2010–11 Top 14 season
Encyclopedia
The 2010–11 Top 14 competition was a French
domestic rugby union
club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Home-and-away play began on August 13, 2010 and continued through April 2011. The regular season was followed by a three-round playoff starting in May that involved the top six teams, culminating in the final on June 4 at Stade de France
. Toulouse
won the Bouclier de Brennus
for the 18th time, defeating Montpellier
15–10.
, winners of the 2010
title in the second-level Pro D2
and returning to the top flight three years after being relegated, and La Rochelle
, victors in the 2009 promotion playoffs between the second- through fifth-placed teams. They took the place of Montauban
and Albi
, relegated at the end of the 2009–10 Top 14
.
Of the two promoted teams, Agen survived, while La Rochelle were tentatively relegated after finishing second-from-bottom. The other relegated side were Bourgoin
, which had barely avoided bankruptcy in the previous season. Their financial struggles continued, and they were docked 5 points for their financial issues. The deduction was ultimately immaterial, as even without it they would have finished more than 20 points adrift of 13th-place La Rochelle.
There was, however, a chance that La Rochelle would be spared the drop. During the season, Stade Français faced major financial issues, temporarily avoiding an administrative relegation in early June 2011 when president Max Guazzini
announced a deal in which a Canadian
foundation, working with former France national
coach Bernard Laporte
and an unnamed investor, would purchase a minority stake in the club. However, the planned infusion of €12 million did not materialize; Guazzini and Laporte sued the foundation, and three people had been arrested in connection with the deal as of June 24. On June 27, Guazzini met with the LNR's financial watchdog, DNACG, to discuss the club's situation. Reports indicated that if the club did not find €6.6 million by the time of the meeting, Stade would file for bankruptcy, which would result in an automatic relegation to the nominally amateur Fédérale 1
. The French government had announced it would not bail out the club. The meeting ended with the announcement of a new deal by which Guazzini would sell a controlling stake in the club to a group of investors led by French technology executive Jean-Pierre Savare, keeping Stade in the Top 14 and confirming La Rochelle's relegation. As part of the deal, Guazzini stepped aside as club president in favor of Savare's son Thomas.
The season saw signs of a changing of the guard in French rugby, especially in Paris. Racing Métro reasserted itself as a national power, finishing second on the season table. Bayonne went from being reprieved from relegation to playoff contenders, ultimately missing out in the final week of the season. Montpellier went from fighting for survival through much of 2009–10 to finalists this season, winning their quarterfinal and semifinal matches away by 1 point each, and leading Toulouse for most of the final before falling short. In the end, traditional power Toulouse lifted the Bouclier de Brennus.
, in their 100th season, end decades of frustration by defeating Perpignan
in the final to claim their first title, having lost in all 10 of their previous final appearances. At the other end of the table, Albi, which had been promoted
to the Top 14 for 2009–10, finished bottom of the table and went down. Bayonne
finished second-to-bottom but avoided relegation when it was revealed that 12th-placed Montauban were filing for bankruptcy and would therefore be automatically relegated. The other newly promoted team in 2009–10, Racing Métro, enjoyed a very successful season, finishing sixth, and qualified to the quarter-finals where they narrowly lost to eventual champions Clermont.
in Marseille
. The final was held at Stade de France.
Going into the season, the top six clubs are guaranteed of berths in the following season's Heineken Cup. The winners of the 2010–11 Heineken Cup
and European Challenge Cup
are assured of berths in the 2011–12 Heineken Cup regardless of their league standing, as long as they avoid relegation. This means that if a club finishes in the top six and wins one of the European competitions, the seventh-place team will gain a Heineken Cup berth. However, if French clubs win both competitions, only five clubs will qualify for the 2011–12 Heineken Cup via their league position because France is capped at seven Heineken Cup places. France can also secure a seventh berth if clubs from England's Aviva Premiership, also capped at seven Heineken Cup places, win both Cup competitions, and the top club in the European Rugby Club Rankings among those not already qualified for the Heineken Cup is from the Top 14. Note, however, that if a winner of one of the European cups is relegated in the same season, LNR will not nominate it for European competition; its place will be taken by a current Top 14 side based on league position.
The bottom two teams are provisionally relegated to Pro D2, with the possibility of one or both of the bottom teams to be reprieved if a team above them fails a postseason financial audit (mandatory for all clubs in the league).
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, a system that also made it impossible for either team to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. The LNR chose to continue with this system for subsequent seasons.
France's bonus point system operates as follows:
. Previously, the only restrictions on team salaries were that wage bills were limited to 50% of turnover and that 10% of the salary budget had to be held in reserve. In December 2009, LNR announced that team payrolls would be limited to €8 million in 2010–11, and that the reserve requirement would be increased to 20%. The previous limitation of 50% of turnover remained in effect. However, rugby journalist Ian Moriarty dismissed the cap as "little more than a bit of sleight of hand by the LNR to appease a sporting public", noting that the announced cap was 5% greater than the highest official wage bill in the 2009–10 Top 14, and translated to £7.1 million at the time of announcement, well above the then-current £4 million cap in the English Premiership. Moriarty also added that clubs would likely find ways around the cap, noting, "Last season [2008–09], it's rumoured that one big, overseas name was paid less than 40% of his total income as a salary."
The required percentage of French players was 40% this season, and will increase to 50% in 2011–12 and 60% in 2012–13.
The policy change was publicly criticized by wealthy club owners. Mourad Boudjellal
of Toulon
, who claimed that the change in the law would cost him more than €1 million in 2010–11, and Paul Goze of Perpignan
took to the pitch before one of their matches to participate in a protest. Max Guazzini
of Stade Français complained that the end of DIC would cost him about €800,000. However, the real concern in French rugby circles was for the potential blow to smaller clubs. Bourgoin
, who only avoided a bankruptcy filing in 2009 by players agreeing to large wage cuts, faced an effective increase of €400,000 in their 2010–11 expenses. Brive
had already announced that they would slash their budget by 40% for the 2010–11 season, but with a 2009–10 wage bill of €7.2 million and several high-profile players locked into long-term contracts, the increased tax bill was speculated to be a serious problem for the club.
, who had been relegated after finishing at the bottom of the 2009–10 table, were facing their own financial problems and may not have had the resources for a Top 14 campaign. However, the FFR officially rescinded the DNACG's ruling on July 9, allowing Bourgoin to stay in the Top 14, thus also confirming Albi's place in Pro D2.
Note: Stade Francais have moved their home matches from their traditional home of Stade Jean-Bouin
while a new 20,000-seat stadium is built on the site. The new Jean-Bouin is scheduled to open in 2013–14.
Notes
Within each round, matches are listed in order of kickoff time. Matches with the same kickoff time are listed in alphabetic order of the home team. A dark horizontal line separates matches held on different dates.
(UTC+2).
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...
domestic rugby union
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...
club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Home-and-away play began on August 13, 2010 and continued through April 2011. The regular season was followed by a three-round playoff starting in May that involved the top six teams, culminating in the final on June 4 at Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
. Toulouse
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
won the Bouclier de Brennus
Bouclier de Brennus
The Bouclier de Brennus, or Brennus Shield in English, is a trophy awarded to the winners of the French rugby union domestic league.The shield was not named, as it is often believed, after the famous Gallic warrior Brennus but rather artist Charles Brennus, co-founder of the USFSA, the original...
for the 18th time, defeating Montpellier
Montpellier Hérault RC
Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007...
15–10.
Season synopsis
This year's edition of the Top 14 welcomed AgenSU Agen Lot-et-Garonne
Sporting 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...
, winners of the 2010
2009–10 Rugby Pro D2 season
The 2009–10 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2009–10 season. It ran alongside the 2009–10 Top 14 competition; both competitions were operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby ....
title in the second-level Pro D2
Rugby Pro D2
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...
and returning to the top flight three years after being relegated, and 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...
, victors in the 2009 promotion playoffs between the second- through fifth-placed teams. They took the place of Montauban
US Montauban
US 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...
and 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...
, relegated at the end of the 2009–10 Top 14
2009–10 Top 14 season
Stade de France was listed as an alternate home for Stade Français because the club hosted five of their 13 home matches this season at the national stadium. Similarly, Stadium Municipal was listed as an alternate home for Toulouse, who normally play two Top 14 matches a year at that facility...
.
Of the two promoted teams, Agen survived, while La Rochelle were tentatively relegated after finishing second-from-bottom. The other relegated side were Bourgoin
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...
, which had barely avoided bankruptcy in the previous season. Their financial struggles continued, and they were docked 5 points for their financial issues. The deduction was ultimately immaterial, as even without it they would have finished more than 20 points adrift of 13th-place La Rochelle.
There was, however, a chance that La Rochelle would be spared the drop. During the season, Stade Français faced major financial issues, temporarily avoiding an administrative relegation in early June 2011 when president Max Guazzini
Max Guazzini
Max Guazzini is a French entrepreneur and until June 2011 president of the Stade Français rugby union club of Paris, who compete in the top division of rugby union in France, the Top 14...
announced a deal in which a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
foundation, working with former France national
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
coach Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte is a rugby union coach and former French Secretary of State for Sport. He is currently the head coach at Toulon, having taken over in 2011 from Philippe Saint-André, who had been named the new head coach of the France national team. Laporte himself is a former head coach of France,...
and an unnamed investor, would purchase a minority stake in the club. However, the planned infusion of €12 million did not materialize; Guazzini and Laporte sued the foundation, and three people had been arrested in connection with the deal as of June 24. On June 27, Guazzini met with the LNR's financial watchdog, DNACG, to discuss the club's situation. Reports indicated that if the club did not find €6.6 million by the time of the meeting, Stade would file for bankruptcy, which would result in an automatic relegation to the nominally amateur 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 French government had announced it would not bail out the club. The meeting ended with the announcement of a new deal by which Guazzini would sell a controlling stake in the club to a group of investors led by French technology executive Jean-Pierre Savare, keeping Stade in the Top 14 and confirming La Rochelle's relegation. As part of the deal, Guazzini stepped aside as club president in favor of Savare's son Thomas.
The season saw signs of a changing of the guard in French rugby, especially in Paris. Racing Métro reasserted itself as a national power, finishing second on the season table. Bayonne went from being reprieved from relegation to playoff contenders, ultimately missing out in the final week of the season. Montpellier went from fighting for survival through much of 2009–10 to finalists this season, winning their quarterfinal and semifinal matches away by 1 point each, and leading Toulouse for most of the final before falling short. In the end, traditional power Toulouse lifted the Bouclier de Brennus.
Previous season
The 2009–10 season saw ClermontASM Clermont Auvergne
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...
, in their 100th season, end decades of frustration by defeating Perpignan
USA Perpignan
Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French...
in the final to claim their first title, having lost in all 10 of their previous final appearances. At the other end of the table, Albi, which had been promoted
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the Top 14 for 2009–10, finished bottom of the table and went down. Bayonne
Aviron Bayonnais
Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition...
finished second-to-bottom but avoided relegation when it was revealed that 12th-placed Montauban were filing for bankruptcy and would therefore be automatically relegated. The other newly promoted team in 2009–10, Racing Métro, enjoyed a very successful season, finishing sixth, and qualified to the quarter-finals where they narrowly lost to eventual champions Clermont.
Competition format
Each club played every other club twice. The second half of the season was conducted in the same order as the first, with the club at home in the first half of the season away in the second. This season maintained the format introduced the previous season for the knockout stage: the top two teams qualified directly to the semifinals, while teams ranked from third to sixth qualified for a quarterfinal held at the home ground of the higher-ranked team. Semifinals are traditionally held at neutral sites; this season, both were held at Stade VélodromeStade Vélodrome
The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,...
in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
. The final was held at Stade de France.
Going into the season, the top six clubs are guaranteed of berths in the following season's Heineken Cup. The winners of the 2010–11 Heineken Cup
2010–11 Heineken Cup
The 2010–11 Heineken Cup was the 16th season of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby...
and European Challenge Cup
2010–11 Amlin Challenge Cup
The 2010–11 Amlin Challenge Cup was the 15th season of the European Challenge Cup, Europe's second tier club rugby union competition, and the second to be sponsored by the British insurance company Amlin. The tournament began on 7 October 2010, with the final played on 20 May 2011 at Cardiff City...
are assured of berths in the 2011–12 Heineken Cup regardless of their league standing, as long as they avoid relegation. This means that if a club finishes in the top six and wins one of the European competitions, the seventh-place team will gain a Heineken Cup berth. However, if French clubs win both competitions, only five clubs will qualify for the 2011–12 Heineken Cup via their league position because France is capped at seven Heineken Cup places. France can also secure a seventh berth if clubs from England's Aviva Premiership, also capped at seven Heineken Cup places, win both Cup competitions, and the top club in the European Rugby Club Rankings among those not already qualified for the Heineken Cup is from the Top 14. Note, however, that if a winner of one of the European cups is relegated in the same season, LNR will not nominate it for European competition; its place will be taken by a current Top 14 side based on league position.
The bottom two teams are provisionally relegated to Pro D2, with the possibility of one or both of the bottom teams to be reprieved if a team above them fails a postseason financial audit (mandatory for all clubs in the league).
The LNR uses a slightly different bonus points system
Rugby union bonus points system
The Rugby union bonus points system is a method of deciding table points from a rugby union match. It was implemented in order to encourage attacking play throughout a match, to discourage repetitive goal-kicking, and to reward teams for "coming close" in losing efforts...
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, a system that also made it impossible for either team to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. The LNR chose to continue with this system for subsequent seasons.
France's bonus point system operates as follows:
- 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 7 points (or less).
Salary cap
This season was the first in French rugby history to have a fixed salary capSalary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
. Previously, the only restrictions on team salaries were that wage bills were limited to 50% of turnover and that 10% of the salary budget had to be held in reserve. In December 2009, LNR announced that team payrolls would be limited to €8 million in 2010–11, and that the reserve requirement would be increased to 20%. The previous limitation of 50% of turnover remained in effect. However, rugby journalist Ian Moriarty dismissed the cap as "little more than a bit of sleight of hand by the LNR to appease a sporting public", noting that the announced cap was 5% greater than the highest official wage bill in the 2009–10 Top 14, and translated to £7.1 million at the time of announcement, well above the then-current £4 million cap in the English Premiership. Moriarty also added that clubs would likely find ways around the cap, noting, "Last season [2008–09], it's rumoured that one big, overseas name was paid less than 40% of his total income as a salary."
Domestic player rules
LNR also announced new rules requiring a minimum percentage of French players on team rosters. Under the new policy, "French players" are defined as those meeting the following criteria:- Players 21 or over must have been registered with the French Rugby Federation (FFR) for at least five years before having turned 21.
- Players currently under 21 must have spent at least three seasons in an FFR-approved training centre.
The required percentage of French players was 40% this season, and will increase to 50% in 2011–12 and 60% in 2012–13.
Tax issues
A change in French tax law that took effect on 1 July 2010 raised concerns about the financial future of smaller clubs. The root of this issue is a French law known as DIC (Droit à l'Image Collectif), passed in 2004, that had allowed all French professional sports clubs to treat 30% of each player's salary as image rights. This portion of the salary was thus exempt from France's high employment and social insurance taxes, allowing French clubs to compete on a more equal financial footing with those in other European countries. However, the government announced in 2009 that it would suspend DIC.The policy change was publicly criticized by wealthy club owners. Mourad Boudjellal
Mourad Boudjellal
Mourad Boudjellal is a French businessman, the proprietor of comic publisher Soleil Productions.He was born on 5 June 1960 in Toulon, France. He is currently the President of the Toulon Rugby Union club.-References:...
of Toulon
RC Toulonnais
RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, who claimed that the change in the law would cost him more than €1 million in 2010–11, and Paul Goze of Perpignan
USA Perpignan
Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French...
took to the pitch before one of their matches to participate in a protest. Max Guazzini
Max Guazzini
Max Guazzini is a French entrepreneur and until June 2011 president of the Stade Français rugby union club of Paris, who compete in the top division of rugby union in France, the Top 14...
of Stade Français complained that the end of DIC would cost him about €800,000. However, the real concern in French rugby circles was for the potential blow to smaller clubs. Bourgoin
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...
, who only avoided a bankruptcy filing in 2009 by players agreeing to large wage cuts, faced an effective increase of €400,000 in their 2010–11 expenses. Brive
CA Brive
Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on...
had already announced that they would slash their budget by 40% for the 2010–11 season, but with a 2009–10 wage bill of €7.2 million and several high-profile players locked into long-term contracts, the increased tax bill was speculated to be a serious problem for the club.
Financial troubles at Bourgoin
Bourgoin's financial struggles became a major issue during the early summer of 2010. The club had been called in for a financial review by LNR's financial watchdog DNACG late in the 2009–10 season, which they survived with no action taken at that time. However, after the fixture list for the 2010–11 season was released, DNACG denied Bourgoin a professional license. Bourgoin appealed this ruling, and also considered pursuing legal action against LNR. Had Bourgoin been unsuccessful in their bid to stave off relegation, the choice of the team to replace them would not have been straightforward, as the most logical choice, AlbiSC 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...
, who had been relegated after finishing at the bottom of the 2009–10 table, were facing their own financial problems and may not have had the resources for a Top 14 campaign. However, the FFR officially rescinded the DNACG's ruling on July 9, allowing Bourgoin to stay in the Top 14, thus also confirming Albi's place in Pro D2.
The teams
| Team | Captain | Head coach | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agen SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne Sporting 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... |
 Adri Badenhorst |
 Christophe DeylaudChristophe Deylaud Christophe Deylaud is a former French rugby union footballer and a current coach. He played as a fly-half and as a centre.... Christian Lanta |
Stade Armandie Stade Armandie Stade Armandie is a multi-purpose stadium in Agen, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of SU Agen. The stadium is able to hold 14,000 people.... |
14,600 |
| Bayonne Aviron Bayonnais Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition... |
Pépito Elhorga Pepito Elhorga Pépito Elhorga is a French rugby player.He currently plays for Aviron Bayonnais in the Top 14 club competition, and previously played for Biarritz Olympique and SU Agen. He was a member of France's 2003 Rugby World Cup squad. He has 18 caps and has scored 3 tries for France.-External links:* *... |
Christian Gajan |
Stade Jean-Dauger Garage de la Nive Stade Jean Dauger is a multi-purpose stadium in Bayonne, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Aviron Bayonnais. After a renovation project completed in 2009, the stadium can hold 16,934, with 10,733 seated.... |
16,934 |
| Biarritz Biarritz Olympique Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup... |
Imanol Harinordoquy Imanol Harinordoquy Imanol Harinordoquy is a French rugby union player who typically plays as a number 8 for Biarritz at club level in the Top 14 and for France internationally... |
 Jack Isaac and Jean-Michel GonzalezJean-Michel Gonzalez Jean-Michel Gonzalez , nicknamed Gonzo, is a former French rugby union footballer and a current coach. He played as a hooker and as a prop.... |
Parc des Sports Aguiléra Parc des Sports Aguiléra Parc des Sports Aguiléra is a multi-purpose stadium in Biarritz, France. The stadium is able to hold 15,000 people. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Biarritz Olympique.... |
15,000 |
| Bourgoin 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... |
Julien Frier Julien Frier Julien Frier is a French rugby union player and currently the captain of the Top 14 team CS Bourgoin-Jallieu.After four years spent with Bourgoin, Frier signed for the nearby rival club FC Grenoble... |
Éric Catinot |
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.... |
9,441 |
| Brive CA Brive Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on... |
Antonie Claassen |
Ugo Mola |
Stade Amédée-Domenech | 15,000 |
| Castres Castres Olympique Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906... |
Alexandre Albouy Alexandre Albouy Alexandre Albouy is a French rugby union player, currently playing for the Top 14 team Castres Olympique.A scrum-half, Albouy went through the different levels of Castres – his home town – youth teams before signing his first professional contract in 1998... Sébastien Tillous-BordeSébastien Tillous-Borde Sébastien Tillous-Borde is a French rugby union player. He plays scrum-half for his club rugby with Castres Olympique. He won his first international cap for France against Australia in 2008.-Notes:... |
Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers |
Stade Pierre-Antoine Stade Pierre-Antoine Stade Pierre-Antoine is a multi-purpose stadium in Castres, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Castres Olympique. The stadium is able to hold 11,500 people.-External links:*... |
11,500 |
| Clermont ASM Clermont Auvergne Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club... |
Aurélien Rougerie Aurélien Rougerie Aurélien Rougerie plays on the wing and Centre for France and captains ASM Clermont Auvergne in the French Top 14.-Career:Rougerie was born in Beaumont, Puy-de-Dôme... |
 Vern Cotter |
Parc des Sports Marcel-Michelin Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin is a multi-purpose stadium in Clermont-Ferrand, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of ASM Clermont Auvergne. The stadium is able to hold 18,030 people.-External links:*... |
16,334 |
| Montpellier Montpellier Hérault RC Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007... |
Fulgence Ouedraogo Fulgence Ouedraogo Fulgence Ouedraogo is a French rugby union footballer. He currently plays for Montpellier Hérault RC in the Top 14 championship. His usual position is as a flanker.... |
Fabien Galthié Fabien Galthié Fabien Galthié is a French rugby union coach and former player. His usual position was at scrum-half. He played much of his club rugby for Colomiers, and later on in his career, Stade Français. Galthié won 64 caps for France, including four Rugby World Cup appearances, as well as captaining the... |
Stade Yves-du-Manoir Stade Yves-du-Manoir (Montpellier) Stade Yves-du-Manoir is a multi-use stadium in Montpellier, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Montpellier Hérault RC. The stadium is able to hold 14,700 spectators . Rugby League side Catalans Dragons used the venue on 5th June 2011 with their... |
15,000 |
| Perpignan USA Perpignan Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French... |
Nicolas Mas Nicolas Mas Nicolas Mas is a Catalan/French rugby union footballer, who currently plays for the USA Perpignan club in the Top 14 French premiership. His usual position is at prop. He also plays for the French national team.... |
Jacques Brunel |
Stade Aimé-Giral Stade Aimé Giral Stade Aimé Giral is a multi-purpose stadium in Perpignan, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of USA Perpignan... |
16,593 |
| Racing Métro | Lionel Nallet Lionel Nallet Lionel Nallet is a French rugby union player who currently plays at lock for Racing Métro 92 in the French Top 14 club competition and is a former captain of the France national team. He began his professional career with CS Bourgoin-Jallieu, playing there from 1998 to 2003 before moving to... |
Pierre Berbizier Pierre Berbizier Pierre Berbizier is a French former rugby union footballer, and currently head coach of Top 14 side Racing Métro. His usual position was at scrum-half. He played 56 times for France.-Biography:Berbizier was born in Saint-Gaudens... |
Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir The Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir - stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France . Named in memory of French rugby player Yves du Manoir in 1928. Was the main stadium for the 1924 Summer Olympics and had a capacity of 45,000 at the time... |
14,000 |
| 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... |
 Robert MohrRobert Mohr Robert Mohr is a German international rugby union player, playing professionally in France for the newly promoted Top 14 club La Rochelle and for the German national rugby union team... |
Serge Milhas |
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... |
12,500 |
| Stade Français |  Sergio ParisseSergio Parisse Sergio Parisse is an Italian Argentine rugby union rugby player. He was the first Italian rugby union player to be nominated for the IRB International player of the year... |
Michael Cheika Michael Cheika Michael Cheika is a former Australian rugby union player and is a Heineken Cup winning coach and entrepreneur. He is the head coach of Stade Français since his appointment in 2010. He is of Lebanese origin -Other Clubs:... |
Stade Charléty Stade Sebastien Charlety Stade Sebastien Charléty, known simply as Stade Charléty or just Charléty, is a multi-use stadium in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, France. Officially, the current capacity of the stadium is 20,000 people. The stadium opened in 1938 and was designed by French architect Bernard Zehrfuss... |
20,000 |
| Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... |
80,000 | |||
| Toulon RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur... |
Joe van Niekerk Joe van Niekerk Johann "Joe" van Niekerk is a South African rugby union player, who generally plays either as a flanker or number 8... |
Philippe Saint-André Philippe Saint-André Philippe Georges Saint-André is a former French rugby union footballer who earned 69 test caps for France between 1990 and 1997, 34 of them as captain. His preferred position was wing but he could also play at Fullback. After retiring, Saint-André found success as a rugby coach in both England and... |
Stade Mayol Stade Mayol Stade Mayol is a multi-purpose stadium in Toulon, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of RC Toulonnais. The stadium is able to hold 13,700 people.... |
13,700 |
| Toulouse Stade Toulousain Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps... |
Thierry Dusautoir Thierry Dusautoir Thierry Dusautoir is a French rugby union player who currently plays for France at international level and Toulouse in the French Top 14 club competition. Dusautoir is a strong ball carrier with good speed and strength to get out of tackles.Dusautoir was born in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire... |
Guy Novès Guy Novès Guy Novès is a former French rugby union footballer and current long-serving coach of Stade Toulousain. Born in Toulouse, Novès, who played on the wing, was capped six times for the France national team... |
Stade Ernest-Wallon Stade Ernest-Wallon Stade Ernest-Wallon is a multi-purpose stadium in Toulouse, France. It is currently the home of rugby union team Stade Toulousain. The stadium was built in the late 1980s and was recently renovated. It has a capacity of 19,500. The stadium however is not always suitable for big games... |
19,500 |
| Stadium Municipal | 35,472 |
Note: Stade Francais have moved their home matches from their traditional home of Stade Jean-Bouin
Stade Jean-Bouin
Stade Jean-Bouin is a multi-purpose stadium in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. The facility, across the street from the much larger Parc des Princes, is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Stade Français. Through 2006, it hosted the annual Paris Sevens...
while a new 20,000-seat stadium is built on the site. The new Jean-Bouin is scheduled to open in 2013–14.
Table
| Key to colors | |
| League champions; receive a place in the 2011–12 Heineken Cup Heineken Cup The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,... . |
|
| Top two teams qualify directly to semifinals and receive places in the 2011–12 Heineken Cup Heineken Cup The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,... . |
|
| Third and fourth placed teams play their quarterfinal at home and also receive automatic Heineken Cup berths. | |
| Fifth and sixth placed teams play their quarterfinal away and also receive automatic Heineken Cup berths (but see note 1 below). | |
| Bottom two teams relegated to Rugby Pro D2 Rugby Pro D2 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... . |
| 2010–11 Top 14 Table | |||||||||||
| Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points for | Points against | Bonus points | Points | Head-to-head | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toulouse Stade Toulousain Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps... |
26 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 664 | 485 | 12 | 82 | ||
| 2 | Racing Métro | 26 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 674 | 549 | 10 | 78 | ||
| 3 | Castres Castres Olympique Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906... |
26 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 617 | 487 | 10 | 76 | ||
| 4 | Clermont ASM Clermont Auvergne Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club... |
26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 600 | 445 | 12 | 72 | Clermont: 10 Biarritz: 9 Montpellier: 9 |
|
| 5 | Biarritz Biarritz Olympique Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup... |
26 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 647 | 571 | 10 | 72 | Biarritz 5–4 | |
| 6 | Montpellier Montpellier Hérault RC Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007... |
26 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 602 | 495 | 10 | 72 | ||
| 7 | Bayonne Aviron Bayonnais Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition... |
26 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 569 | 508 | 7 | 71 | ||
| 8 | Toulon RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur... |
26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 559 | 469 | 10 | 70 | ||
| 9 | Perpignan USA Perpignan Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French... |
26 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 538 | 543 | 5 | 63 | ||
| 10 | Agen SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne Sporting 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... |
26 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 534 | 677 | 5 | 51 | ||
| 11 | Stade Français | 26 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 562 | 614 | 7 | 49 | ||
| 12 | Brive CA Brive Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on... |
26 | 8 | 2 | 16 | 495 | 578 | 10 | 46 | ||
| 13 | 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... |
26 | 6 | 1 | 19 | 476 | 673 | 7 | 33 | ||
| 14 | Bourgoin 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... |
26 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 379 | 822 | 3 | 6 | ||
- : On January 4, Bourgoin were deducted five points by the DNACG because of a predicted deficit of 1.5 million euros. Bourgoin first decided to appeal this decision on January 10 before changing their minds on February 8, causing the point deduction to stand.
Notes
- It was possible that the sixth-place team on the table would not qualify for the Heineken Cup. However, it would have occurred only if French teams had won both the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup, both of these teams had finished outside the top six on the league table and avoided relegation, and the sixth-place team had not advanced to the Top 14 final (under LNR regulations, the participants in the final receive the first two priority spots on its Heineken Cup entry list, ahead of a French Heineken Cup winner). This did not happen in 2010–11.
- Conversely, if the only French team to win a European trophy finished in the top six, or if both European trophy winners finished in the top six, the seventh-place finisher would receive a Heineken Cup berth. This also did not happen in 2010–11, as the cup winners were Leinster (Ireland, Heineken Cup) and Harlequins (England, Challenge Cup).
Results
As in recent seasons, several teams took occasional home matches to larger stadiums, either in their home city or a nearby location. In addition to Stade Français and Toulouse, whose use of larger venues is long-established, the following teams took home matches to other venues:- Castres — Round 2 vs. Toulouse, Stade de la MéditerranéeStade de la MéditerranéeStade 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....
, BéziersBéziersBéziers 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... - Toulon — Round 7 vs. Clermont and Round 25 vs. Toulouse, Stade VélodromeStade VélodromeThe Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,...
, MarseilleMarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of... - Bourgoin — Round 12 vs. Toulouse and Round 20 vs. Racing Métro, Stade des AlpesStade des AlpesStade des Alpes is a football stadium in Grenoble, France. The stadium holds 20,068 and hosts the home games of Grenoble Foot 38.Situated in Parc Paul Mistral, it replaced their stadium Stade Lesdiguières....
, GrenobleGrenobleGrenoble 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... - Bayonne — Round 20 vs. Toulouse, Estadio AnoetaEstadio AnoetaAnoeta is a multi-purpose stadium in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Real Sociedad. In recent years, it has also been used for occasional Heineken Cup rugby union fixtures by nearby French club Biarritz Olympique...
, Donostia-San SebastiánSan SebastiánDonostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... - Biarritz — Round 22 vs. Bayonne, Estadio Anoeta
- Racing Métro — Round 22 vs. Toulouse, Stade de FranceStade de FranceThe Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
, Saint-DenisSaint-DenisSaint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
Key
The score of the game is given by the middle (third and fourth) columns. The first and last columns indicate the number of tries scored by the home and the away team, respectively. A blue border indicates that the team has earned an attacking bonus point (i.e. has scored at least three more tries than its opponent), a yellow one that the team has earned a defensive bonus point (defeat by 7 points or less).Within each round, matches are listed in order of kickoff time. Matches with the same kickoff time are listed in alphabetic order of the home team. A dark horizontal line separates matches held on different dates.
<>mall>13 and 14 August
|
<>mall>20 and 21 August
|
<>mall>27 and 28 August
|
<>mall>1 September
|
<>mall>5 September
|
<>mall>10 and 11 September
|
<>mall>17 and 18 September
|
<>mall>24 and 25 September
|
<>mall>1 and 2 October
|
>small>22 and 23 October
|
>small>29 and 30 October
|
>small>4 November
|
>small>3–5 November
|
>small>29 December
|
>small>2 January
|
>small>7–9 January
|
>small>26 and 27 January
|
>small>11 and 12 February
|
>small>18 and 19 February
|
>small>4 and 5 March
|
>small>11 March
|
>small>25–27 March
|
>small>1 and 2 April
|
>small>15 and 16 April
|
>small>22 and 23 April
|
>small>7 May
|
Playoffs
All times are in Central European Summer TimeCentral European Summer Time
Central European Summer Time is one of the names of the Daylight saving time offset using the UTC offset of UTC+02:00, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used as a summer daylight saving time in most European countries. During the winter, Central European Time is used...
(UTC+2).
Quarter-finals
----Semi-finals
----Final
Top points scorers
| Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Wisniewski Jonathan Wisniewski Jonathan Wisniewski is a French rugby union fly-half, currently playing for the Top 14 team Racing Métro.-Club career:... |
Racing Métro | 336 |
| Romain Teulet Romain Teulet Romain Teulet is a French rugby union player, currently playing for the Top 14 team Castres Olympique.... |
Castres Castres Olympique Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906... |
326 |
 Martín Bustos MoyanoMartin Bustos Moyano Martín Bustos Moyano is an Argentine rugby union footballer, currently with the French Top 14 club Montpellier. He plays in both the fullback and wing positions. In May 2010 he was selected in a squad of over 40 players to represent Argentina in the two-test Summer tour of Argentina.-External... |
Montpellier Montpellier Hérault RC Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007... |
283 |
 Jonny WilkinsonJonny Wilkinson Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players... |
Toulon RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur... |
274 |
| Jérôme Porical Jérôme Porical Jérôme Porical is a professional rugby union fullback currently playing for USA Perpignan in the Top 14. Both his grandfather Paul and his father Gérald played for Perpignan, Paul reaching three French championship finals and winning one in 1938, and Gérald losing the 1977 final... |
Perpignan USA Perpignan Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French... |
268 |
| Dimitri Yachvili Dimitri Yachvili Dimitri Yachvili is a French rugby union footballer who currently plays scrum-half for Biarritz and France.Of Georgian descent, his father Michel was a French international before him... |
Biarritz Biarritz Olympique Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup... |
256 |
| Benjamin Boyet Benjamin Boyet Benjamin Boyet is a French rugby union footballer, currently playing in the top division of domestic French rugby, for Bayonne... |
Bayonne Aviron Bayonnais Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition... |
233 |
| David Skrela David Skrela David Skrela is a French rugby union footballer. He plays for the French national side and for ASM Clermont Auvergne as a fly-half or centre. He is renowned for his tackles and his kick.... |
Toulouse Stade Toulousain Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps... |
215 |
| Mathieu Bélie Mathieu Bélie Mathieu Bélie is a French rugby union footballer, currently playing for CA Brive in the top division of French rugby, the Top 14. His usual position is as a Fly-half but with his new club he plays as Scrum-half. Prior to joining CA Brive he played for Stade Toulousain which he won Top 14 in 2008... |
Brive CA Brive Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on... |
197 |
| Julien Dupuy Julien Dupuy Julien Dupuy born 19 December 1983 is a rugby union player for Stade Français in the Top 14.Julien Dupuy plays as a Scrum-half.Julien Dupuy played for Biarritz and Toulouse in the French Top 14 for 7 seasons before joining Leicester Tigers in 2008... |
Stade Français | 179 |
Top try scorers
| Player | Team | Tries |
|---|---|---|
| Maxime Médard Maxime Médard Maxime Médard is a French rugby union player who plays his club rugby for French club Stade Toulousain in Top 14 and France internationally. He can play as both a fullback and on the wing and is described by assistant national team coach Emile Ntamack as an "incredible talent" that, during the... |
Toulouse Stade Toulousain Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps... |
15 |
| Yoann Huget Yoann Huget Yoann Huget is a French rugby union footballer. He plays as a wing or fullback for Bayonne.He started his rugby career playing for Stade Toulousain in the 2005–06 Top 14 season. He scored his first try in November 2006 against CA Brive. He joined SU Agen in the 2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 competition... |
Bayonne Aviron Bayonnais Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition... |
12 |
| Julien Malzieu Julien Malzieu Julien Malzieu born 4 May 1983 in Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne, France is a rugby union and sevens player for ASM Clermont Auvergne in the Top 14 competition.-Career:... |
Clermont ASM Clermont Auvergne Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club... |
11 |
 Timoci NagusaTimoci Nagusa Timoci Nagusa is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He plays as a wing. He plays his rugby for French club, Montpelier. He is 1.88m and weighs 88 kg. He worked as a Police constable in Fiji before his rugby career took off... |
Montpellier Montpellier Hérault RC Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007... |
11 |
| Marc Andreu Marc Andreu Marc Andreu is a French rugby union player. Andreu, who is a wing, plays his club rugby for Castres Olympique. He made his debut for France against Wales on 26 February 2010. He scored his first international try against Italy in a 2010 Six Nations Championship match on 14 March 2010.-External... |
Castres Castres Olympique Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906... |
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 Takudzwa NgwenyaTakudzwa Ngwenya Takudzwa Ngwenya is a rugby union player who plays on the wing for the United States national rugby union team and French power Biarritz... |
Biarritz Biarritz Olympique Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup... |
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 Joe TekoriJoe Tekori Iosefa Tekori is a Samoan rugby union international player. He currently plays for the Castres Olympique in the Top 14 in France. He plays as a No.8.-External links:*... |
Castres Castres Olympique Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906... |
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| Yoan Audrin |
Castres Castres Olympique Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906... |
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| Sireli Bobo Sireli Bobo Isireli Bobo is a Fijian rugby union footballer, currently playing for the Paris club Racing Métro 92 in the Top 14 club competition in France.-Career:... |
Racing Métro | 8 |
| Ollie Phillips Ollie Phillips (rugby union) Ollie Phillips is a rugby union footballer who plays at wing or full back for Stade Français and England Sevens.- External links :*... |
Stade Français | 8 |
See also
- 2010–11 Rugby Pro D2 season2010–11 Rugby Pro D2 seasonAgen, 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...
- 2010–11 Heineken Cup2010–11 Heineken CupThe 2010–11 Heineken Cup was the 16th season of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby...
- Match Attd
External links
Ligue Nationale de Rugby – Official website- Top 14 on Planetrugby.com