FC Grenoble
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Full name | Football Club de Grenoble Rugby | |||
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Nickname(s) | FCG | |||
Founded | 1892 | |||
Location | Grenoble, France | |||
Ground(s) | Stade des Alpes (Capacity: 20,068) | |||
President | Marc Chérèque | |||
Coach(es) | Stéphane Glas, Dewald Senekal | |||
League(s) | Top 14 | |||
2017–18 | Rugby Pro D2, 3rd (promotion finalist/promoted via play-off) | |||
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Official website | ||||
fcgrugby |
Football Club de Grenoble Alpes Rugby is a French rugby union club which will be playing in Top 14, the top level of the French league system. After a title of champions of the second-level Pro D2 in 2012, Grenoble played 4 seasons in Top 14 before suffering relegation after 2016-17 season. At the end of the 2017-18 Pro D2 season, Grenoble was promoted again to Top 14 for the 2018-19 season, following an promotion playoff win against Top 14 side Oyonnax. Grenoble play most home matches at the Stade des Alpes (capacity 20,068) since 2014-2015. The club's colors are red and blue.
History
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The club was founded in 1892 following the merger of the main clubs in Grenoble in Rhône-Alpes.
After becoming champions of the Alps in 1912, FCG reached the final of the Coupe de l'Espérance (in 1918), which replaced the old championship of France during the First World War. Since then Grenoble have regularly featured in the finals. Grenoble contributed notable players to the original French National Team, among them Edmond Besset and Felix Lasserre and Edmond Vellat. In 1931, Grenoble was one of 14 clubs who left the French Rugby Federation to create their own organization, UFRA.
In 1954, the first team, then coached by Roger Bouvarel, wrote the most beautiful page in the history of the club. FC Grenoble won his first Bouclier de Brennus and became champion of France after a 5-3 victory against the U.S. Cognac.
Champions in 1954 :
With Jean Liénard became coach, Grenoble played the final of the European Champion Clubs' Cup FIRA in 1963.
In 1987, Grenoble won the Challenge Yves du Manoir against the SU Agen on the score of 26-7. This is the second major trophy for the club.
The winners of the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1987 :
The arrival of Jacques Fouroux in control of the team for the 1992–93 season associated with Michel Ringeval marks the beginning of a new era called the Mammoths of Grenoble. Despite overpowering pack Grenoble tilts on the score of 14-11.[1] A try of Olivier Brouzet is denied to Grenoble[2] and the decisive try by Gary Whetton was awarded by the referee, Daniel Salles, when in fact the defender Franck Hueber from Grenoble touched down the ball first in his try zone. This error gave the title to Castres. Salles admitted the error 13 years later[3] .[4] .[5]
Players Championship Final in 1993 :
Since then the club has struggled.
Grenoble play the '1999–2000 Heineken Cup in Pool 6.
Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
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6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 184 | 87 | 97 | 10 |
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6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 15 | −2 | 110 | 140 | −30 | 6 |
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6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 19 | −6 | 112 | 158 | −46 | 6 |
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6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 17 | −4 | 128 | 149 | −21 | 2 |
- Results
Date | Stadium | Team | Score | Team |
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19 November | Netherdale, Galashiels ![]() |
Edinburgh | 23 - 18 | FC Grenoble |
27 November | Lesdiguières, Grenoble ![]() |
FC Grenoble | 20 - 18 | Northampton Saints |
11 December | The Gnoll, Neath ![]() |
Neath RFC | 43 - 14 | FC Grenoble |
18 December | Lesdiguières, Grenoble ![]() |
FC Grenoble | 21 - 10 | Neath RFC |
9 January | Franklin's Gardens, Northampton ![]() |
Northampton Saints | 27 - 16 | FC Grenoble |
15 January | Lesdiguières, Grenoble ![]() |
FC Grenoble | 21 - 19 | Edinburgh |
They were relegated to the French second division and came back again.
At the end of 2004–05, they were relegated to the French second division, Rugby Pro D2, after the top level was reduced from sixteen to fourteen teams. However, they were relegated even further, to the amateur Fédérale 1, due to financial problems; an audit of the club’s books revealed debts of €3.64 million as of 30 June 2005.[6] They earned promotion back to the professional ranks at the first opportunity, and played in Pro D2, in 2006–07; they finished their first season back in ProD2 in fourteenth place (out of sixteen), surviving the drop by one point over Limoges. They ended the 2007–08 season in eighth, close to the play-offs. In 2010–11 Grenoble finished second, losing the play-off semi-final game at home against Union Bordeaux Bègles. In 2011–12 Grenoble finished first, securing their return to the Top 14 for the 2012–13 season. In their first season back in the top flight, they were in contention for a playoff place early in the season, but faded to 11th, still safely above the relegation zone.
Honours
Among the club's honours are the championship of the Top 14 and of the Challenge Yves du Manoir. Its achievements include:[7][8][9]
- Top 14
- Champions (1) : 1954
- Runners-up (1) : 1993
- Coupe de l'Espérance
- Runners-up (1) : 1918
- French second division:
- Champions (2) : 1951, 2012
- Runners-up (2) : 2002, 2018
- Challenge Yves du Manoir:
- Champions (1) : 1987
- Runners-up (3) : 1969, 1986, 1990
- Challenge Jean Bouin:
- Runners-up (2) : 1992, 1994
- French Championship Reserves:
- Champions (6) : 1921 (Third Team), 1950, 1952, 1953, 1960, 1980 (Nationale B)
- Runners-up (2) : 1969, 1972
- Cup Frantz-Reichel:
- Champions (4) : 1981, 1992, 2013, 2014
- Runners-up (3) : 1989, 1990, 1993
- Challenge complete club:
- Champions (1) : 1993
- European Champion Clubs' Cup FIRA:
- Runners-up (1) : 1963
Finals results
French premiership
Date | Winner | Runner-up | Score | Venue | Spectators |
23 May 1954 | FC Grenoble | US Cognac | 5-3 | Stadium Municipal, Toulouse | 34,230 |
5 June 1993 | Castres Olympique | FC Grenoble | 14-11 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 49,061 |
Coupe de l'Espérance
Date | Winner | Runner-up | Score | Venue | Spectators |
28 April 1918 | Racing Club de France | FC Grenoble | 22-9 | Stade du Matin, Colombes | 3,000 |
Challenge Yves du Manoir
Date | Winner | Runner-up | Score | Venue | Spectators |
24 May 1969 | US Dax | FC Grenoble | 24 – 12 | Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes | 2,902 |
1 May 1986 | AS Montferrand | FC Grenoble | 22-15 | Stadium, Brive-la-Gaillarde | 10,400 |
10 May 1987 | FC Grenoble | SU Agen | 26–7 | Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié, Narbonne | 3,200 |
19 May 1990 | RC Narbonne | FC Grenoble | 24–19 | Stade du Hameau, Pau | 5,500 |
Current standings
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Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Diff. | Tries For | Tries Against | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | |||||
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1 | Clermont | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 235 | 130 | +105 | 27 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 25 | ||||
2 | Stade Français | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 178 | 114 | +64 | 19 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 23 | ||||
3 | Lyon | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 175 | 113 | +62 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 21 | ||||
4 | Montpellier | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 196 | 155 | +41 | 24 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 20 | ||||
5 | Castres | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 146 | 140 | +6 | 14 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 19 | ||||
6 | Toulouse | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 149 | 171 | –22 | 17 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 19 | ||||
7 | Racing | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 175 | 132 | +43 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 18 | ||||
8 | Bordeaux Bègles | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 157 | 139 | +18 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 17 | ||||
9 | La Rochelle | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 173 | 159 | +14 | 23 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 17 | ||||
10 | Pau | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 139 | 158 | –19 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 17 | ||||
11 | Grenoble | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 140 | 185 | –45 | 11 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 10 | ||||
12 | Toulon | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 115 | 169 | –54 | 14 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||||
13 | Agen | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 105 | 237 | –132 | 10 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 9 | ||||
14 | Perpignan | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 115 | 196 | –81 | 11 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||||
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
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Green background (rows 1 and 2) receive semi-final play-off places and receive berths in the 2019–20 European Rugby Champions Cup. Blue background (rows 3 to 6) receive quarter-final play-off places, and receive berths in the Champions Cup. Plain background indicates teams that earn a place in the 2019–20 European Rugby Challenge Cup. Pink background (row 13) will qualify to the Relegation play-offs. Red background (row 14) will automatically be relegated to Rugby Pro D2. Final table — source: | |||||||||||||||||
Current squad
The squad for the 2018–19 season is:[10][lower-alpha 1]
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.
- Notes:
Notable former players
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Internationally Capped Players
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See also
References
- ↑ "Castres et " la magie du rugby "". www.republicain-lorrain.fr. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
- ↑ "Combien de fois Bayonne s'est imposé dans la capitale ?". www.rugbyrama.fr. Midi olympique. 3 January 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
- ↑ "Finale Castres-Grenoble 93 : l'insupportable aveu de l'arbitre Salles". rugbyolympic.com. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
- ↑ "Daniel Salles à propos de Castres-Grenoble en 1993 : " Je me suis trompé "". sudouest. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ↑ "Parc des Princes, Paris, 5 Juin 1993". LNR. 28 December 2004. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ↑ "Grenoble drop out". rugbyrugby.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2006.
- ↑ "Football Club de Grenoble Rugby". histoire.maillots.free.fr. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- ↑ "Fiche club : Grenoble". www.finalesrugby.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- ↑ "Equipes du FC Grenoble Rugby honorées d'un titre". www.fcgrugby.com. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- ↑ "FCG - FC Grenoble - Players". FC Grenoble. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
- ↑ "Ben Lucas à Grenoble" (Press release) (in French). FC Grenoble Rugby. 20 June 2018. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
External links
- (in French) FC Grenoble Official website
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