Pro D2

Last updated
Pro D2
Current season, competition or edition:
Rugby football current event.svg 2023–24 Rugby Pro D2 season
Logo ProD2 2012.png
Sport Rugby union
Founded2000;24 years ago (2000)
Administrator LNR
No. of teams16
CountryFlag of France.svg  France
Most recent
champion(s)		 Oyonnax (3rd title)
(2022–23)
Most titles Lyon (3 titles)
Level on pyramid Level 2
Promotion to Top 14
Relegation to Nationale
Official website Pro D2

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.

Contents

Season structure

There are 30 rounds in the regular season, with each team playing each other home and away.

There is relegation and promotion between both the Top 14 and Nationale, the third-level competition. The top two clubs at the end of the season qualify automatically for home semi-finals, with the clubs placed 3rd through to 6th playing in an elimination round to advance to the semi-finals. The two winners of the semi-final play each other in the final, with the winner gaining promotion to the Top 14, and the losing finalist then going on to play the 13th placed team in the Top 14 in a promotion-relegation match. The bottom placed (16th) team is automatically relegated to the Nationale division, and the 15th placed team plays the losing finalist from the Nationale division in a promotion-relegation match.

All promotions are contingent on passing a postseason financial audit required for all clubs. Also, if a club above the bottom two places fails the audit, it may be relegated in the place of a club that would otherwise have been 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. [1] Ultimately, Biarritz, Bourgoin, and Narbonne all won their appeals and remained in Pro D2. [2] [3]

Changes for 2017–18 and beyond

In August 2016, LNR released a strategic plan outlining its vision for French rugby through the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The plan includes significant changes to the top levels of the league system, with Pro D2 seeing especially dramatic changes starting with the 2017–18 season. [4]

Current teams

2022–23 season

Position Team P W D L GF GA +/- PTS 1 RC VANNES 27 16 2 9 682 441 241 82 2 PROVENCE RUGBY 27 17 2 8 689 588 101 81 3 BÉZIERS 27 16 1 10 734 635 99 76 4 GRENOBLE 27 17 0 10 743 621 122 70 5 DAX 27 15 1 11 555 619 -64 69 6 MONT-DE-MARSAN 27 14 1 12 691 566 125 68 7 USON NEVERS 27 14 0 13 616 551 65 68 8 BRIVE 27 13 1 13 584 539 45 62 9 COLOMIERS RUGBY 27 12 1 14 613 585 28 60 10 VALENCE ROMANS 27 12 0 15 556 542 14 57 11 AURILLAC 27 12 1 14 512 661 -149 56 12 SU AGEN 27 12 1 14 528 650 -122 56 13 SOYAUX-ANGOULÊME XV 27 11 2 14 499 544 -45 54 14 BIARRITZ 27 10 0 17 562 724 -162 49 15 US MONTALBANAISE 27 10 0 17 509 680 -171 45 16 ROUEN NORMANDIE RUGBY 27 8 1 18 518 645 -127 43

Previous seasons

SeasonChampionPlay-off winnerRelegated
2000–01 Montauban N/A [a 1] Nîmes
2001–02 Mont-de-Marsan Grenoble Rumilly, Tours
2002–03 Montpellier Brive Aubenas Vals, Marmande
2003–04 Auch Bayonne [a 2] Bordeaux-Bègles
2004–05 Toulon N/A [a 3] Périgueux, Limoges
2005–06 Montauban Albi [a 4] Tyrosse, Aurillac, Aix
2006–07 Auch Dax Gaillac, Colomiers
2007–08 Toulon Mont-de-Marsan Blagnac, Limoges
2008–09 Racing Métro Albi Béziers, Bourg-en-Bresse
2009–10 Agen La Rochelle Lannemezan
2010–11 Lyon Bordeaux Bègles Saint-Étienne, Colomiers
2011–12 Grenoble Mont-de-Marsan Périgueux, Bourgoin
2012–13 Oyonnax Brive Massy, Aix-en-Provence
2013–14 Lyon La Rochelle Bourg-en-Bresse, Auch
2014–15 Pau Agen Massy
2015–16 Lyon Bayonne Provence, Tarbes
2016–17 Oyonnax Agen Bourgoin, Albi
2017–18 Perpignan Grenoble [a 5] Narbonne, Dax
2018–19 Bayonne Brive Massy, Bourg-en-Bresse
2019–20 Cancelled [a 6]
2020–21 Perpignan Biarritz Soyaux Angoulême, Valence Romans
2021–22 Bayonne Mont-de-Marsan Narbonne, Bourg-en-Bresse
2022–23 Oyonnax Grenoble [a 7] Carcassonne, Massy

Number of league titles

Notes

  1. ↑ Only one promotion as the top division reduced from 21 to 16 teams.
  2. ↑ Lost the play-off final to Auch.
  3. ↑ Only one promotion as the Top 16 became Top 14.
  4. ↑ Runner up.
  5. ↑ Both promotion places are now determined by play-offs from 2017–18 onwards, with the winner of the Pro D2 play-offs earning promotion and the runner-up playing the second-from-bottom Top 14 team for the following season's final Top 14 place.
  6. ↑ League suspended after 23 rounds and ultimately cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in France. [5]
  7. ↑ Remained in Pro D2 after losing promotion/relegation playoff against Top 14 side Perpignan.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provence Rugby</span> French rugby union club, based in Aix-en-Provence

Provence Rugby is a French rugby union club currently playing in Rugby Pro D2, the second tier of France's league system. They were promoted back to the second level for the 2018–19 season after two seasons in Fédérale 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006–07 Top 14 season</span> 108th domestic rugby union competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby

The 2006–07 Top 14 competition was the 108th French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) and the 2nd using the name Top 14. Biarritz were out to defend their crown, after their defeat of Toulouse in the 2005–06 Top 14 final. New teams to the league included Albi and Montauban who were promoted from 2004–05 Pro D2, replacing relegated sides Toulon and Pau. During the season attendance records in the league were once again broken with 79,741 attending the Round 19 clash between Stade Français and Toulouse at the Stade de France, and over 2 million supporters attended games across the campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007–08 Top 14 season</span> French domestic rugby union club competition

The 2007–08 Top 14 Competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition, operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Because France hosted the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the competition did not begin at its normal time of August, but instead started on the last weekend in October 2007, one week after the Rugby World Cup final. The league compensated for the late start by playing on several weekends that it normally skips, namely the weekends of the 2008 Six Nations Championship and the semifinals and final of the 2007–08 Heineken Cup. The season ended on June 28, 2008, with Toulouse defeating regular-season league leader Clermont 26–20 in the final and thereby lifting the Bouclier de Brennus.

The major national club competition in France is the Top 14. The Top 14 is played on a home and away basis between the top fourteen club sides in France. The second major competition in France is the Rugby Pro D2 competition. A relegation system exists between the two tiers of competition. Both competitions are operated by Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).

The 2008–09 Top 14 Competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). It ran from late August 2008 through the final at Stade de France on June 6, 2009, in which Perpignan lifted the Bouclier de Brennus with a 22–13 win over Clermont.

The 2009–10 Top 14 competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). It began on August 14, 2009 with a match between Toulon and Stade Français at Stade Mayol in Toulon, and continued through to the final at the Stade de France on May 29, 2010.

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).

The 2010–11 Top 14 competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Home-and-away play began on August 13, 2010 and continued through April 2011. The regular season was followed by a three-round playoff starting in May that involved the top six teams, culminating in the final on June 4 at Stade de France. Toulouse won the Bouclier de Brennus for the 18th time, defeating Montpellier 15–10.

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).

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).

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).

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).

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.

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).

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).

The 2017–18 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2017–18 season. It ran alongside the 2017–18 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).

The 2018–19 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2018–19 season. It ran alongside the 2018–19 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).

The 2019–20 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2019–20 season. It ran alongside the 2019–20 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).

The 2020–21 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2020–21 season. It will run alongside the 2020–21 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). After play was suspended following the 23rd Matchday of the 2019–20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France, the season was officially cancelled without any winner or promotion/relegation on 6 May.

The 2022–23 Top 14 is the 124th French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).

References

  1. ↑ Mortimer, Gavin (1 June 2016). "Financial penalties in the ProD2 send shockwaves around French rugby". Rugby World. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "Biarritz et Narbonne Maintenus en PRO D2" [Biarritz and Narbonne Remain in Pro D2] (Press release) (in French). Ligue Nationale de Rugby. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Bourgoin Reste en PRO D2" [Bourgoin Remains in Pro D2] (Press release) (in French). Ligue Nationale de Rugby. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  4. ↑ Mortimer, Gavin (18 August 2016). "French rugby enjoys a popularity boom as it looks to the future". Rugby World. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  5. ↑ "Top 14 - Pro D2 : les présidents d'accord pour ne pas attribuer de titre". L'Equipe. 6 May 2020.

See also

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