Racing Metro 92 Paris
Encyclopedia
Racing Métro 92 is a French rugby union
club based in suburban Paris that was formed in 2001 with the collaboration of the Racing Club de France
and US Métro. "92" is the number of Hauts-de-Seine
, the département of Île-de-France
, bordering Paris
to the west, where they play, and whose council gives financial backing to the club. They currently play in the Top 14, having been promoted
as 2008–09 champions of Rugby Pro D2
. Racing Métro play at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir
stadium at Colombes
, where the France national team
played for several decades.
the USFSA
organised the first ever French rugby championship, a one off game between Racing and Stade Français. The game was refereed by Pierre de Coubertin
and saw Racing win 4–3. Racing were awarded the Bouclier de Brennus
, which is still awarded to the winners of the French championship today.
Both clubs would contest the championship game the following season as well, though in 1893 it would be Stade Français who would win the event, defeating the Racing Club 7–3. Stade went onto dominate the following years and the Racing Club would make their next final appearance in the 1898 season, where they met Stade yet again. However the title was awarded after a round-robin with six clubs. Stade Français won with 10 points, Racing came in second with 6.
Racing contested the 1900 season final against the Stade Bordelais
club, as provincial clubs had been allowed to compete in 1899. Racing easily won the match, defeating Stade Bordelais 37–7. The two clubs would meet again in the 1902 championship game, where Racing would again win, 6–0. A decade passed until Racing Club made another championship final, which would be on 31 March 1912, where they would play Toulouse
in Toulouse
. They lost the match 8–6.
Due to World War I the French championship was replaced with a competition called the Coupe de l'Espérance
. The Racing Club won the competition in 1918, defeating FC Grenoble
22 points to 9. Normal competition resumed for the 1920 season. That season the Racing Club made their first final since 1912, though they lost 8 to 3 to Stadoceste Tarbais
, a club from the Pyrénées.
After the 1920 season, the Racing Club would not win any championships for a number of years. In 1931 they created the Challenge Yves du Manoir
competition. In the 1950s the club had some success, making their first championship final in 30 years, losing to Castres Olympique
, 11 points to 8, becoming runners-up in the Challenge Yves du Manoir and winning the Challenge Rutherford in the 1952 season. After losing the 1957 final to FC Lourdes
, the club then won the championship in the 1959 season, defeating Mont-de-Marsan
8 points to 3.
The Racing Club would next play in the championship final in the 1987 season, where they met Toulon
at Parc des Princes
in Paris. Toulon won the match 15 points to 12. Three seasons later the Racing Club defeated Agen
22 to 12 in Paris, capturing their first title since the 1959 season.
But in the wake of the 1990 title, Racing Club had a hard time adapting to the professional era and started to decline, until they were relegated to Division 2 at the end of the 1995–96 season. They jumped back to the top tier in 1998 but went down again in 2000 and played in Division 2 for most of the next decade. In 2001 the rugby section split off from the general sports club to merge with the rugby section of US Métro, the Paris public transport sports club, to form the current professional concern, known as Racing Métro 92. Both Racing Club de France and US Métro retained their other amateur general sports sections.
Racing Métro 92’s president is Jacky Lorenzetti, who heads a giant real estate company called Foncia. When Lorenzetti took over in 2006, the board set goals of bringing Racing into the Top 14 within the next two years and into the Heineken Cup
by 2011. They missed their Top 14 goal by one year, not entering the top flight until 2009, but achieved their Heineken Cup goal by qualifying for the 2010–11 edition.
After 2003 the Challenge Yves du Manoir has been taken over by Racing Club as a youth competition for under 15s clubs. Racing Club de France provided 76 players to the national team, including 12 captains. It is second only to Stade Toulousain
(almost 100) in that category. Three Racingmen played in France’s first international match against the All Blacks on 1 January 1906. Laurent Cabannes
, a France flanker, also played for Harlequins
.
in the affluent western district of Paris. As the club's name, Racing, indicates, it was modelled after the fashionable English sports organisations, whose ideal of mens sana in corpore sano
(a healthy mind in a healthy body) appealed very much to its members. Many of them were actually aristocrats, and four nobles took part in the first championship final. Although fewer aristocrats belong to the club now, it is still very complicated to join it, and the identity and image is one of exclusivity.
Racing Club has also always defended the amateur spirit of the game and of sports in general. The creation of the Challenge Yves du Manoir
responded to this ideal in a period (late 1920s-early 1930s) where French rugby was marred by violence and creeping professionalism. Yves du Manoir
symbolized the romantic side of rugby, its carefree dimension, le jeu pour le jeu (playing for the fun of playing).
with berets on their heads as a tribute to the tradition of attacking play of the Basque club Aviron Bayonnais
(11 Jan 1987). As members of a gang which they called le show bizz, they played other matches with black make-up on (10 April 1988 at Stade Toulousain
), hair dyed yellow, bald caps (26 Feb 1989 against Béziers
), wigs and even dressed up as pelote players (white shirts, black jackets and berets, again) in March 1990 at Biarritz Olympique
. In April 1989, they wore long red and white striped shorts to celebrate the sans-culotte who took the Bastille
on 14 July 1789
. They wore long white trousers to look like players of old in the French championship semi-final on 26 April 1987—and won. Their best prank was in the next game though: they played the 1987 final against Toulon
with a pink bow tie (2 May). Just before kick-off, Lafond presented French president François Mitterrand
, who always attended the national final, with one of those bow ties. They lost that match but went on to play the 1990 final with the same bow ties. At half-time, they had a drink of champagne on the pitch to recover from the efforts of the first half—and won the club’s most recent top-flight title!
They were also famous for their love of nightlife, which attracted a lot of criticism, especially because so many of them had international duties with France. All this contributed to the image of Racing Club as an eccentric institution, but these players have also been seen as trail blazers for Stade Français’s president Max Guazzini
, who a few years later, took up the provocative (such as the use of the pink colour) and imaginative spirit to boost his club’s image and shake off the conservative traditionalism of French rugby.
As the club hit the front pages, five players capitalised on the success and went on to start a now famous sportswear clothing business called Eden Park (after the famous Auckland stadium) in late 1987. It uses a pink bowtie as its logo and has established itself as a leading brand in France thanks to its combination of elegance and eccentricity (pink, of course, and sky-blue are among the favourites), competing with the likes of Tommy Hilfiger
, Ralph Lauren
, Lacoste and Marlboro Classics
. Thus Eden Park’s expensive rugby polo shirts are a must for French rugby fans. Their development was boosted when the French Federation chose them as official suppliers of France’s formal wear in 1998. The company boasts 270 outlets throughout the world. One of them is in Richmond as Eden Park developed a partnership with Harlequins
. Others are to be found in Northampton
, Leeds
, Belfast
, Dublin and Cardiff
. In 2003, Eden Park became the official supplier of the Welsh Rugby Union
’s formal wear for the World Cup in Australia. Eden Park is also directly involved in the Racing Métro club since one of its founders, Eric Blanc—who happens to be Franck Mesnel’s brother-in-law— is the club’s vice-president.
This particular period ended in the early 1990s when those players left the club. Racing then spent several years in the second division, but retained plenty of ambition. In 2007–08
, Racing finished second on the ladder to equally ambitious Toulon
, but fell short of promotion with an extra-time loss to Mont-de-Marsan
in the Pro D2 promotion playoff final. The following year saw Racing's ambitions realized with a romp to the Pro D2 crown, clinching promotion with four rounds to spare.
In their return to the top flight in 2009–10
, Racing finished sixth on the regular-season table, two spots ahead of their Parisian rivals, securing the final spot in the newly expanded playoffs—despite actually being outscored by their opponents on the season. This finish also gave Racing a place in the 2010–11 Heineken Cup. Their season ended with a 21–17 first-round loss at eventual champions Clermont
. The 2010–11 season
saw Racing emphatically reestablish themselves as the top club in Paris, finishing second on the regular-season table to Stade Français' 11th.
Lorenzetti's model for success has been to combine young French talent with big-name imports. More significantly, while he has largely bankrolled the team during the first years of his tenure as president, he is committed to making the club self-supporting. To that end, he is building a new 32,000-seat stadium for the club in the Paris suburb of Nanterre
, near La Défense
. The new ground, currently known as Arena 92
and set to open in 2014, is being marketed as a future venue for major concerts, which would potentially provide Racing with substantial non-match revenue.
(from
Stade Français) Sébastien Descons (from Pau
) Alexandre Dumoulin (from Bourgoin
) Fabrice Estebanez
(from Brive
) Gaëtan Germain (from Bourgoin
) Juan Imhoff (from
Duendes
)
Simon Raiwalui
Fabrice Culine Jérôme Fillol
(to Stade Français) Carlo Festuccia
(to
Aironi
) Andrea Masi
(to Aironi
)
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 based in suburban Paris that was formed in 2001 with the collaboration of the Racing Club de France
Racing Club de France
Racing Club de France can refer to:*the former name of Racing Métro rugby union club*the former name of Racing Club de Paris football club*the former name of the basketball club Paris Basket Racing, a predecessor to today's Paris-Levallois Basket...
and US Métro. "92" is the number of Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine is designated number 92 of the 101 départements in France. It is part of the Île-de-France region, and covers the western inner suburbs of Paris...
, the département of Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
, bordering Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to the west, where they play, and whose council gives financial backing to the club. They currently play in the Top 14, having 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...
as 2008–09 champions of 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...
. Racing Métro play at the Stade 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...
stadium at Colombes
Colombes
Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes ....
, where the France national team
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...
played for several decades.
History
Racing Club was established in 1882 (it became Racing Club de France in 1885) as an athletics club, one of the first in France. New sections were regularly added thereafter (17 as of 2006, accounting for some 20,000 members). A rugby section was founded in 1890, which became an immediate protagonist of the early French championship, to which until 1898 only Parisian teams were invited. On 20 March 1892French Rugby Championship 1892
French Rugby Championship 1892. On 20 March 1892 the USFSA organised the first ever French rugby union championship, a one off game between Racing Club de France and Stade Français. The game was refereed by Pierre de Coubertin and saw Racing win 4–3. Racing were awarded the Bouclier de Brennus,...
the USFSA
Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques
Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques is a former French sports governing body. During the 1890s and early 1900s it organised numerous sports including athletics, cycling, field hockey, fencing, croquet and swimming...
organised the first ever French rugby championship, a one off game between Racing and Stade Français. The game was refereed by Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin was a French educationalist and historian, founder of the International Olympic Committee, and is considered the father of the modern Olympic Games...
and saw Racing win 4–3. Racing were awarded 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...
, which is still awarded to the winners of the French championship today.
Both clubs would contest the championship game the following season as well, though in 1893 it would be Stade Français who would win the event, defeating the Racing Club 7–3. Stade went onto dominate the following years and the Racing Club would make their next final appearance in the 1898 season, where they met Stade yet again. However the title was awarded after a round-robin with six clubs. Stade Français won with 10 points, Racing came in second with 6.
Racing contested the 1900 season final against the Stade Bordelais
Stade Bordelais
Stade Bordelais are a French rugby union club, based in Bordeaux.The club was established in 1889. Bordelais were a major force in the French championship during the 1900s...
club, as provincial clubs had been allowed to compete in 1899. Racing easily won the match, defeating Stade Bordelais 37–7. The two clubs would meet again in the 1902 championship game, where Racing would again win, 6–0. A decade passed until Racing Club made another championship final, which would be on 31 March 1912, where they would play 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...
in Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
. They lost the match 8–6.
Due to World War I the French championship was replaced with a competition called the Coupe de l'Espérance
Coupe de l'Espérance
The Coupe de l'Espérance was a rugby union competition that was played in France to replace the national championship during World War I, as many players were sent to the front. The teams used mostly young boys who had not been drafted yet. The cup was awarded only four times and does not count as...
. The Racing Club won the competition in 1918, defeating FC Grenoble
FC Grenoble
Football Club de Grenoble Alpes Rugby is a French rugby union club which, until recently, competed in the top level of the French league system. They play at Stade Lesdiguières . They wear red and blue.-History:...
22 points to 9. Normal competition resumed for the 1920 season. That season the Racing Club made their first final since 1912, though they lost 8 to 3 to Stadoceste Tarbais
Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby
Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby is a French rugby union team that currently takes part in Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system....
, a club from the Pyrénées.
After the 1920 season, the Racing Club would not win any championships for a number of years. In 1931 they created the Challenge Yves du Manoir
Challenge Yves du Manoir
The Challenge Yves du Manoir was a rugby union club competition that was played in France between 1931 and 2003 under different names. It is named after former player Yves du Manoir.-History:...
competition. In the 1950s the club had some success, making their first championship final in 30 years, losing to Castres Olympique
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...
, 11 points to 8, becoming runners-up in the Challenge Yves du Manoir and winning the Challenge Rutherford in the 1952 season. After losing the 1957 final to FC Lourdes
FC Lourdes
FC Lourdais is a French rugby union club currently competing in the French league system. Formed in 1911 they have won the French league eight times and the French cup six times. They play in the Stade Antoine-Beguere and traditionally wear blue and red jerseys. Their most notable former player is...
, the club then won the championship in the 1959 season, defeating Mont-de-Marsan
Stade Montois
Stade Montois is a French rugby union team that plays in the 2011–12 season in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system.They were founded in 1908 and play in yellow and black...
8 points to 3.
The Racing Club would next play in the championship final in the 1987 season, where they met Toulon
RC Toulonnais
RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
at Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
in Paris. Toulon won the match 15 points to 12. Three seasons later the Racing Club defeated 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...
22 to 12 in Paris, capturing their first title since the 1959 season.
But in the wake of the 1990 title, Racing Club had a hard time adapting to the professional era and started to decline, until they were relegated to Division 2 at the end of the 1995–96 season. They jumped back to the top tier in 1998 but went down again in 2000 and played in Division 2 for most of the next decade. In 2001 the rugby section split off from the general sports club to merge with the rugby section of US Métro, the Paris public transport sports club, to form the current professional concern, known as Racing Métro 92. Both Racing Club de France and US Métro retained their other amateur general sports sections.
Racing Métro 92’s president is Jacky Lorenzetti, who heads a giant real estate company called Foncia. When Lorenzetti took over in 2006, the board set goals of bringing Racing into the Top 14 within the next two years and into the 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,...
by 2011. They missed their Top 14 goal by one year, not entering the top flight until 2009, but achieved their Heineken Cup goal by qualifying for the 2010–11 edition.
After 2003 the Challenge Yves du Manoir has been taken over by Racing Club as a youth competition for under 15s clubs. Racing Club de France provided 76 players to the national team, including 12 captains. It is second only to Stade Toulousain
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...
(almost 100) in that category. Three Racingmen played in France’s first international match against the All Blacks on 1 January 1906. Laurent Cabannes
Laurent Cabannes
Laurent Jean-Marie Cabannes is a former French rugby union footballer. He played as a flanker.Cabannes is usually considered one of the best French flankers of his generation. He played at Section Paloise, Racing Club de France, Western Province, in South Africa, and Harlequin F.C., in England...
, a France flanker, also played for Harlequins
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
.
Aristocratic exclusivity
In France, early organised sports was a matter for rich people. Racing Club became the epitome of the exclusive athletics club, located in the heart of the Bois de BoulogneBois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine...
in the affluent western district of Paris. As the club's name, Racing, indicates, it was modelled after the fashionable English sports organisations, whose ideal of mens sana in corpore sano
Mens sana in corpore sano
Mens sana in corpore sano is a famous Latin quotation, often translated as "A sound mind in a sound body." There is also a sports equipment company with a name based on a twist of this quotation...
(a healthy mind in a healthy body) appealed very much to its members. Many of them were actually aristocrats, and four nobles took part in the first championship final. Although fewer aristocrats belong to the club now, it is still very complicated to join it, and the identity and image is one of exclusivity.
Racing Club has also always defended the amateur spirit of the game and of sports in general. The creation of the Challenge Yves du Manoir
Challenge Yves du Manoir
The Challenge Yves du Manoir was a rugby union club competition that was played in France between 1931 and 2003 under different names. It is named after former player Yves du Manoir.-History:...
responded to this ideal in a period (late 1920s-early 1930s) where French rugby was marred by violence and creeping professionalism. Yves du Manoir
Yves du Manoir
Yves Frantz Loys Marie Le Pelley du Manoir, known as Yves du Manoir was a French rugby player....
symbolized the romantic side of rugby, its carefree dimension, le jeu pour le jeu (playing for the fun of playing).
Modern eccentricity
In a very different vein, much later, in the 1980s, a talented generation of players revived the club’s spirit. They carried it back to the top of French rugby thanks to their performances on the pitch, but they also wanted to bring the fun back into the game, in order to take rugby out of its Parisian anonymity. They did so through a combination of serious football, humour and self-mockery. Their famous antics were invented by the club’s backs (including France flyhalf Franck Mesnel and France wing Jean-Baptiste Lafond) who once played a game in BayonneBayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
with berets on their heads as a tribute to the tradition of attacking play of the Basque club Aviron Bayonnais
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...
(11 Jan 1987). As members of a gang which they called le show bizz, they played other matches with black make-up on (10 April 1988 at Stade Toulousain
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...
), hair dyed yellow, bald caps (26 Feb 1989 against Béziers
AS Béziers Hérault
Association Sportive Béziers Hérault, often referred to by rugby media simply by its location of Béziers, is a French rugby union club preparing to return to the second tier of the country's professional rugby system, Pro D2. They earned promotion as 2011 Fédérale 1 champions...
), wigs and even dressed up as pelote players (white shirts, black jackets and berets, again) in March 1990 at Biarritz Olympique
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...
. In April 1989, they wore long red and white striped shorts to celebrate the sans-culotte who took the Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
on 14 July 1789
Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint...
. They wore long white trousers to look like players of old in the French championship semi-final on 26 April 1987—and won. Their best prank was in the next game though: they played the 1987 final against Toulon
RC Toulonnais
RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
with a pink bow tie (2 May). Just before kick-off, Lafond presented French president François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
, who always attended the national final, with one of those bow ties. They lost that match but went on to play the 1990 final with the same bow ties. At half-time, they had a drink of champagne on the pitch to recover from the efforts of the first half—and won the club’s most recent top-flight title!
They were also famous for their love of nightlife, which attracted a lot of criticism, especially because so many of them had international duties with France. All this contributed to the image of Racing Club as an eccentric institution, but these players have also been seen as trail blazers for Stade Français’s 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...
, who a few years later, took up the provocative (such as the use of the pink colour) and imaginative spirit to boost his club’s image and shake off the conservative traditionalism of French rugby.
As the club hit the front pages, five players capitalised on the success and went on to start a now famous sportswear clothing business called Eden Park (after the famous Auckland stadium) in late 1987. It uses a pink bowtie as its logo and has established itself as a leading brand in France thanks to its combination of elegance and eccentricity (pink, of course, and sky-blue are among the favourites), competing with the likes of Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger
Thomas Jacob "Tommy" Hilfiger is an American fashion designer and founder of the premium lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger.-Early life:...
, Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
, Lacoste and Marlboro Classics
Marlboro Classics
Marlboro Classics is an Italian fashion and lifestyle house. The Brand was established in the mid 1980s. It is produced and distributed by Valentino Fashion Group.-Today:Nowadays they have 2400 points of sales in 42 countries...
. Thus Eden Park’s expensive rugby polo shirts are a must for French rugby fans. Their development was boosted when the French Federation chose them as official suppliers of France’s formal wear in 1998. The company boasts 270 outlets throughout the world. One of them is in Richmond as Eden Park developed a partnership with Harlequins
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
. Others are to be found in Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Dublin and Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. In 2003, Eden Park became the official supplier of the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
’s formal wear for the World Cup in Australia. Eden Park is also directly involved in the Racing Métro club since one of its founders, Eric Blanc—who happens to be Franck Mesnel’s brother-in-law— is the club’s vice-president.
This particular period ended in the early 1990s when those players left the club. Racing then spent several years in the second division, but retained plenty of ambition. In 2007–08
2007-08 Rugby Pro D2 season
The 2007-08 Rugby Pro D2 was a French rugby union club competition. The season ran alongside the 2007-08 Top 14 competition, which is the highest club competition. Both competitions were operated by the Ligue nationale de rugby ....
, Racing finished second on the ladder to equally ambitious Toulon
RC Toulonnais
RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, but fell short of promotion with an extra-time loss to Mont-de-Marsan
Stade Montois
Stade Montois is a French rugby union team that plays in the 2011–12 season in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system.They were founded in 1908 and play in yellow and black...
in the Pro D2 promotion playoff final. The following year saw Racing's ambitions realized with a romp to the Pro D2 crown, clinching promotion with four rounds to spare.
In their return to the top flight in 2009–10
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...
, Racing finished sixth on the regular-season table, two spots ahead of their Parisian rivals, securing the final spot in the newly expanded playoffs—despite actually being outscored by their opponents on the season. This finish also gave Racing a place in the 2010–11 Heineken Cup. Their season ended with a 21–17 first-round loss at eventual champions 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...
. The 2010–11 season
2010–11 Top 14 season
The 2010–11 Top 14 competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby . 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...
saw Racing emphatically reestablish themselves as the top club in Paris, finishing second on the regular-season table to Stade Français' 11th.
Lorenzetti's model for success has been to combine young French talent with big-name imports. More significantly, while he has largely bankrolled the team during the first years of his tenure as president, he is committed to making the club self-supporting. To that end, he is building a new 32,000-seat stadium for the club in the Paris suburb of Nanterre
Nanterre
Nanterre is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located west of the center of Paris.Nanterre is the capital of the Hauts-de-Seine department as well as the seat of the Arrondissement of Nanterre....
, near La Défense
La Défense
La Défense is a major business district of the Paris aire urbaine. With a population of 20,000, it is centered in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
. The new ground, currently known as Arena 92
Arena 92
Arena 92 is a stadium that the French rugby union club Racing Métro 92 plans to build in the western suburbs of Paris. It will replace their current stadium Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir. Due to open in 2014, its rugby capacity will be 32,000; it will also be able to host concerts, with a...
and set to open in 2014, is being marketed as a future venue for major concerts, which would potentially provide Racing with substantial non-match revenue.
Honours
- French championship
- Champion: 1892, 1900, 1902, 1959, 1990
- Finalist: 1893, 1912, 1920, 1950, 1957, 1987
- Challenge Yves du ManoirChallenge Yves du ManoirThe Challenge Yves du Manoir was a rugby union club competition that was played in France between 1931 and 2003 under different names. It is named after former player Yves du Manoir.-History:...
- Finalist: 1952
- Champion under 15: 2005
- Coupe de l'EspéranceCoupe de l'EspéranceThe Coupe de l'Espérance was a rugby union competition that was played in France to replace the national championship during World War I, as many players were sent to the front. The teams used mostly young boys who had not been drafted yet. The cup was awarded only four times and does not count as...
- Champion : 1918
- Division One Group A2/Rugby Pro D2Rugby Pro D2Rugby 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...
- Champion: 1998, 20092008-09 Rugby Pro D2 seasonThe 2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, in the 2008–09 season. It ran alongside the 2008–09 Top 14 competition; both competitions were operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby ....
- Champion: 1998, 2009
- Challenge Rutherford
- Finalist: 1952
French championship
| Date | Winner | Runner up | Score | Venue | Spectators |
| 20 March 1892 | Racing Club de France | Stade Français | 4–3 | Bagatelle, Paris | 2.000 |
| 19 May 1893 | Stade Français | Racing Club de France | 7–3 | Bécon-les-Bruyères | 1.200 |
| 22 April 1900 | Racing Club de France | Stade Bordelais UC | 37–3 | Levallois-Perret | 1.500 |
| 23 March 1902 | Racing Club de France | Stade Bordelais UC | 6–0 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 1.000 |
| 31 March 1912 | Stade Toulousain 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... |
Racing Club de France | 8–6 | Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse | 15.000 |
| 25 April 1920 | Stadoceste Tarbais | Racing Club de France | 8–3 | Route du Médoc, Le Bouscat | 20.000 |
| 16 April 1950 | Castres Olympique 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... |
Racing Club de France | 11–8 | Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse | 25.000 |
| 26 May 1957 | FC Lourdes FC Lourdes FC Lourdais is a French rugby union club currently competing in the French league system. Formed in 1911 they have won the French league eight times and the French cup six times. They play in the Stade Antoine-Beguere and traditionally wear blue and red jerseys. Their most notable former player is... |
Racing Club de France | 16–13 | Stade de Gerland, Lyon | 30.000 |
| 24 May 1959 | Racing Club de France | Stade Montois Stade Montois Stade Montois is a French rugby union team that plays in the 2011–12 season in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system.They were founded in 1908 and play in yellow and black... |
8–3 | Parc Lescure, Bordeaux | 31.098 |
| 22 May 1987 | RC Toulon RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur... |
Racing Club de France | 15–12 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 48.000 |
| 26 May 1990 | Racing Club de France | SU 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... |
22–12 (aet) | Parc des Princes, Paris | 45.069 |
Challenge Yves du Manoir
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up |
| 1952 | Section Paloise Section Paloise Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:... |
round robin | Racing Club de France |
Coupe de l'Espérance
| Date | Winner | Score | Runner-up |
| 1918 | Racing Club de France | 22–9 | FC Grenoble FC Grenoble Football Club de Grenoble Alpes Rugby is a French rugby union club which, until recently, competed in the top level of the French league system. They play at Stade Lesdiguières . They wear red and blue.-History:... |
Pro D2 promotion playoffs
| Date | Winner | Runner up | Score | Venue | Spectators |
| 21 June 2008 | Stade Montois Stade Montois Stade Montois is a French rugby union team that plays in the 2011–12 season in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system.They were founded in 1908 and play in yellow and black... |
Racing Métro 92 | 32–23 (aet) | Stade Municipal de Beaublanc, Limoges | 6,000 |
Famous players
| Agustín Pichot Agustín Pichot Agustín Pichot is a retired Argentine rugby union player, formerly captain of the Argentine team and the English club Bristol. In addition to Bristol, he played for French sides Stade Français and Racing Métro after leaving Argentine team CASI from San Isidro in 1997... Nic Berry Nic Berry Nic Berry is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the London Wasps and will make his debut in the Aviva Premiership in the 2010/11 season.-Career:... Olivier Diomandé Olivier Diomandé Olivier Diomandé is a French-born Ivorian rugby union player. He plays as a hooker.Diomandé played for Club Sportif Annonay , US Romans , Stade Français , RC Nîmes , Bègles-Bordeaux , Montpellier Hérault , Racing Métro 92 and RC Nîmes,... Dan Scarbrough Dan Scarbrough Dan Scarbrough is a rugby union player who plays on the wing or full back for Racing Métro.He was National Division One leading try scorer with Wakefield for two seasons before moving to Leeds Tykes where he continued his try scoring exploits, finishing second in the 2001/2002 list of Zurich... Simon Raiwalui Simon Raiwalui Simon Raiwalui is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for French club Racing Métro 92. He has also represented Fiji on a number of occasions. He has also been included in the Pacific Islanders touring team for Europe in November 2006... Michael Carroll Michael Carroll Michael Carroll may refer to:*Michael Carroll *Michael Carroll *Michael B. Carroll, Pennsylvania politician*Michael Patrick Carroll , New Jersey Assemblyman*Michael W... Geoffrey Abadie Wladimir Aïtoff Wladimir Aïtoff Wladimir Aïtoff was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the French rugby union team, which won the gold medal.-External links:*... André Alvarez Géo André Claude Atcher Alexandre Audebert Alexandre Audebert Alexandre Audebert born 4 August 1977 is a rugby union player for Clermont in the Top 14. He made his debut for France on 28 May 2000 against Romania in Bucharest.-External links:*... David Auradou David Auradou David Auradou is a French rugby union footballer playing Paris club, Stade Français in the élite Top 14 competition. His usual position is at lock... Guy Basquet Guy Basquet Guy Basquet was a French rugby union player, born 13 July 1921 in Layrac and died 1 February 2006 in Agen. He was 1 m 81 and weighed 102 kg, he played third line centre and left flank for Agen.... Pierre Bassagaïtz Louis Béguet Louis Béguet Louis Béguet was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.He was born in Neuf-Mesnil, Nord and died in Nantes.In 1924 he won the silver medal as member of the French team.... Henri Béhotéguy Jean Pierre Beigbeder Laurent Bénézech Laurent Bénézech Laurent Bénézech is a former French rugby union footballer. He played as a prop.Benezech played first at Sporting Club Appaméen, until 1985. He moved then to Stade Toulousain, where he would stay until 1989, moving to Racing Club de France, that he represented for seven years... Francis Biescas Éric Blanc Xavier Blond Stéfan Boize René Bonnefond Éric Bonneval Eric Bonneval Eric Bonneval is a former French rugby union player. He played as a Centre.Eric Bonneval played for Stade Toulousain and Racing Club de France.His usual positions was Centre, although he started his career in France national rugby union teamas a Wing. He earned his first national cap on June 23 ,... Michel Bordagaray François Borde François Borde François Borde was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.He was born in Lourdes and died in Bayonne.In 1920 he won the silver medal as member of the French team.-External links:... Jean-Claude Bourrier Marcel Burgun Marcel Burgun Marcel Henry Burgun was a French rugby union player. He was born on 30 January 1890, in St Petersburg, Russia and died on 2 September 1916 during the First World War... Laurent Cabannes Laurent Cabannes Laurent Jean-Marie Cabannes is a former French rugby union footballer. He played as a flanker.Cabannes is usually considered one of the best French flankers of his generation. He played at Section Paloise, Racing Club de France, Western Province, in South Africa, and Harlequin F.C., in England... Fernand Cazenave Fernand Cazenave Fernand Cazenave was a former French rugby union international and national coach.Cazenave played six times for France as a winger in the 1950s... Denis Charvet Denis Charvet Denis Charvet is a former French rugby union player. He played as a Centre.Denis Charvet played for Stade Toulousain and Racing Club de France. He earned his first national cap on March 1 , 1986 against Wales at Cardiff... Marc Chevalier |
André Chilo André Chilo André Chilo was a French rugby union player and athlete who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.He was born in Bordeaux and died in Barcus.In 1920 he won the silver medal as member of the French rugby team.... Patrice Collazo Patrice Collazo Patrice Collazo is a French rugby union footballer, currently playing in the Top 14 for Racing Métro 92 Paris. He plays as a prop.-External links:*... Jean Conquet René Crabos René Crabos René Crabos was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.He was born in Saint-Sever and died in Saint-Sever.In 1920 he won the silver medal as member of the French team.... Michel Crauste Michel Crauste Michel Crauste Michel Crauste Michel Crauste (born July 6, 1934 in Saint-Laurent-de-Gosse, France is a retired French international rugby union player.He played as a flanker and Number 8 for Racing Club de France and FC Lourdes.... Jean Dachary Murray Dawson Michel Debet John Decrae Francis Desclaux Jean-François Desclaux Christophe Deslandes Philippe Destribatz Pierre Dizabo Carlos Dorval Martos Yves du Manoir Yves du Manoir Yves Frantz Loys Marie Le Pelley du Manoir, known as Yves du Manoir was a French rugby player.... Gérard Dufau Robert Duthen Roger Fédencieu Jérôme Fillol Jérôme Fillol Jérôme Fillol is a French rugby player, who currently plays for Top 14 club Racing Métro.-Honours:*Stade Toulousain**Championnat de France *Stade Français**Top 16 **Top 14 *Racing Métro**Pro D2... Antoine Galibert Pierre Gaudermen Jean-Pierre Genet Henri Giraud Henri Giraud Henri Honoré Giraud was a French general who fought in World War I and World War II. Captured in both wars, he escaped each time.... Jean-François Gourdon Bernard Guerrin Philippe Guillard Adolphe Jauréguy Adolphe Jauréguy Adolphe Jauréguy was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.He was born in Ostabat-Asme and died in Toulouse.In 1924 he won the silver medal as member of the French team.... Pierre Jeanjean Raphaël Jéchoux Jeannot Labeyrie Claude Laborde Jean-Pierre Labro |
Pierre Lacaze Pierre Lacroix Jean-Baptiste Lafond Jean-Baptiste Lafond Jean-Baptiste Lafond is a former French rugby union footballer. He played for the French national team on over 30 occasions. His usual position was either on the wing or at fullback.... Jean-Marc Lafond Gaston Lane Gaston Lane Gaston Lane was a French rugby union player. He was 1 m 68 cm tall and weighed 68 kg.He played right wing three quarter for Racing club de France and for the French national team; at first he also played for AS Bois-Colombes then for the Paris Cosmopolitan Club.He played in the first... Bernard Lartigue Jacques Lartigue Henri Lasserre Vincent Lélano Jean-Patrick Lesobre Roger Lerou Jean Lhospital Thomas Lombard Thomas Lombard Thomas Lombard , is a French rugby rugby union player. Thomas Lombard began playing Rugby Union with Racing but he moved to Stade Français with whom he won four top 14s. After a new title in 2004, he left Paris to played for Worcester Warriors. He then returned to his original club, Racing... Arnaud Marquesuzaa Gérald Martinez Gérald Martinez Gérald Martinez Gérald Martinez Gérald Martinez (born 30 March 1955 in Montréjeau, France is a retired French international rugby union scrum half for Stade Toulousain.Martinez made his international début for France in February 1982, against Wales, but would have to fight with Jerome Gallion,... Jean-Pierre Massebœuf Franck Mesnel Franck Mesnel Franck Mesnel is a former French rugby union footballer. He played as a fly-half and as a centre.Mesnel played for Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Racing Club de France... François Moncla Francis Moulian Allan Henry Muhr Claude Obadia Gérald Orsoni Marc Paillassa Robert Paparemborde Robert Paparemborde Robert Paparemborde, born 5 July 1948 in Pau, France, died 19 April 2001 aged 52, was a rugby union player who was capped 55 times, 5 as captain, for the French national side.... Laurent Pardo Patrice Perron Alexandre Pharamond Alexandre Pharamond Alexandre Pharamond was the captain of the French rugby union team in the early 20th century.He led the team to the Gold Medal in the 1900 Summer Olympics.... Lucien Picau Alain Plantefol Alain Porthault Didier Pouyau |
Hubert Proux de la Rivière Robert Raynal Raymond Rebujen Frantz Reichel Frantz Reichel Frantz Reichel was a French athlete. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens as track and field athlete and at 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris as rugby union footballer.... Jean-Pierre Rives Jean-Pierre Rives Jean-Pierre Rives is a French former rugby union player who won 59 caps for France as a flanker. Although considered too small by some for the position, Rives displayed tremendous courage and flair, epitomising the spirit of French rugby... Yvon Rousset Michel Rouyres Cyril Rutherford Jean-Philippe Saffore André Sahuc Frédéric Saint-Sardos Patrick Serrière Michel Tachdjian Michel Taffary Jérôme Thion Jérôme Thion Jerome Thion is a French rugby union footballer who currently plays for Biarritz Olympique in the Top 14 club competition in France... Franck Tournaire Franck Tournaire Franck Tournaire is a former French international professional rugby union player now playing amateur rugby for US Carcassonne.... Antton Urtizverea Michel Urtizverea Ludovic Valbon Ludovic Valbon Ludovic Valbon is a French rugby union footballer. He currently plays for CA Brive in the Top 14 championship. His usual position is as a centre or on the wing.... Michel Vannier Popoff Varennes Georges Verdier Bernard Viviès Jacky Violle William Zeemuler Carlo Festuccia Carlo Festuccia Carlo Festuccia is an Italian rugby union footballer. He started playing for L'Aquila Rugby, then moved to Gran Rugby. With both teams he competed in the Super 10 in Italy. His usual position is at hooker.... Andrea Masi Andrea Masi Andrea Masi is an Italian rugby union footballer. His usual position is in the centres but he has also played at fly-half and at full-back. He currently plays for the Italian franchise in the RaboDirect Pro12, Aironi... Andrew Mehrtens Andrew Mehrtens Andrew Philip Mehrtens MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, currently playing in France for Béziers, a club in the third-level Fédérale 1 league... Brent Ward Brent Ward Brent Ward is a New Zealand-born rugby union player. A product of Auckland Grammar School and the Auckland University club, he plays for Auckland in the ITM Cup, making his debut in 2002 against Southland... Craig Smith Epi Taione Epi Taione Epi Taione is a Tongan rugby union footballer who currently plays for London Welsh. He normally plays at centre but can cover wing or back row forward.-Rugby career:... |
Squad 2011/12
In for 2011–12
Guillaume BoussèsGuillaume Boussès
Guillaume Boussès is a French rugby union player who currently plays for Racing Metro 92 after signing from Stade Français. He earned his first and last cap for the France national team on 5 February 2006 against Scotland.-Notes:...
(from
Stade Français) Sébastien Descons (from PauSection Paloise
Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:...
) Alexandre Dumoulin (from
BourgoinCS 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...
) Fabrice Estebanez
Fabrice Estebanez
Fabrice Estebanez , is a French rugby league player and now rugby union player. He is a utility back and is able to play center and flyhalf. He has played for his CA Brive before joining Racing Metro 92.-Career:...
(from
BriveCA 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...
) Gaëtan Germain (from
BourgoinCS 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...
) Juan Imhoff (from
DuendesDuendes Rugby Club
Duendes Rugby Club, is a sports club from Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. Although field hockey is the other sport practised, Duendes is more popularly known for its rugby union team.-Rugby:...
)
Out for 2011–12
Dan ScarbroughDan Scarbrough
Dan Scarbrough is a rugby union player who plays on the wing or full back for Racing Métro.He was National Division One leading try scorer with Wakefield for two seasons before moving to Leeds Tykes where he continued his try scoring exploits, finishing second in the 2001/2002 list of Zurich...
Simon Raiwalui
Simon Raiwalui
Simon Raiwalui is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for French club Racing Métro 92. He has also represented Fiji on a number of occasions. He has also been included in the Pacific Islanders touring team for Europe in November 2006...
Fabrice Culine Jérôme Fillol
Jérôme Fillol
Jérôme Fillol is a French rugby player, who currently plays for Top 14 club Racing Métro.-Honours:*Stade Toulousain**Championnat de France *Stade Français**Top 16 **Top 14 *Racing Métro**Pro D2...
(to
Stade Français) Carlo FestucciaCarlo Festuccia
Carlo Festuccia is an Italian rugby union footballer. He started playing for L'Aquila Rugby, then moved to Gran Rugby. With both teams he competed in the Super 10 in Italy. His usual position is at hooker....
(to
AironiAironi
Aironi Rugby are an Italian professional rugby club competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup. They represent the Italian regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.- Home ground :...
) Andrea Masi
Andrea Masi
Andrea Masi is an Italian rugby union footballer. His usual position is in the centres but he has also played at fly-half and at full-back. He currently plays for the Italian franchise in the RaboDirect Pro12, Aironi...
(to
AironiAironi
Aironi Rugby are an Italian professional rugby club competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup. They represent the Italian regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.- Home ground :...
)
Staff 2011/12
- President: Jacky Lorenzetti
- Vice-Presidents:
- General Manager: Pierre BerbizierPierre BerbizierPierre 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...
- Forwards Coach: Philippe Berbizier
- Backs Coach: Simon Mannix
Simon MannixSimon James Mannix is a former rugby union footballer who now serves as an assistant coach for the French Top 14 club Racing Métro 92. Mannix played one test for the New Zealand All Blacks against France in 1994....
Chairmen
| Years | Name | Club | Section |
| 2004 – ...... | Jean-Patrick Lesobre | Racing Club de France Racing Club de France Racing Club de France can refer to:*the former name of Racing Métro rugby union club*the former name of Racing Club de Paris football club*the former name of the basketball club Paris Basket Racing, a predecessor to today's Paris-Levallois Basket... |
Amateurs |
| 2006 – ...... | Jacky Lorenzetti | Racing M92 | Professional |