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.
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; through the 2016–17 season, 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. 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 beyondedit
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, Pro D2 will adopt 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 a playoff with the second-from-bottom Top 14 side, with the winner taking up the final Top 14 place.
Source: Pro D2 Rules for classification: When two teams have the same points total, position is determined by head-to-head results before points difference. (C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated Notes:
^ abGrenoble were penalised three competition points, and Montauban were penalised two, for financial and administrative issues that made the clubs "non-compliant with the regulatory provisions and decisions of the CCCP".[5][6]
^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.
^Mortimer, Gavin (1 June 2016). "Financial penalties in the ProD2 send shockwaves around French rugby". Rugby World. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
^"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.
^"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.
^Mortimer, Gavin (18 August 2016). "French rugby enjoys a popularity boom as it looks to the future". Rugby World. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
^"Le FCG sanctionné de trois points de retrait au classement par la Ligue !". Le Dauphiné libéré (in French). 21 November 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2023. Un retrait de cinq points dont deux points avec sursis au classement du championnat professionnel de Pro D2 de la saison en cours [...] Cette sanction a été prononcée au motif du « non-respect des dispositions réglementaires et décisions de la CCCP ».
^"Pro D2 : l'US Montauban sanctionnée de cinq points de retrait pour la prochaine saison !" [Pro D2: US Montauban sanctioned with five withdrawal points for the next season!]. La Dépêche (in French). 20 May 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
^"Top 14 - Pro D2 : les présidents d'accord pour ne pas attribuer de titre". L'Equipe. 6 May 2020.
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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 Pro D2Current season competition or edition 2023 24 Rugby Pro D2 seasonSportRugby unionFounded2000 23 years ago 2000 AdministratorLNRNo of teams16Country FranceMost recentchampion s Bayonne 2nd title Most titlesLyon 3 titles Level on pyramid2Promotion toTop 14Relegation toNationaleOfficial websitelnr fr rugby pro d2 Contents 1 Season structure 1 1 Changes for 2017 18 and beyond 2 Current teams 3 Table 4 Previous seasons 5 Number of league titles 6 Notes 7 References 8 See also 9 External linksSeason structure editThere is relegation and promotion between both the Top 14 and Federale 1 the third level competition The top club at the end of the season is automatically promoted to the Top 14 through the 2016 17 season the 2nd through 5th place teams play each other for the second promotion place The bottom two are automatically relegated to Federale 1 The bottom two clubs of the Top 14 and the top two of Federale 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 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 Federale 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 edit 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 Pro D2 will adopt 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 a playoff with the second from bottom Top 14 side with the winner taking up the final Top 14 place Current teams edit2022 23 season Club City Stadium Capacity Previous seasonAgen Agen Lot et Garonne Stade Armandie 13 863 13thAurillac Aurillac Cantal Stade Jean Alric 9 000 10thBiarritz Biarritz Pyrenees Atlantiques Parc des Sports Aguilera 15 000 Relegated from Top 14 14th Beziers Beziers Herault Stade Raoul Barriere 18 555 9thCarcassonne Carcassonne Aude Stade Albert Domec 10 000 5thColomiers Colomiers Haute Garonne Stade Michel Bendichou 11 430 6thGrenoble Grenoble Isere Stade des Alpes 20 068 12thMassy Massy Essonne Stade Jules Ladoumegue 3 200 Promoted from 2021 22 Championnat Federal Nationale champions and 1st in league Mont de Marsan Mont de Marsan Landes Stade Guy Boniface 16 800 1stMontauban Montauban Tarn et Garonne Stade Sapiac 12 600 8thNevers Nevers Nievre Stade du Pre Fleuri 7 500 4thOyonnax Oyonnax Ain Stade Charles Mathon 11 500 3rdProvence Aix en Provence Bouches du Rhone Stade Maurice David 6 000 7thRouen Rouen Seine Maritime Stade Robert Diochon 12 018 14thSoyaux Angouleme Angouleme Charente Stade Chanzy 8 000 Promoted from 2020 21 Championnat Federal Nationale 2nd in league Vannes Vannes Morbihan Stade de la Rabine 9 500 11th nbsp nbsp Agen nbsp Aurillac nbsp Beziers nbsp Biarritz nbsp Carcassonne nbsp Colomiers nbsp Grenoble nbsp Massy nbsp Mont de Marsan nbsp Montauban nbsp Nevers nbsp Oyonnax nbsp Provence nbsp Rouen nbsp Soyaux Angouleme nbsp Vannesclass notpageimage Location of teams in the 2022 23 Rugby Pro D2Table editPos Teamvte Pld W D L PF PA PD B Pts Qualification1 Oyonnax C P 30 23 1 6 904 457 447 17 111 Top 14 promotion play offs2 Grenoble 30 19 3 8 672 588 84 8 87 a 3 Mont de Marsan 30 19 0 11 764 649 115 10 864 Nevers 30 17 3 10 718 551 167 11 855 Vannes 30 17 1 12 718 633 85 11 816 Agen 30 15 1 14 653 583 70 15 777 Colomiers 30 15 0 15 674 678 4 10 708 Provence 30 13 4 13 652 638 14 9 699 Beziers 30 13 1 16 700 716 16 11 6510 Aurillac 30 15 0 15 586 706 120 5 6511 Biarritz 30 12 2 16 690 699 9 8 6012 Rouen 30 12 2 16 594 767 173 6 5813 Montauban 30 12 1 17 678 784 106 6 54 a 14 Soyaux Angouleme 30 11 0 19 569 697 128 8 5215 Carcassonne R 30 10 1 19 553 677 124 10 52 Relegation to Nationale16 Massy R 30 7 0 23 499 801 302 5 33Source Pro D2Rules for classification When two teams have the same points total position is determined by head to head results before points difference C Champion P Promoted R RelegatedNotes a b Grenoble were penalised three competition points and Montauban were penalised two for financial and administrative issues that made the clubs non compliant with the regulatory provisions and decisions of the CCCP 5 6 Previous seasons editSeason Champion Play off winner Relegated2000 01 Montauban N A a 1 Nimes2001 02 Mont de Marsan Grenoble Rumilly Tours2002 03 Montpellier Brive Aubenas Vals Marmande2003 04 Auch Bayonne a 2 Bordeaux Begles2004 05 Toulon N A a 3 Perigueux Limoges2005 06 Montauban Albi a 4 Tyrosse Aurillac Aix2006 07 Auch Dax Gaillac Colomiers2007 08 Toulon Mont de Marsan Blagnac Limoges2008 09 Racing Metro Albi Beziers Bourg en Bresse2009 10 Agen La Rochelle Lannemezan2010 11 Lyon Bordeaux Begles Saint Etienne Colomiers2011 12 Grenoble Mont de Marsan Perigueux Bourgoin2012 13 Oyonnax Brive Massy Aix en Provence2013 14 Lyon La Rochelle Bourg en Bresse Auch2014 15 Pau Agen Massy2015 16 Lyon Bayonne Provence Tarbes2016 17 Oyonnax Agen Bourgoin Albi2017 18 Perpignan Grenoble a 5 Narbonne Dax2018 19 Bayonne Brive Massy Bourg en Bresse2019 20 Cancelled a 6 2020 21 Perpignan Biarritz Soyaux Angouleme Valence Romans2021 22 Bayonne Mont de Marsan Narbonne Bourg en BresseNumber of league titles editLyon 3 Auch 2 Bayonne 2 Montauban 2 Oyonnax 2 Toulon 2 Perpignan 2 Agen 1 Grenoble 1 Mont de Marsan 1 Montpellier 1 Pau 1 Racing Metro 1 Notes edit Only one promotion as the top division reduced from 21 to 16 teams Lost the play off final to Auch Only one promotion as the Top16 became Top14 Runner up 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 League suspended after 23 rounds and ultimately cancelled due to COVID 19 pandemic in France 7 References edit Mortimer Gavin 1 June 2016 Financial penalties in the ProD2 send shockwaves around French rugby Rugby World Retrieved 9 June 2016 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 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 Mortimer Gavin 18 August 2016 French rugby enjoys a popularity boom as it looks to the future Rugby World Retrieved 12 February 2017 Le FCG sanctionne de trois points de retrait au classement par la Ligue Le Dauphine libere in French 21 November 2022 Retrieved 18 January 2023 Un retrait de cinq points dont deux points avec sursis au classement du championnat professionnel de Pro D2 de la saison en cours Cette sanction a ete prononcee au motif du non respect des dispositions reglementaires et decisions de la CCCP Pro D2 l US Montauban sanctionnee de cinq points de retrait pour la prochaine saison Pro D2 US Montauban sanctioned with five withdrawal points for the next season La Depeche in French 20 May 2022 Retrieved 29 August 2022 Top 14 Pro D2 les presidents d accord pour ne pas attribuer de titre L Equipe 6 May 2020 See also editLigue Nationale de Rugby Rugby union in FranceExternal links edit in French Rugby Pro D2 Official website in French Midi Olympique Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pro D2 amp oldid 1178894691, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
