choice is flanker, but he also plays lock. Initially, while at high school, Fa’amatuainu played basketball, not rugby. In that sport, he represented New Zealand at under-16 and under-18, and Samoa at under-20 age-group level. He started playing rugby relatively late, at the age of 18, when the rugby coach at
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CA Lannemezan


CA Lannemezan () is a French rugby union club based in Lannemezan in the Hautes-Pyrénées department. It will join the second level of French professional rugby, Pro D2, in the upcoming 2009–10 season after winning the 2009 championship of the top amateur level, Fédérale 1. Although the club was founded in 1913, its current senior side dates only to 2003. In the 1999–2000 season, Lannemezan earned promotion to Pro D2 for the first time, but its promotion was blocked by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR)
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2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, in the 2008–09 season. It ran alongside the 2008–09 Top 14 competition; both competitions were operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). At the end of the previous season, Toulon were champions and thus automatically promoted to Top 14. They were eventually followed by Mont-de-Marsan, who beat Racing Métro in extra time in the final providing the second promotion place. Blagnac, which had been
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2010–11 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2010–11 Rugby Pro D2 was the season of the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2010–11 season. It runs alongside the 2010–11 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Albi, who had become the first team to gain promotion back to the Top 14 only one year after being relegated in 2008, got immediately relegated again at the end of the previous Top 14 season. Bayonne finished second-to-bottom and were
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Yoann Maestri


Yoann Maestri (; born 14 January 1988) is a French rugby union international footballer who plays for the club Stade Français in the Top 14. Maestri first began playing rugby for RC Carqueiranne-Hyères, before playing for Toulon professionally from 2006 in the 2006–07 Rugby Pro D2 season. However, he continued to play for RC Carqueiranne-Hyères as he was not selected at all in his debut season. In made his Toulon debut during the 2007–08 Rugby Pro D2 season, starting against AS Béziers Hérault on 28 October 2007. He
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2011–12 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2011–12 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2011–12 season. It ran alongside the 2011–12 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Grenoble claimed the automatic promotion spot as league champions, and Mont-de-Marsan earned the second promotion spot by winning a playoff among the next four teams. Béziers and Périgueux finished in the two bottom spots, which would normally lead to automatic relegation to Fédérale 1
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Philip van der Walt


Christoffel Philippus van der Walt (born 14 July 1989) is a South African rugby union footballer. He plays as a number eight for the in Super Rugby, having previously played for the in Super Rugby, the in the Currie Cup, in the French Pro D2 and Canon Eagles in the Japanese Top League. In 2014, it was announced that Van der Walt would join French Pro D2 side Biarritz on a two-year deal for the 2014–15 Top 14 season. On 6 June 2015, it was announced that Van
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Rugby Pro D2


relegated. This was especially an issue in the 2015–16 season, when four clubs faced at least the prospect of relegation for financial reasons. During the season, Tarbes were dropped to Fédérale 1 effective with the 2016–17 season, and Biarritz, Bourgoin and Narbonne were also dropped at the end of the season, pending appeals. Ultimately, Biarritz, Bourgoin, and Narbonne all won their appeals and remained in Pro D2. In August 2016, LNR released a strategic plan outlining its vision for French rugby through the 2023 Rugby World Cup
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Rugby Club Vannes


RC Vannes () is a French rugby union club from Vannes currently competing in the French league system. Formed in 1950 they will compete in Pro D2. They play in the Stade de la Rabine and traditionally wear blue and white jerseys. They are based in Vannes in Brittany. The team usually competes in the third tier of French rugby, Fédérale 1. During the 2015-16 season they beat RC Massy during the Fédérale 1 promotion semi-finals automatically accessing to the 2016–17 Pro D2, an historical reach for a
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Sami Mavinga


Sami Mavinga (born 25 March 1993) is a French rugby union player for Newcastle Falcons in England's Premiership Rugby, the top tier. Mavinga is a prop and has previously played for Lyon OU in France's Pro D2 and Top 14. Mavinga joined LOU as a 13 year old and played for them in Pro D2 as well as the European Rugby Challenge Cup. On 27 March 2017, Mavinga's signing was announced by Newcastle Falcons in England. After two impressive seasons in England, Mavinga returned to France signing a
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USA Limoges


USA Limoges is a French rugby union club currently competing in Fédérale 1, the top level of the French amateur rugby pyramid and one level below the professional leagues. They finished second-from-bottom in the second professional level, Rugby Pro D2, in both 2007 and 2008. In 2007, they received a reprieve from relegation to the amateur ranks during the close season when another Pro D2 club, UA Gaillac, were denied a professional license due to financial problems. However, they would have no such luck in 2008
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Sam Thomson (rugby union)


university had with Worcester Warriors. He played for the Scottish Exiles U18s while based in England. He then moved to New Zealand for six months where he played for Southbridge Rugby Club, an amateur club in the Canterbury Rugby Football Union, famous for being Dan Carter's first club. In the 2015–16 season Thomson signed for Perpignan to play in their academy. He played in the Espoir competition for the French side but never played in the Pro D2. Thomson enrolled in the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy in 2016–17 as a Stage
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2016–17 Rugby Pro D2 season


The highest ranked team at the end of the regular season, Oyonnax Rugby, earned automatic promotion to the Top 14 as "champion de France de PRO D2 2017". The semi–finals followed a 2 v 5, 3 v 4 system, with the higher ranked team playing at home. The winners of the semi–finals played off for the second promotion spot to the Top 14. Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary
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Daniel Sancery


Daniel Sancery (born 27 May 1994), is a Brazilian rugby union player currently contracted to French Rugby Pro D2 team SC Albi. He mostly plays as a wing, but can also play full-back. He joined French team SC Albi from UA Gaillac. During the 2014–15 season, he was the top scorer in SC Albi's reserve team with 16 tries, and made his Rugby Pro D2 debut for the full team in the first half of the 2015–16 season, starting on the left wing in a 27-
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2006–07 Rugby Pro D2 season


The 2006-07 Rugby Pro D2 is a French rugby union club competition. The season runs alongside the 2006-07 Top 14 competition, which is the highest club competition. At the end of the season, Auch were champions and thus automatically promoted to Top 14. They were eventually followed by Dax who beat La Rochelle in the final providing the second promotion place. Colomiers were relegated to Fédérale 1; Limoges finished in a relegation spot, but were reprieved when Gaillac were denied a professional license for the 2007-08
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2018–19 Rugby Pro D2 season


in 15th and 16th places in the table are relegated to Fédérale 1 at the end of the season. In certain circumstances, "financial reasons" may cause a higher-placed team to be demoted instead, or bar a Fédérale 1 team from promotion. The team finishing in 13th place of the Top 14 faces the runner-up of Pro D2, with the winner of this match playing in the 2019–20 Top 14 and the loser in the 2019–20 Pro D2. Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national
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2009–10 Rugby Pro D2 season


kept until the end. Lannemezan in particular finished with three wins out of thirty games (one of which was against arch-rivals Tarbes), amounting to 19 points, the poorest record in the Pro D2 since the introduction of the bonus points. However, in a new twist of events, Montauban, who were already relegated to Pro D2 for financial reasons (thus saving Bayonne's spot in the Top 14), failed their audit on June 10, and were further relegated to Fédérale 1. Their decision not to
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2017–18 Top 14 season


will face the runner-up of the Pro D2 play-off, with the winner of that play-off taking up the final place in Top 14 for the following season. The team finishing in 13th place faces the runner-up of the Pro D2, with the winner of this match playing in Top 14 in 2018–19 and the loser in Pro D2. Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not
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2017–18 Rugby Pro D2 season


and Fédérale 1 in the league system. Normally, the teams that finish in 15th and 16th places in the table are relegated to Fédérale 1 at the end of the season. In certain circumstances, "financial reasons" may cause a higher-placed team to be demoted instead, or bar a Fédérale 1 team from promotion. The team finishing in 13th place of the Top 14 faces the runner-up of Pro D2, with the winner of this match playing in Top 14 in 2018–19 and the loser in Pro D2
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Biarritz Olympique


Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque (; ), usually known simply as Biarritz, is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, New Aquitaine which competes in the Rugby Pro D2, the second division of French rugby. Biarritz plays its home matches at the Parc des Sports Aguiléra, which is a multi-use stadium in Biarritz and which has a capacity of around 13,500 people, though for games that need a larger capacity, Biarritz may play at the Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastián. Biarritz play in red
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2018–19 Rugby Pro D2 season


Brive won 28-22 to take Grenoble's place and join Bayonne in the 2019–20 Top 14. Grenoble and bottom club, Perpignan, would be relegated to the 2019–20 Rugby Pro D2. Changes in the lineup from 2017–18 were: The regular season uses a double round-robin format, in which each team plays the others home and away. The LNR uses a slightly different bonus points system from that used in most other rugby competitions. It trialled a new system in 2007–08 explicitly designed to prevent a losing team from earning
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2015–16 Rugby Pro D2 season


the 2015–16 season, 15th-place Dax was spared relegation after Pro D2 side Tarbes was relegated due to excessive debt and failed in an appeal of the decision. The highest ranked team at the end of the regular season, Lyon OU, earned automatic promotion to the Top 14 as "champion de France de PRO D2 2016". The semi–finals followed a 2 v 5, 3 v 4 system, with the higher ranked team playing at home. The winners of the semi–finals played off for the second
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2016–17 Rugby Pro D2 season


to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. LNR chose to continue with this system for subsequent seasons. France's bonus point system operates as follows: The 2016–17 season was the last for the then-current Pro D2 promotion system. From 2017–18 forward, Pro D2 will institute a playoff system identical to the one currently used in Top 14, with the top six teams qualifying for the playoffs and the top two teams receiving byes into the semifinals. The league championship and automatic promotion place will go to the winner of
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FC Auch Gers


Football Club Auch Gers is a French rugby union club based in Auch in Midi-Pyrénées most recently playing in the promotion-eligible pool of Fédérale 1. In recent years, they have mainly bounced between the first-level Top 14 and Pro D2. In a five-year stretch between 2003 and 2004 and 2007–08, they were either promoted or relegated four times—promoted to the then-Top 16 as champions of Pro D2 in 2004, relegated in 2005, promoted as Pro D2 champions again in 2007, and
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2010–11 Rugby Pro D2 season


set to accompany Albi in Pro D2, but Montauban were revealed to have serious financial troubles and were relegated instead. A month later, the LNR's financial arm, DNACG, announced that Montauban would be further dropped to Fédérale 1, allowing Aix-en-Provence, who finished second-to-bottom in Pro D2, to stay. This meant that only the bottom finisher, Lannemezan, would be relegated to Fédérale 1 that year. Carcassonne and Saint-Étienne, last year's Fédérale 1 two finalists, gained
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2010–11 Rugby Pro D2 season


Pro D2 for financial reasons (thus saving Bayonne's spot in the Top 14), failed their audit on June 10, and were further relegated to Fédérale 1. Their decision not to appeal the DNACG's ruling also meant that Aix would be reprieved and compete again in Pro D2 for the next year. The top team at the end of the regular season (after all the teams played one another twice, once at home, once away), is declared champion and earns a spot in the next Top 14 season
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2009–10 Rugby Pro D2 season


appeal the DNACG's ruling also meant that Aix would be reprieved and compete again in Pro D2 for the next year. At the end of the previous season, Racing Métro were champions and thus automatically promoted to Top 14. They were eventually followed by Albi, who defeated Oyonnax in the final of the promotion playoffs to secure a spot in the 2009–10 Top 14. Bourg-en-Bresse, which had been newly promoted to Pro D2 for the 2008–09 season, finished second-to-bottom of the table and were
18661679
Playoffs


with the exception of neutral sites for the semifinals. Beginning in 2017–18, only the bottom club is automatically relegated to Rugby Pro D2. The second-from-bottom Top 14 side plays a one-off match against the runner-up of the Pro D2 playoffs for the final place in the next Top 14 season. Pro D2 adopted the Top 14 playoff system effective in 2017–18, though with all matches held at the higher seed's home field. The playoff champion earns automatic promotion; the runner-up enters a
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Aviron Bayonnais


Aviron Bayonnais () is a French rugby union club from Bayonne ("Baiona", in Basque) in Pyrénées-Atlantiques which, for the 2016-17 season, competed in the top tier of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition. In the 2015–16 Rugby Pro D2 Season they were promoted after finishing 2nd and winning the playoff final against Aurillac. In the 2016-2017 season, they finished in last place, and will be relegated back to Pro D2 for the 2017-18 season. Founded
14793042
Andrew Farley


Scotland 'A'. After 6 seasons at Connacht Rugby, Andrew's career turned over a new page and saw him signing in the 09/10 season for French Rugby Pro D2 Club FC Grenoble. After only one season with FC Grenoble he was named captain and lead them to 2nd place in the 2010/11 Pro D2 Championship. In 2011 he signed a new 2-year contract with the club taking him through to the end of the 2012/13 season. In the first year of his new contract he guided FC Grenoble to Champions of France Pro
18350425
Sport+ (France)


When beIN Sports launched in the country in 2012 and took over various events Sport+ used to have rights to, the channel started to struggle behind this new competition. It eventually ceased broadcasting on June 27, 2015. In its final year of operations, Sport+ broadcast the German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, Major League Soccer, Brazilian Serie A, UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (football), Davis Cup, Fed Cup and French ATP 250 tournaments (tennis), French Pro D2, Super Rugby
9863087
Stade Montois


Stade Montois is a French rugby union team that currently is playing in Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system. They were founded in 1908 and play in yellow and black. They are based in Mont-de-Marsan, the capital of the Landes "département", in New Aquitaine, and play at the Stade Guy Boniface. Stade Montois is a multi-sports club (28 sections) but its rugby team has always been its flagship. After winning a few regional titles between the
10038175
Martin Jágr


The Czech wing then moved to Toulon, at that time in the French Rugby Pro D2, where he played through the 2008–09 season. He played for Toulon teams that won the Pro D2 crown in 2005 and 2008. After a 2008–2009 season that saw Toulon flirt with relegation before a late-season surge brought them to safety, he was one of many players released from the team. Jágr then signed with Pro D2 side Bordeaux-Bègles. He had 8 caps for Czech Republic, scoring 1 try, 5 points in
11948276
George Marich


Championship, helping the win Group B, the second tier of this competition, beating 21–10 in the final in Wellington. He also played in the subsequent promotion/relegation match against as the Griffons lost 18–14 and failed to win promotion to Group A. In 2012, he was a member of the squad that played in the 2012 Varsity Shield competition. He was an unused substitute in two matches, against and . Marich then moved to France to join French Rugby Pro D2 side Narbonne for the 2012–13 Rugby Pro D2 season. He
16300676
Rugby Pro D2


to the Top 14; through the 2016–17 season, the 2nd through 5th place teams play each other for the second promotion place. The bottom two are automatically relegated to Fédérale 1. The bottom two clubs of the Top 14 and the top two of Fédérale 1 then enter the Rugby Pro D2 for the next season. There are 30 rounds in the regular season, with each team playing each other team home and away. The two halves of the season are played in the same order, with the away team in the
17020986
Stade Albert Domec


Stade Albert Domec is a multi-use municipal stadium in Carcassonne, France. It has a capacity of 10,000 spectators. It is the home ground of Pro D2 rugby union club Union Sportive Carcassonnaise and Elite One Championship rugby league club Association Sportive de Carcassonne XIII. It is also used by the association football club Football Agglomération Carcassonne for their big matches. Built in 1899, it is one of the oldest stadiums in France, and was renovated in 2002, and again in 2012 when US Carcassonne entered the Pro D2. The
1959501
French rugby union system


Pro D2 is the second level of domestic club rugby, below the first division, Top 14. At present, 16 clubs compete in the competition. Beginning in 2017–18, Pro D2 adopted a playoff system identical to that used by the Top 14, with the first- and second-place teams receiving byes into the semifinals, where they await winners of quarterfinals that involve the third- through sixth-place teams. The winner of the playoff becomes the league champion and receives automatic promotion to the next season's Top 14; the
9520814
2018–19 Top 14 season


one of the worst ever by a club in the history of the Top 14 - at one point it even looked like they might go through the whole season without a win but mercifully they finally achieved a victory on 16 February 2019 against Montpellier. They will be joined in 2018–19 Rugby Pro D2 by Grenoble, who lost the relegation playoff game, 22-28, to Brive. Brive and Rugby Pro D2 champions, Bayonne, will play in the 2019–20 Top 14. The Top 14 final was contested between the top two
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David Dadunashvili


David Dadunashvili (geo: დავით დადუნაშვილი; born Kutaisi, 27 January 1982) is a Georgian rugby union player. He plays as a prop. Dadunashvili has played in France for RC Nîmes, Valence Sportif, RC Massy (2006/07-2008/09), CA Périgueux (2009/10-2011/12), all in the Fédérale 1, except the last season at Pro D2, Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby (2012/13), in the Pro D2, and he plays for RC Massy since 2013/14, where he won the Fédérale 1 for the same
15592201
2009–10 Fédérale 1 season


The 2009–10 Fédérale 1 is the third level (behind the Top 14 and the Pro D2) and highest amateur level French rugby union competition, for the 2009–10 season. It is operated by the FFR. At the end of the previous season, champions Lannemezan and runners-up Aix-en-Provence were promoted to Rugby Pro D2 and were replaced by Bourg-en-Bresse and Béziers. 48 teams are grouped into six regional pools of eight teams. After everyone has played each other home and away once, the
17150152
Rugby union in France


1892 and won by the Racing Club, predecessor to today's Racing 92. The current champions are ASM Clermont Auvergne. The second major competition in France is Rugby Pro D2, featuring 16 teams that also play a home-and-away regular season. A relegation system exists between the two tiers of competition. At the end of the 2017–18 season, Perpiganan were promoted to the Top 14 as promotion play-off champions of Pro D2, while losing finalists Grenoble won a second play-off against the 13th placed Top
22217756
Rugby union in France


14 side Oyonnax to join them. At the bottom of the Top 14 table, Brive and play-off losers Oyonnax were relegated to Pro D2. Promotion and relegation also exist between Pro D2 and Fédérale 1, the top level of the French amateur rugby system. At the end of the 2016–17 season, Narbonne and Dax were relegated; they were replaced by Provence, which won the promotion group in the Fédérale 1 regular season, and Bourg-en-Bresse, which won the Fédérale 1 promotion playoffs. Fédérale 1
22217757
2013–14 Rugby Pro D2 season


Assembly of the "League National de Rugby", held at Aix-en-Provence on 5 and 6 July 2013, the outline calendar of fixtures for the 2013–14 season were released. Detailed fixtures information evolves as the season progresses (i.e. specific kick off times). Match attendances are from the official web site ("Affluences"). The highest ranked team at the end of the regular season – Lyon – won automatic promotion to the Top 14 as "champion de France de PRO D2 2014". The semi
8203157
Stade Charles-Mathon


Stade Charles-Mathon is a sports stadium located in Oyonnax, France. It is the home of rugby union side Oyonnax Rugby who play in the Top 14. It was first opened in 1939, and underwent renovations in 1983 and 2005. With the promotion of Oyonnax to the Top14 for season 2013–14, the stadium capacity was expanded from 8,670 to 11,400 places, including 7,500 seats. The capacity went up to 11,500 for the 2018–19 season which was achieved in Oyonnax's Pro D2 semi-final against Bayonne on 18 May 2019
3461969
RC Narbonne


Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée (also known as RCNM) is a French rugby union club that play in the second-level Rugby Pro D2. They are based in Narbonne in Occitania. They were founded in 1907. They play at Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié (capacity 12,000). They wear orange and black. RC Narbonne were established in 1907. The club's first appearance in the domestic championship final came in May 1932, where they faced Lyon in Bordeaux. However, Narbonne were not able to capture their
9709858
Len Olivier


just six appearances and was released by the side after they were declared bankrupt at the end of the season. He remained in France and joined Oyonnax for the 2011–12 Rugby Pro D2 season, appearing in 24 of their 30 matches during the season and scoring 170 points. He moved clubs once again for the 2012–13 Rugby Pro D2 season, joining Colomiers, making eleven appearances. Olivier returned to South Africa in 2013 by joining Wellington-based side for the 2013 Currie Cup First Division competition. Olivier contributed 38 points during their campaign
2544765
Louis Albertse


on as a replacement on the hour mark to help Aix secure a 12–6 victory to win the championship and gain promotion to the 2015–2016 Pro D2. Aix changed their name to Provence Rugby shortly after securing promotion and Albertse made seven appearances for the team in the Rugby Pro D2 competition. In February 2016, Albertse played his last match for Provence, helping them to a 30–16 victory over before leaving the club to return to South Africa. He made a total of 39 appearances for the team, without scoring any tries during his
2830132
Joe Tuineau


Joseph Mark Laifone Tuineau (born 18 August 1981) is a Tongan rugby union player. He plays in the lock position for the France based Pro D2 side, Dax. Tuineau also represents Tonga at international level. Tuineau is a former American football player born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. His partner is Southern Steel and Silver Ferns goal shoot Daneka Wipiiti. Tuineau was a rugby and track star at King's College in Auckland but dropped the sport for several years to pursue a career in American football. He returned
12962541
Silvère Tian


D2. He attracted the attention of Oyonnax, where he finished the Pro D2 top scorer for the 2009–10 Rugby Pro D2 season. He was then recruited by Top 14 team Bourgoin-Jallieu, but, due to their important financial troubles, they had to let him leave for Agen in February 2011. Tian was handed a 16-month suspension following an incident with a referee on 2 April 2016. Tian was annoyed to have been given a yellow card and allegedly insulted and threatened referee Romain Poite. Poite then decided to give him
11688381
Joeli Lutumailagi


of the 2012–13 IRB Sevens World Series before Pro D2 side, Narbonne signed him up for the 2012–13 Rugby Pro D2 season, but he suffered a horrific neck injury which took nine months to heal. After recovering he played a few games for Narbonne as well as trained for the IRB 7s World Cup. He went on to play rugby in Sri Lanka then returned home for the Marist 7s tournament and played for Tabadamu. In March 2014, he got a new lease of life when the then coach Ben Ryan called him up
11429429
Alexandre Menini


in the 2006–07 Rugby Pro D2 season, and representing amateur side Rumilly in the Fédérale 1. He switched teams for the 2007–08 and 2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season's, representing Béziers. He played more regularly for this team, though used mostly as an impact player of the bench in his first season. Though in his second season, he made 15 starting appearances. He signed with Pays d'Aix RC for the 2009–10 season following Béziers' relegation at the end of the 2008–09 season. Though he only played for Pays d'Aix RC
18878640
Wandile Mjekevu


Rovers finished runners-up in the inaugural competition. In 2013, Mjekevu signed a deal to join French Top 14 side in 2013. He scored four tries in 15 appearances for them in the 2013–14 Top 14 season, which wasn't enough to prevent his side finishing 13th and being relegated to the Rugby Pro D2. He also scored two tries in three appearances in the 2013–14 Heineken Cup. He scored ten tries in 18 appearances in the 2014–15 Rugby Pro D2 as Perpignan finished in third place on the log, before losing
3323724
Mike Adamson (rugby union)


I will be able to achieve more through refereeing. I have gained a lot from rugby and would like to give back to the sport." He has worked his way up the refereeing ladder, officiating in the Anglo-Welsh Cup in England, the Currie Cup in South Africa as well as PRO D2 in France. His refereeing progress and development has been deemed a rapid rise. He has now also refereed in Japan's Top League. Adamson has been refereeing World 7s matches since 2014. He was appointed to the
9961965
Provence Rugby


(PARC) from 2001 to 2015. At the end of 2004/5 they were promoted to Pro D2 but were relegated back to Fédérale 1 at the end of the season. They would return to Pro D2 as runners-up to Lannemezan in 2009. In the 2009–10 season, they finished next-to-last on the league table, in a relegation spot. However, they were reprieved when Top 14 club Montauban filed for bankruptcy and were relegated directly to Fédérale 1. They would suffer the drop after the 2012-
596501
Oyonnax Rugby


in the regional leagues until 1967 when they joined the First Division (64 clubs). They were relegated to the lower divisions a few years later and bounced back to Group B of the First Division (the Second Division in fact) in 1988. Finally, in 2003 they reached the Fédérale 1 final and although they went down to Limoges (18-20), they moved on to the professional Pro D2. In the 2012/13 season, they won Pro D2 and were promoted to the top-flight Top 14.
8953084
Rugby 15


which may include an online mode. The weather would play a large part in gameplay with the wind affecting the projection of the ball and rain causing the pitch to deform and players to get muddy. The game features licences for all clubs in the Top 14, Pro D2, Premiership and Pro12. There is one in-game stadium that is used for every team. The game received very poor reviews, with IGN calling it an "utter disaster" and Official Xbox Magazine saying it was "easily the worst sports game
15813165
2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup


who qualified through the Pro D2 play-off – will be the eighth seed. As with the previous European competition, the European Challenge Cup, teams from the same country will be kept apart where possible. However, as 8 teams have qualified from France, 3 pools will contain two French teams – Oyonnax, Lyon and La Rochelle. For the purposes of creating the tiers, the clubs are ranked based on their finishing positions in the Top 14, Aviva Premiership, Pro12 and PRO D2 Leagues, or on their qualification
16212631
2010–11 Rugby Pro D2 season


the promotion playoffs for the first half of the season, ultimately finishing in tenth, Saint-Étienne had a nightmarish season, with a single win, one draw and twenty-eight losses, amounting to 17 points, the poorest-ever record in the Pro D2 (Lannemezan had finished with 19 points the previous year). Aix-en-Provence, who had been reprieved the previous year, looked like they were going to be part of a three-way battle with Dax and Colomiers to avoid the second relegation
17684170
2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup


performance in their respective domestic leagues. Where promotion and relegation is in effect in a league, the promoted team was seeded last, or (if multiple teams are promoted) by performance in the lower tier. So, Pau – who were Pro D2 champions – will be seeded above Agen – who qualified through the Pro D2 play-off. Teams were taken from a league in order of rank and put into a tier. A draw was used to allocate two second seeds to Tier 1; the remaining team went into
19419601
Playoff format


France's rugby union system, Pro D2, through the 2016–17 season. Since then, Pro D2 uses a six-team playoff with the winner earning automatic promotion to the Top 14 and the runner-up entering a playoff with the 13th-place team in Top 14 for the final place in the next season's Top 14. Some knockout tournaments include a third place playoff, a single match to decide which competitor or team will be credited with finishing in third and fourth place. The teams that compete in such third
2927784
Loann Goujon


contract by Vern Cotter, and was made an official member of the Clermont senior side. He debuted professionally on the 17 September 2011 against Racing Métro in a 22–11 victory. In July 2012, he was loaned to La Rochelle in the Pro D2, to gain some game time and experience. Surprisingly, he played in all but 2 matches in that season, making 23 starts. He remained with the club for the 2013–14 Rugby Pro D2 season, and was a key figure in the team that gained them promotion to the
913553
French rugby union system


Points scored in the preliminary phase are "not" kept. Teams only play teams from other groups. The best four top clubs are automatically qualified for the quarter finals. The other two top clubs and the six n°2 clubs have to fight it out in a play-off game to get into the quarter finals. The two finalists are promoted to Pro D2 and play for the championship. In the past, the losing semifinalists played for a third ticket to Pro D2, but no longer do so after the
9520818
Union Bordeaux Bègles


Béglais did not reach soaring highs before the First World War, finally gaining two French Championships in 1969 and 1991 and then taking part in the first European Rugby Cup in 1995. The transition into the new millennium was hard. The club was relegated to the Pro D2 at the conclusion of the 2002–03 season, then into the Fédérale 1 division, while Stade Bordelais took the opposite direction and reached Pro D2. In 2005, a plan to merge both clubs was created, in spite of strong opposition by both club's supporters
9640933
2019–20 Rugby Pro D2 season


D2 and Fédérale 1 in the league system. Normally, the teams that finish in 15th and 16th places in the table are relegated to Fédérale 1 at the end of the season. In certain circumstances, "financial reasons" may cause a higher-placed team to be demoted instead, or bar a Fédérale 1 team from promotion. Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international senior caps.
15177290
2018–19 Rugby Pro D2 season


more than one bonus point in a match, a system that also made it impossible for either team to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. LNR chose to continue with this system for subsequent seasons. France's bonus point system operates as follows: Starting with the 2017–18 season, Pro D2 conducts a play-off system identical to the one currently used in Top 14, with the top six teams qualifying for the play-offs and the top two teams receiving byes into the semi-finals. The winner of
11081088