Rugby Pro D2
Encyclopedia
Rugby Pro D2, also known as Pro D2 is the second level of domestic club rugby union
in France
, below the first division, Top 14. The competition was introduced in 2000. 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 to the Top 14; 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 first half of the season at home in the second half. The semi-finals and final take place in May, with the second- and third-place teams hosting the semi-finals and the final taking place at a predetermined site. At present, 16 clubs compete in the competition.
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.
Changes in the lineup from 2010–11
were:
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, below the first division, Top 14. The competition was introduced in 2000. There is relegation and promotion between both the Top 14 and Fédérale 1
Fédérale 1
Le championnat de France de première division fédérale, a.k.a. Fédérale 1, is a French rugby union club competition, the highest level of amateur rugby. The competition has been organised by the Fédération Française de Rugby since 2000, when it replaced the B2 Group...
, the third-level competition. The top club at the end of the season is automatically promoted to the Top 14; 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 first half of the season at home in the second half. The semi-finals and final take place in May, with the second- and third-place teams hosting the semi-finals and the final taking place at a predetermined site. At present, 16 clubs compete in the competition.
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.
Current teams
2011–12 season| Club | |City | Pays d'Aix RC Pays d'Aix RC Pays d'Aix RC is a French rugby union club currently playing in Pro D2, the second tier of the country's professional system. They arrived in Pro D2 for the 2009–10 season after earning promotion from the top amateur league, Fédérale 1.... | Le Pays d'Aix rugby club | Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is... (Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône is a department in the south of France named after the mouth of the Rhône River. It is the most populous department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its INSEE and postal code is 13.-History of the department:... ) |
Stade Maurice David Stade Maurice David Stade Maurice David is a multi-purpose stadium in Aix-en-Provence, France that is mainly used for rugby union. It has a capacity of 4,000 and is the home stadium of Pays d'Aix RC, who play in the Pro D2.... |
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| SC Albi 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... |
Sporting club albigeois | Albi (Tarn) | Stadium Municipal d'Albi | ||
| FC Auch FC Auch Gers Football Club Auch Gers is a French rugby union club based in Auch in Midi-Pyrénées currently playing in Rugby Pro D2, the second tier of the country's professional league system. In recent years, they have bounced between the first-level Top 14 and Pro D2... |
Football club Auch Gers | Auch Auch Auch is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Midi-Pyrénées, it is the capital of the Gers department. Auch is the historical capital of Gascony.-The Ausci:... (Gers Gers The Gers is a department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the southwest of France named after the Gers River.Inhabitants are called les Gersois or Gersoises.-History:... ) |
Stade du Moulias Stade du Moulias Stade du Moulias, officially known as Stade Jacques-Fouroux and also known as Stade Patrice-Brocas , is a multi-use stadium in Auch, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of FC Auch Gers. The stadium is able to hold 7,000 people.-External links:*... |
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| Stade Aurillacois Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne is a French rugby union club, which 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... |
Stade aurillacois Cantal Auvergne | Aurillac Aurillac Aurillac is a commune in the Auvergne region in south-central France, capital of the Cantal department.Aurillac's inhabitants are called Aurillacois, and are also Cantaliens or Cantalous in Occitan.... (Cantal Cantal Cantal is a department in south-central France. It is named after the Cantal mountain range, a group of extinct, eroded volcanic peaks, which covers much of the department. Residents are known as Cantaliens or Cantalous.... ) |
Stade Jean Alric Stade Jean Alric Stade Jean Alric is a rugby union stadium, in Aurillac, France.It is the home stadium of Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne. The stadium can hold 9,000 people .... |
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| AS Béziers Hérault 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 preparing to return to the second tier of the country's professional rugby system, Pro D2. They earned promotion as 2011 Fédérale 1 champions... |
Association Sportive Béziers Hérault | Béziers Béziers Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event... (Hérault Hérault Hérault is a department in the south of France named after the Hérault river.-History:Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790... ) |
Stade de la Méditerranée Stade de la Méditerranée Stade de la Méditerranée is a multi-purpose stadium in Béziers, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of AS Béziers Hérault. The stadium is able to hold 18,555 people and was built in 1989.... |
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| US Carcassonne US Carcassonne Union Sportive Carcassonnaise are a French rugby union club based in Carcassonne. US Carcassonne currently compete in the Pro D2 of French rugby. The club were established in 1899. They play in black and yellow colours and at the Stade Albert-Domec... |
Union sportive carcassonnaise XV | Carcassonne Carcassonne Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,... (Aude Aude Aude is a department in south-central France named after the river Aude. The local council also calls the department "Cathar Country".Aude is also a frequent feminine French given name in Francophone countries, deriving initially from Aude or Oda, a wife of Bertrand, Duke of Aquitaine, and mother... ) |
Albert-Domec Stade d'Albert Domec Stade d'Albert Domec is a multi-use stadium in Carcassonne, France. It has a capacity of 10,000 spectators, and is used mostly for rugby league and rugby union matches. It hosted many matches in various Rugby League World Cups. It has a bronze statue of Carcassonne's most famous player, Puig Aubert.... |
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| Bourgoin-Jallieu CS Bourgoin-Jallieu CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club currently competing in the second level of the French league system in the Pro D2. The club have been runners-up in the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir competitions, and have won the Challenge Cup.Founded in 1906 as "Club... |
Club Sportif Bourgoin-Jallieu Rugby | Bourgoin-Jallieu Bourgoin-Jallieu Bourgoin-Jallieu is a commune in the Isère department of south-eastern France.It lies 35 kilometres to the east-southeast of the city of Lyon. Its inhabitants are called Berjalliens.-Geography:... (Isère Isère Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné... ) |
Stade Pierre Rajon Stade Pierre Rajon Stade Pierre Rajon is a multi-purpose stadium in Bourgoin-Jallieu, France.It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of CS Bourgoin-Jallieu. The stadium can hold 10,000 people.... |
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| US Dax US Dax Union Sportive Dacquoise, also known as US Dax, is a French rugby union club currently playing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.... |
Union sportive dacquoise | Dax Dax, Landes Dax is a commune in Aquitaine in south-western France, sub-prefecture of the Landes department.It is particularly famous as a spa, specialising in mud treatment for rheumatism and similar ailments.... (Landes) |
Stade Maurice Boyau Stade Maurice Boyau Stade Maurice Boyau is a multi-use stadium in Dax, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of US Dax. The stadium is able to hold 15,000 people. It is named for World War I fighter ace and pre-war French international rugby player Maurice... |
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| FC Grenoble FC Grenoble Football Club de Grenoble Alpes Rugby is a French rugby union club which, until recently, competed in the top level of the French league system. They play at Stade Lesdiguières . They wear red and blue.-History:... |
Football club Grenoble rugby | Grenoble Grenoble Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère... (Isère Isère Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné... ) |
Stade Lesdiguières Stade Lesdiguières Stade Lesdiguières is a multi-purpose stadium in Grenoble, France. The stadium holds 12,000. It is the home of the FC Grenoble rugby union club.... |
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| La Rochelle Atlantique Stade Rochelais Stade Rochelais is a French rugby union club who compete in the Pro D2. They are often known simply as La Rochelle.They were founded in 1898 and play at Stade Marcel-Deflandre . They wear yellow and black... |
Atlantique Stade Rochelais | La Rochelle La Rochelle La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988... (Charente-Maritime Charente-Maritime Charente-Maritime is a department on the west coast of France named after the Charente River.- History :Previously a part of Saintonge, Charente-Inférieure was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790... ) |
Stade Marcel-Deflandre Stade Marcel-Deflandre Stade Marcel-Deflandre is a sports stadium in La Rochelle, France. It is the home ground of rugby union team Atlantique Stade Rochelais of the Top 14 who have played there since it was opened in 1926. It has undergone significant redevelopment since 1995 and the present capacity is 12,500... |
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| Stade Montois Stade Montois Stade Montois is a French rugby union team that plays in the 2011–12 season in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system.They were founded in 1908 and play in yellow and black... |
Stade montois | Mont-de-Marsan Mont-de-Marsan Mont-de-Marsan is a commune and capital of the Landes department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Mont-de-Marsan airbase « Constantin Rozanoff » is a major installation of the French Air Force. The base includes CEAM , an air defense radar command reporting centre, and an air defence control... (Landes) |
Stade Guy Boniface Stade Guy Boniface Stade Guy Boniface is a multi-use stadium in Mont-de-Marsan, France.It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Stade Montois, currently playing in the second-tier Pro D2. The stadium can hold 26,100 people and opened in 1965.... |
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| RC Narbonne RC Narbonne Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée is a French rugby union club that play in the second-level Rugby Pro D2, after finishing at the bottom of the 2006-07 Top 14 table.... |
Racing club de Narbonne Méditerannée | Narbonne Narbonne Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea... (Aude Aude Aude is a department in south-central France named after the river Aude. The local council also calls the department "Cathar Country".Aude is also a frequent feminine French given name in Francophone countries, deriving initially from Aude or Oda, a wife of Bertrand, Duke of Aquitaine, and mother... ) |
Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié is a multi-use stadium in Narbonne, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of RC Narbonne. The stadium is able to hold 12,000 people and was built in 1979.-References:... |
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| Oyonnax Rugby Oyonnax Rugby Union sportive Oyonnax Rugby is a French rugby union club from Oyonnax in the Ain département of the région Rhône-Alpes, currently competing in the second level of the French league system . They play at Stade Charles-Mathon... |
Union sportive Oyonnax rugby | Oyonnax Oyonnax Oyonnax is a commune in the Ain department in the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France.It is the second largest commune in the department. Its residents are known as Oyonnaxiens.-Population:-Miscellaneous:... (Ain Ain Ain is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation... ) |
Stade Charles-Mathon 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 Pro D2. It has a capacity of around 6,000, but this can be temporarily expanded for visits of major clubs. It was first opened in 1939, and underwent renovations in... |
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| Section Paloise Section Paloise Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:... |
Section paloise | Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :... ) |
Stade du Hameau Stade du Hameau Stade du Hameau is a multi-use stadium in Pau, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Section Paloise and Pau FC. The stadium is able to hold 13,966 people.... |
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| CA Périgueux CA Périgueux Club Athlétique Périgueux Dordogne is a French rugby union club that currently competes in the second division of French club rugby, the Pro D2 competition. Périgueux played in the higher divisions in the early 2000s but were relegated from Rugby Pro D2 after the 2004-05 season... |
Club Athlétique Périgueux Dordogne | Périgueux Périgueux Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region... (Dordogne Dordogne Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it... ) |
Stade Francis-Rongiéras Stade Francis-Rongiéras Stade Francis-Rongiéras is a multi-purpose stadium in Périgueux, France that is home to rugby union club CA Périgueux. It has a capacity of maximum capacity of 10,000 and opened in 1976. The stadium is name after Francis Rongiéras, a former captain of CA Périgueux that died in 1991 at the age of... |
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| Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby is a French rugby union team that currently takes part in Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system.... |
Tarbes Pyrénées rugby | Tarbes Tarbes Tarbes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.It is part of the historical region of Gascony. It is the second largest metropolitan area of Midi-Pyrénées, with 110,000 inhabitants.... (Hautes-Pyrénées Hautes-Pyrénées Hautes-Pyrénées is a department in southwestern France. It is part of the Midi-Pyrénées region.-History:... ) |
Stade Maurice Trélut Stade Maurice Trélut Stade Maurice Trélut is part of the Tarbes sports complex in Tarbes, France. It comprises a main stadium with a capacity of 16,400 of which 12,000 places are seated. The main stadium is mostly used by the Tarbes french Rugby Union team, Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby who play in the French ProD2 league... |
Changes in the lineup from 2010–11
2010–11 Rugby Pro D2 season
Agen, who had been a favorite for promotion ever since they were relegated at the end of the 2006–07 season, finally lived up to the expectations and dominated the championship from the start, finishing with a comfortable 11-point margin over 2nd-placed Lyon and thus earning promotion to the...
were:
- Lyon OULyon OULyon Olympique Universitaire or LOU is a French rugby union team that competes in the Top 14, the first level of the country's professional league system. They earned their spot in the Top 14 by winning the 2010–11 title of the second-tier Pro D2....
won the 2010–11 Pro D2 title and were thereby automatically promoted to Top 14. Union Bordeaux Bègles won the promotion playoffs to secure the second promotion place. - The two bottom finishers in 2010–11, ColomiersUS ColomiersUS Colomiers is a French rugby union club currently competing in Fédérale 1, the third 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...
and Saint-ÉtienneCA Saint-Étienne Loire Sud RugbyClub Athlétique de Saint-Étienne Loire Sud Rugby, CASE Loire Sud Rugby, or simply CASE, is a French rugby union club from Saint-Étienne in the Loire département. They are currently competing in Fédérale 1, having been relegated from Rugby Pro D2 at the end of the 2010–11 season.-History:The club...
, were relegated from Pro D2 to Fédérale 1. - The two finalists in Fédérale 1—champion BéziersAS Béziers HéraultAssociation Sportive Béziers Hérault, often referred to by rugby media simply by its location of Béziers, is a French rugby union club preparing to return to the second tier of the country's professional rugby system, Pro D2. They earned promotion as 2011 Fédérale 1 champions...
and runner-up PérigueuxCA PérigueuxClub Athlétique Périgueux Dordogne is a French rugby union club that currently competes in the second division of French club rugby, the Pro D2 competition. Périgueux played in the higher divisions in the early 2000s but were relegated from Rugby Pro D2 after the 2004-05 season...
—earned promotion.
Champions
- 2001 MontaubanUS MontaubanUS Montauban were a French rugby union club, which competed in the Top 14 competition between 2007 and 2010, after being promoted from Rugby Pro D2 for the 2006-07 season...
- 2002 Mont-de-MarsanStade MontoisStade Montois is a French rugby union team that plays in the 2011–12 season in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system.They were founded in 1908 and play in yellow and black...
- 2003 Montpellier
- 2004 AuchFC Auch GersFootball Club Auch Gers is a French rugby union club based in Auch in Midi-Pyrénées currently playing in Rugby Pro D2, the second tier of the country's professional league system. In recent years, they have bounced between the first-level Top 14 and Pro D2...
- 2005 ToulonRC ToulonnaisRC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
- 2006 MontaubanUS MontaubanUS Montauban were a French rugby union club, which competed in the Top 14 competition between 2007 and 2010, after being promoted from Rugby Pro D2 for the 2006-07 season...
- 2007 AuchFC Auch GersFootball Club Auch Gers is a French rugby union club based in Auch in Midi-Pyrénées currently playing in Rugby Pro D2, the second tier of the country's professional league system. In recent years, they have bounced between the first-level Top 14 and Pro D2...
- 2008 ToulonRC ToulonnaisRC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
- 2009 Racing Métro
- 2010 AgenSU Agen Lot-et-GaronneSporting Union Agen Lot-et-Garonne is a French rugby union club based in Agen in the department of Lot-et-Garonne. They currently play in the top flight of French professional rugby, Top 14; they were most recently promoted after winning the 2010 title in the second-level Pro D2. Agen also...
- 2011 LyonLyon OULyon Olympique Universitaire or LOU is a French rugby union team that competes in the Top 14, the first level of the country's professional league system. They earned their spot in the Top 14 by winning the 2010–11 title of the second-tier Pro D2....
Seasons
- 2011-12 Rugby Pro D2 season
- 2010-11 Rugby Pro D2 season
- 2009-10 Rugby Pro D2 season
- 2008-09 Rugby Pro D2 season2008-09 Rugby Pro D2 seasonThe 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 ....
- 2007-08 Rugby Pro D2 season2007-08 Rugby Pro D2 seasonThe 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 ....
- 2006-07 Rugby Pro D2 season2006-07 Rugby Pro D2 seasonThe 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...
- 2005-06 Rugby Pro D2 season2005-06 Rugby Pro D2 seasonThe 2005-06 season of the Pro D2 ran from August 2005 to June 2006.The top two teams gained promotion to the Top 14 whilst the bottom three teams were relegated to Fédérale 1.-Standings:...
- 2004-05 Rugby Pro D2 season2004-05 Rugby Pro D2 seasonThe 2004-05 Rugby Pro D2 season was the 2004-05 second division of French club rugby union. There is promotion and relegation in Pro Rugby D2, and after the 2004-05 season, Toulon finished at the top of the table and were promoted to the top level, and Limoges, Aix and CA Périgueux were relegated...
- 2003-04 Rugby Pro D2 season2003-04 Rugby Pro D2 seasonThe 2003-04 Rugby Pro D2 season was the 2003-04 second division of French club rugby union. There is promotion and relegation in Pro Rugby D2, and after the 2003-04 season, Bayonne and FC Auch finished at the top of the table and were promoted to the top level, and Bordeaux-Bègles and CA Périgueux...
- 2002-03 Rugby Pro D2 season2002-03 Rugby Pro D2 seasonThe 2002-03 Rugby Pro D2 season was the 2002-03 second division of French club rugby union. There is promotion and relegation in Pro Rugby D2, and after the 2002-03 season, CA Brive and Montpellier RC were promoted to the top level, and US Marmande and Aubenas Vals were relegated to third...
- 2001-02 Rugby Pro D2 season2001-02 Rugby Pro D2 seasonThe 2001-02 Rugby Pro D2 season was the 2001-02 second division of French club rugby union. There is promotion and relegation in Pro Rugby D2, and after the 2001-02 season, Stade Montois and FC Grenoble were promoted to the top level, and US Tours and FCS Rumilly were relegated to third...
- 2000-01 Rugby Pro D2 season
See also
- Ligue Nationale de Rugby
- Rugby union in FranceRugby union in FranceRugby union is the second most popular team sport in France, after association football, and is the dominant sport in most of the southern half of the country. It was first introduced in the early 1870s by British residents. Elite French clubs participate in the professional domestic club league,...