2018–19 Rugby Pro D2 season
| 2018–19 Pro D2 | |
|---|---|
| Countries |
 |
| Matches played | 48 |
| Attendance |
274,884 (average 5,727 per match) |
| Highest attendance |
12,480 (league) Bayonne v Brive 18 August 2018 |
| Lowest attendance |
1,751 Massy v Soyaux 21 September 2018 |
| Top point scorer |
76 points |
| Top try scorer |
 6 tries each |
| Official website | |
|
www | |
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).
Teams
Changes in the lineup from 2017–18 were:
- Perpignan won the 2017–18 Pro D2 title and were thereby automatically promoted to the Top 14. Grenoble won the Top 14/Pro D2 playoff to secure the second promotion place.
- The two bottom finishers in 2017–18, Narbonne and Dax, were relegated from Pro D2 to Fédérale 1.
- The bottom finisher in the 2017–18 Top 14 season, Brive was relegated to Pro D2. Oyonnax lost the Top 14/Pro D2 playoff and were therefore relegated.
- Provence won the promotion group in the 2017–18 Fédérale 1 season; Bourg-en-Bresse won the play-offs for the second promotion place. Since the 2015–16 season, the promotion process has been separate from the play-offs for the traditional Fédérale 1 championship prize, Trophée Jean-Prat.
Number of teams by regions
| Teams | Region or country | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 |  | Bayonne, Biarritz, Brive, Mont-de-Marsan, and Soyaux Angoulême |
| 4 |  | Béziers, Carcassonne, Colomiers, and Montauban |
| 3 |  | Aurillac, Bourg-en-Bresse and Oyonnax |
| 1 |  | Nevers |
.svg.png){kind=small} | Vannes | |
 | Massy | |
 | Provence |
Competition format
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 more than one bonus point in a match,[1] 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.[2]
France's bonus point system operates as follows:[3]
- 4 points for a win.
- 2 points for a draw.
- 1 bonus point for winning while scoring at least 3 more tries than the opponent. This replaces the standard bonus point for scoring 4 tries regardless of the match result.
- 1 bonus point for losing by 5 points (or less). The required margin had been 7 points or less until being changed in advance of the 2014–15 season.
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 the play-offs earns the league championship and automatic promotion to the next season's Top 14; the runner-up enters a play-off with the second-from-bottom Top 14 team, with the winner of that play-off taking up the final place in Top 14.[4]
This replaced the previous system in which the top team at the end of the regular season was declared champion, also earning a Top 14 place, while the second- through fifth-place teams competed in promotion play-offs. The play-off semi-finals were played at the home ground of the higher-ranked team. The final was then played on neutral ground, and the winner earned the second ticket to the next Top 14.
Promotion
Pro D2 to Top 14
As noted above, both promotion places will be determined by play-offs from 2017–18 forward, 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 next season's final Top 14 place.
Fédérale 1 to Pro D2
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:[4]
- must be located in northern France (with the dividing line running approximately from La Rochelle to Lyon)
- have a long-term development plan
- location in an area that can demographically and economically support a fully professional club
Starting with the 2020–21 season, LNR will create a third professional league, slotting between Pro D2 and Fédérale 1 in the league system.[4]
Relegation
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.
Table
The current table for the 2018–19 Rugby Pro D2 is:[5]
| |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Club | Pl | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts | ||||||
| 1 | Mont-de-Marsan | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 211 | 150 | +61 | 2 | 1 | 25 | ||||||
| 2 | Nevers | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 199 | 134 | +65 | 2 | 2 | 24 | ||||||
| 3 | Carcassonne | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 197 | 142 | +55 | 1 | 3 | 24 | ||||||
| 4 | Oyonnax | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 221 | 183 | +38 | 2 | 2 | 24 | ||||||
| 5 | Brive | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 201 | 157 | +44 | 1 | 0 | 23 | ||||||
| 6 | Soyaux Angoulême | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 188 | 157 | +31 | 1 | 2 | 23 | ||||||
| 7 | Biarritz | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 186 | 151 | +35 | 1 | 1 | 20 | ||||||
| 8 | Bayonne | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 171 | 159 | +12 | 1 | 1 | 20 | ||||||
| 9 | Montauban | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 161 | 175 | –14 | 1 | 1 | 18 | ||||||
| 10 | Béziers | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 170 | 210 | –40 | 1 | 0 | 17 | ||||||
| 11 | Provence | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 215 | 231 | -16 | 2 | 2 | 16 | ||||||
| 12 | Vannes | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 153 | 159 | -6 | 0 | 2 | 16 | ||||||
| 13 | Colomiers | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 160 | 176 | -16 | 0 | 2 | 14 | ||||||
| 14 | Aurillac | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 148 | 201 | -53 | 0 | 2 | 14 | ||||||
| 15 | Bourg-en-Bresse | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 137 | 270 | -133 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||||||
| 16 | Massy | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 127 | 190 | -63 | 0 | 2 | 6 | ||||||
| Legend: Pos = Position, Pl = Played, W = Won, D = Drawn, L = Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Points Total Green background (rows 1 and 2) receive semi-final Promotion play-off places. Blue background (rows 3 to 6) receive quarter-final Promotion play-off places. Red background relegation to Fédérale 1. Notes: When two teams have the same points total, position is determined by head-to-head results before points difference. | |||||||||||||||||
Fixtures & Results
Round 1
Round 2
24 August 2018 20:00 |
| (1 BP) Nevers | 53–13 | Bourg-en-Bresse |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Stade du Pré Fleuri Attendance: 7,000 Referee: Ludovic Carrillo |
Round 3
Round 4
7 September 2018 20:00 |
| Soyaux Angoulême | 23–13 | Aurillac |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Stade Chanzy Attendance: 7,000 Referee: Stéphane Boyer |
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Attendances
- Attendances do not include the final as this is held at a neutral venue. Also does not include the relegation playoff game.
| Club | Home Games |
Total | Average | Highest | Lowest | % Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurillac | 3 | 11,000 | 3,667 | 6,000 | 2,500 | 41% |
| Bayonne | 3 | 30,797 | 10,266 | 12,480 | 7,413 | 61% |
| Béziers | 3 | 16,578 | 5,526 | 5,801 | 5,089 | 30% |
| Biarritz | 4 | 27,392 | 6,848 | 10,086 | 3,950 | 46% |
| Bourg-en-Bresse | 3 | 15,226 | 5,075 | 6,500 | 4,294 | 45% |
| Brive | 3 | 26,496 | 8,832 | 10,379 | 7,873 | 63% |
| Carcassonne | 3 | 9,000 | 3,000 | 5,000 | 2,000 | 30% |
| Colomiers | 3 | 10,800 | 3,600 | 4,000 | 3,200 | 32% |
| Massy | 3 | 6,163 | 2,054 | 2,612 | 1,751 | 64% |
| Mont-de-Marsan | 3 | 13,712 | 4,571 | 5,010 | 4,302 | 21% |
| Montauban | 4 | 22,800 | 5,700 | 7,500 | 5,000 | 45% |
| Nevers | 3 | 20,932 | 6,977 | 7,075 | 6,857 | 92% |
| Oyonnax | 3 | 18,455 | 6,152 | 9,955 | 4,000 | 54% |
| Provence | 2 | 8,600 | 4,300 | 4,300 | 4,300 | 86% |
| Soyaux Angoulême | 2 | 14,000 | 7,000 | 7,000 | 7,000 | 88% |
| Vannes | 3 | 22,933 | 7,644 | 8,000 | 7,231 | 80% |
Leading scorers
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. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.
Top points scorers
|
Top try scorers
|
See also
References
- ↑ "French try out new bonus point system". Planet-Rugby.com. 27 June 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
- ↑ "Article 330, Section 3.2. Points "terrain"" (PDF). Règlements de la Ligue Nationale de Rugby 2008/2009, Chapitre 2 : Règlement sportif du Championnat de France Professionnel (in French). LNR. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
- ↑ "Article 330, Section 3.2. Points "terrain" et points de bonus" (PDF). Statuts et Reglements de la Ligue Nationale de Rugby 2014/2015, Chapitre 2 : Règlement sportif des championnats profesionnels (in French). Ligue Nationale de Rugby. p. 166. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
- 1 2 3 Mortimer, Gavin (18 August 2016). "French rugby enjoys a popularity boom as it looks to the future". Rugby World. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ↑ "Classement PRO D2". Ligue Nationale de Rugby (in French). Retrieved 14 September 2018.
- ↑ "1ère journée". L'Equipe. 19 August 2018.
- ↑ "2ème journée". L'Equipe. 26 August 2018.
- ↑ "Bourg-en-Bresse 18 – 16 Provence Rugby : c'était mission impossible". Provence Rugby. 31 August 2018.
- ↑ "Rugby [Pro D2] : Massy dans le dur". Le Républicain. 1 September 2018.
- ↑ "Carcassonne : de gros regrets". La Dépêche. 1 September 2018.
- ↑ "Montauban rate le coche à Angoulême". La Dépêche. 1 September 2018.
- ↑ "Vannes - Nevers (24-13). Première réussie à la Rabine". Le Télegramme. 31 August 2018.
- ↑ "Colomiers : le ciel sur la tête". La Dépêche. 1 September 2018.
- ↑ "3ème journée". L'Equipe. 2 September 2018.
- ↑ "Laborieuse victoire de l'USON Nevers contre Massy (17-6) : la frayeur sans les dommages". Le Journal du Centre. 9 September 2018.
- ↑ "Pro D2 : Biarritz fait le plein face à Bourg-en-Bresse (46–9)". Sud Ouest. 7 September 2018.
- ↑ "4ème journée". L'Equipe. 9 September 2018.
- ↑ "Vannes battu par des Brivistes réalistes". Le Télégramme. 20 September 2018.
- ↑ "Carcassonne tout en maîtrise". La Dépêche. 22 September 2018.
- ↑ "Massy - Soyaux-Angoulême: 19 - 20". Midi Olympique. 24 September 2018. p. 17.
- ↑ "Pro D2 : Bayonne gagne avec le bonus face à Provence Rugby (34–19)". Sud Ouest. 21 September 2018.
- ↑ "Colomiers : les vertus de la patience". La Dépêche. 22 September 2018.
- ↑ "Colère et frustration dans les rangs aurillacois". La Montagne. 22 September 2018.
- ↑ "Béziers - Montauban: 27 - 5". Midi Olympique. 24 September 2018. p. 17.
- ↑ "Mont-de-Marsan - Oyonnax: 37 - 21". Midi Olympique. 24 September 2018. p. 18.
- ↑ "5ème journée". L'Equipe. 23 September 2018.
- ↑ "Pro D2 : Biarritz remporte le derby basque 22–6". Sud Ouest. 27 September 2018.
- ↑ "Brive 36 - Aurillac 14". Press Reader. 28 September 2018.
- ↑ "Soyaux-Angoulême - Mont-de-Marsan: 20 - 16". Midi Olympique. 1 October 2018. p. 18.
- ↑ "OYONNAX / BOURG EN BRESSE". Oyonnax Rugby. 28 September 2018.
- ↑ "Rugby : Massy n'y arrive toujours pas". Le Républicain. 29 September 2018.
- ↑ "L'USON Nevers engrange les points et s'installe à la deuxième place de Pro D2". Le Journal du Centre. 30 September 2018.
- ↑ "Carcassonne sur le podium". La Dépêche. 29 September 2018.
- ↑ "Montauban au courage". La Dépêche. 1 October 2018.
- ↑ "6ème journée". L'Equipe. 30 September 2018.
- ↑ "Montauban aux abonnés absents". La Dépêche. 6 October 2018.
- ↑ "Pro D2 : l'Aviron bayonnais se rassure face à Nevers". Sud Ouest. 5 October 2018.
- ↑ "Pro D2. Vannes - Colomiers : 16-0". Le Télégramme. 5 October 2018.
- ↑ "Brive: 4ème victoire consécutive pour le CAB". France 3 Régions. 7 October 2018.
- ↑ "7ème journée". L'Equipe. 7 October 2018.
- ↑ "8ème journée". L'Equipe. 14 October 2018.
- ↑ "9ème journée". L'Equipe. 28 October 2018.
- ↑ "10ème journée". L'Equipe. 4 November 2018.
- ↑ "RUGBY PRO D2 : STATISTIQUES DÉTAILLÉES". Ligue Nationale de Rugby. 7 October 2018.
- ↑ "RUGBY PRO D2 : STATISTIQUES DÉTAILLÉES". Ligue Nationale de Rugby. 7 October 2018.
External links
- (in French) Ligue Nationale de Rugby – Official website
- (in French) Midi Olympique