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Pro D2

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Pro D2
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2023–24 Rugby Pro D2 season
SportRugby union
Founded2000; 24 years ago (2000)
AdministratorLNR
No. of teams16
Country France
Most recent
champion(s)		Oyonnax (3rd title)
(2022–23)
Most titlesLyon (3 titles)
Level on pyramidLevel 2
Promotion toTop 14
Relegation toNationale
Official websitePro 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.

Season structure

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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

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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]

  • Starting with 2017–18, the Pro D2 adopted a playoff system identical to that of the Top 14, with the top six teams on the league table qualifying. The top two teams receive byes into the semifinals, where they will face the winners of quarterfinal matches involving the remaining four sides.
  • Only the Pro D2 champions will be assured of promotion to the Top 14. The losing finalist will enter an access match with the second-from-bottom Top 14 side, with the winner taking up the final Top 14 place.
  • Starting with 2023–24, this access match also takes place between the second-from-bottom Pro D2 side and the runner up in the Nationale, with the winner taking up the final Pro D2 place.

Current teams

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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

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Access Match Era (2017-present)

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Starting in the 2017-18 Pro D2 season LNR introduced a new playoff format which the top six teams in the table would qualify for. Teams finishing first and second in the table would receive a bye while the third through sixth teams contest the first playoff round, with the winners advancing to play away in the semi-final. The Pro D2 final is then held at the home ground of the highest remaining seed, the winner of this game is crowned Pro D2 champions and gains direct promotion to the Top 14, replacing the team who finished bottom in the table.

The runner up contests an access match at their home ground against the team who finished second bottom in the Top 14, for the right to play in the Top 14 the next season.

Starting in the 2023–24 season the second bottom side in the Pro D2 contests a similar access match with the runner up of the Nationale, with both teams playing for the right to play in the Pro D2 the next year.

Season ProD2 Playoff Champion Top14 Access Match Top14 Access Result ProD2 Access Match ProD2 Access Result Direct Relegation
2023–24 RC Vannes Grenoble vs Montpellier 18–20, Montpellier stay in the Top 14 RC Narbonne vs US Montauban 19-20, Montauban stay in the Pro D2 [5] Rouen NR
2022–23 Oyonnax Grenoble vs USA Perpignan 19-33, Perpignan stay in the Top 14[6] Carcassonne, Massy
2021–22 Bayonne Stade Montois vs USA Perpignan 16-41, Perpignan stay in the Top 14[7] Narbonne, Bourg-en-Bresse
2020–21 Perpignan Biarritz vs Bayonne 6-6 AET (6–5 on penalties), Biarritz won promotion to the Top 14[8] Soyaux Angoulême, Valence Romans
2019–20 League suspended after 23 rounds and ultimately cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in France.[9]
2018–19 Bayonne Brive vs Grenoble 28-22, Brive won promotion to the Top 14[10] Massy, Bourg-en-Bresse
2017–18 Perpignan Grenoble vs Oyonnax 47–22, Grenoble won promotion to the Top 14 [11] Narbonne, Dax

1st Place Promotion and Playoff Expansion to 5th Placed Sides (2004-2017)

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Following the reduction of the Top 16 to the Top 14 the promotion format for the Pro D2 was changed to increase competition in the playoffs, as previously there was no jeopardy for the team having already won the league. Starting in the 2005–06 season the team finishing at the top of the table in the regular season was declared the winner and received automatic promotion to the Top 14. Teams placed 2nd through 5th then played in a direct playoff format to fight for the 2nd promotion slot.

During the 2004–05 season a playoff occurred in the Pro D2, however instead of automatic promotion, as would follow, the playoff winner became host for an Access Match for the 13th finishing side in the then Top 16. This match was won comprehensively by Section Paloise, meaning Stade Aurillacois were not promoted.

Season Champion Play-off winner Relegated
2016–17 Oyonnax Agen Bourgoin, Albi
2015–16 Lyon Bayonne Provence, Tarbes
2014–15 Pau Agen Massy
2013–14 Lyon La Rochelle Bourg-en-Bresse, Auch
2012–13 Oyonnax Brive Massy, Aix-en-Provence
2011–12 Grenoble Mont-de-Marsan Périgueux, Bourgoin
2010–11 Lyon Bordeaux Bègles Saint-Étienne, Colomiers
2009–10 Agen La Rochelle Lannemezan
2008–09 Racing Métro Albi Béziers, Bourg-en-Bresse
2007–08 Toulon Mont-de-Marsan Blagnac, Limoges
2006–07 Auch Dax Gaillac, Colomiers
2005–06 Montauban Albi Tyrosse, Aurillac, Aix
2004–05 Toulon Stade Aurillacois§ Périgueux, Limoges
Notes

§ In this season the Top 16 relegated additional teams to become the Top 14, therefore the first access match was played between Stade Aurillacois, winners of the Pro D2 playoffs, and Section Paloise, the 13th placed team in that years Top 16. The access match finished 13-46 and so despite winning the playoff format, Stade Aurillacois were not promoted.

Establishment of the Pro D2 (2001-2004)

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For the first season of the Pro D2 it was decided that promotion would be given to the top two sides in the table, however following that first year a playoff format was introduced, with the top 4 sides qualifying and playing in a single elimination bracket to decide the champion for that season, and subsequent promotion to the Top 14. The second promotion slot was given to the remaining playoff team which had the highest position in the league table.

Season Champion Additionally Promoted Relegated
2003–04 Auch Bayonne, finished 1st in the table Bordeaux-Bègles
2002–03 Montpellier Brive, finished 1st in the table Aubenas Vals, Marmande
2001–02 Mont-de-Marsan Grenoble, finished 2nd in the table Rumilly, Tours

Number of league titles

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Notes

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References

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  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. ^ "Montauban sauve sa peau en battant Narbonne d'un petit point".
  6. ^ "Grenoble - Perpignan : Le résumé de la victoire de l'USAP". Rugbyrama.fr.
  7. ^ "Perpignan domine Mont-de-Marsan et conserve sa place en Top 14 pour la saison prochaine".
  8. ^ "Biarritz retrouve le Top 14 après sa victoire aux tirs au but face à Bayonne en barrage".
  9. ^ "Top 14 - Pro D2 : les présidents d'accord pour ne pas attribuer de titre". L'Equipe. 6 May 2020.
  10. ^ "RUGBY. Top 14 (Access match) : Le debriefing de Brive - Grenoble".
  11. ^ "Top 14 - Match report Grenoble vs Oyonnax, le 12/05/2018".

See also

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