2019–20 Rugby Pro D2 season
| 2019–20 Pro D2 | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  France |
| Date | 22 August 2019 – May 2020 |
| Matches played | 181 |
| Attendance | 890,361 (average 4,919 per match) |
| Highest attendance | 13,000 Perpignan v Béziers 22 August 2019 |
| Lowest attendance | 1,452 Rouen v Colomiers 10 January 2020 |
| Top point scorer | (Oyonnax) 255 points |
| Top try scorer | (Perpignan)  (Mont-de-Marsan) 9 tries each |
| Official website | |
| www | |
The 2019–20 Rugby Pro D2 was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2019–20 season. It ran alongside the 2019–20 Top 14 competition; both competitions are operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).
Playing was suspended after the 23rd Matchday due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France. The season was officially cancelled without any promotion or relegation on 6 May.[1]
Teams[]
Changes in the lineup from 2018–19 were:
- Bayonne won the 2018–19 Pro D2 title and were thereby automatically promoted to the Top 14. Brive won the Top 14/Pro D2 playoff to secure the second promotion place.
- The two bottom finishers in 2018–19, Massy and Bourg-en-Bresse, were relegated from Pro D2 to Fédérale 1.
- The bottom finisher in the 2018–19 Top 14 season, Perpignan was relegated to Pro D2. Grenoble lost the Top 14/Pro D2 playoff and were therefore relegated.
- Rouen won the 2018–19 Fédérale 1 title and were thereby automatically promoted. Valence Romans, who finished 2nd, was also promoted
Number of teams by regions[]
| Teams | Region or country | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 |  Occitanie |
Béziers, Carcassonne, Colomiers, Montauban, Perpignan |
| 4 |  Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes |
Aurillac, Grenoble, Oyonnax, Valence |
| 3 |  Nouvelle-Aquitaine |
Biarritz, Mont-de-Marsan, Soyaux Angoulême |
| 1 |  Bourgogne-Franche-Comté |
Nevers |
 Brittany |
Vannes | |
 Normandy |
Rouen | |
 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
Provence |
Competition format[]
The regular season uses a double round-robin format, in which each team plays the others home and away.
The LNR uses a slightly different bonus points system from that used in most other rugby competitions. It trialled a new system in 2007–08 explicitly designed to prevent a losing team from earning more than one bonus point in a match,[2] a system that also made it impossible for either team to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. LNR chose to continue with this system for subsequent seasons.[3]
France's bonus point system operates as follows:[4]
- 4 points for a win.
- 2 points for a draw.
- 1 bonus point for winning while scoring at least 3 more tries than the opponent. This replaces the standard bonus point for scoring 4 tries regardless of the match result.
- 1 bonus point for losing by 5 points (or less). The required margin had been 7 points or less until being changed in advance of the 2014–15 season.
Starting with the 2017–18 season, Pro D2 conducts a play-off system identical to the one currently used in Top 14, with the top six teams qualifying for the play-offs and the top two teams receiving byes into the semi-finals. The winner of the play-offs earns the league championship and automatic promotion to the next season's Top 14; the runner-up enters a play-off with the second-from-bottom Top 14 team, with the winner of that play-off taking up the final place in Top 14.[5]
This replaced the previous system in which the top team at the end of the regular season was declared champion, also earning a Top 14 place, while the second- through fifth-place teams competed in promotion play-offs. The play-off semi-finals were played at the home ground of the higher-ranked team. The final was then played on neutral ground, and the winner earned the second ticket to the next Top 14.
Promotion[]
Pro D2 to Top 14[]
As noted above, both promotion places will be determined by play-offs from 2017–18 forward, with the winner of the Pro D2 play-offs earning promotion and the runner-up playing the second-from-bottom Top 14 team for the next season's final Top 14 place.
Fédérale 1 to Pro D2[]
At the same time, LNR and the French Rugby Federation (FFR) changed the promotion process from Fédérale 1 to Pro D2. For three seasons (2017–18 to 2019–20), only one team will be promoted to Pro D2 through the Fédérale 1 competition. The second promotion place will be a "wild card" granted by LNR to a club that meets the following criteria:[5]
- must be located in northern France (with the dividing line running approximately from La Rochelle to Lyon)
- have a long-term development plan
- location in an area that can demographically and economically support a fully professional club
Starting with the 2020–21 season, LNR will create a third professional league, slotting between Pro D2 and Fédérale 1 in the league system.[5]
Relegation[]
Normally, the teams that finish in 15th and 16th places in the table are relegated to Fédérale 1 at the end of the season. In certain circumstances, "financial reasons" may cause a higher-placed team to be demoted instead, or bar a Fédérale 1 team from promotion.
Table[]
The current table for the 2019–20 Rugby Pro D2 is:[6]
| |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Club | Pl | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts | ||||||
| 1 | Colomiers | 23 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 573 | 381 | +192 | 5 | 4 | 77 | ||||||
| 2 | Perpignan | 23 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 671 | 426 | +245 | 8 | 4 | 76 | ||||||
| 3 | Grenoble | 23 | 14 | 1 | 8 | 572 | 399 | +173 | 7 | 2 | 67 | ||||||
| 4 | Oyonnax | 23 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 589 | 414 | +175 | 5 | 6 | 67 | ||||||
| 5 | Nevers | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 520 | 475 | +45 | 4 | 0 | 60 | ||||||
| 6 | Biarritz | 23 | 12 | 1 | 10 | 513 | 451 | +62 | 4 | 5 | 59 | ||||||
| 7 | Soyaux Angoulême | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 430 | 449 | -19 | 3 | 4 | 55 | ||||||
| 8 | Vannes | 23 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 460 | 485 | -25 | 3 | 3 | 54 | ||||||
| 9 | Béziers | 23 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 450 | 453 | -3 | 3 | 3 | 54 | ||||||
| 10 | Mont-de-Marsan | 23 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 499 | 521 | -22 | 2 | 5 | 51 | ||||||
| 11 | Carcassonne | 22 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 469 | 544 | -75 | 1 | 2 | 49 | ||||||
| 12 | Provence | 22 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 408 | 482 | -74 | 3 | 2 | 45 | ||||||
| 13 | Montauban | 22 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 446 | 528 | -82 | 1 | 6 | 41 | ||||||
| 14 | Aurillac | 23 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 429 | 545 | -116 | 2 | 8 | 38 | ||||||
| 15 | Rouen | 23 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 345 | 558 | -213 | 0 | 7 | 31 | ||||||
| 16 | Valence Romans | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 381 | 641 | -260 | 0 | 8 | 20 | ||||||
| Legend: Pos = Position, Pl = Played, W = Won, D = Drawn, L = Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Points Total Green background (rows 1 and 2) receive semi-final Promotion play-off places. Blue background (rows 3 to 6) receive quarter-final Promotion play-off places. Red background relegation to Fédérale 1. Notes: When two teams have the same points total, position is determined by head-to-head results before points difference. | |||||||||||||||||
Fixtures & Results[]
Round 1[]
Round 2[]
Round 3[]
Round 4[]
Round 5[]
- Postponed due to staph infection outbreak. Rescheduled to 29 November 2019.[23]
- Postponed due to staph infection outbreak. Rescheduled to 29 November 2019.[24][25]
Round 6[]
- Postponed due to staph infection outbreak. Rescheduled for 14 March 2020.[36][37]
Round 7[]
Round 8[]
Round 9[]
Round 10[]
Round 11[]
Round 12[]
Round 5 (rescheduled games)[]
- Rescheduled from 27 September 2019.
- Rescheduled from 27 September 2019.
Round 13[]
Round 14[]
Round 15[]
Round 16[]
Round 17[]
Round 18[]
- Postponed due to heavy flooding. Game to be rescheduled for 14 March 2020.[79]
Round 19[]
Round 20[]
Round 21[]
Round 22[]
- Postponed due to heavy winds. Game to be rescheduled for 21 March 2020.[103]
Round 23[]
Rounds 6 & 18 (rescheduled games)[]
- Originally rescheduled from 24 January 2020 but postponed again as French pro rugby is suspended due to Coronavirus outbreak.[108]
- Originally rescheduled from 4 October 2019 bot postponed again as French pro rugby is suspended due to Coronavirus outbreak.[108]
Round 22 (rescheduled game)[]
- Originally rescheduled from 1 March 2020 but postponed again as French rugby is suspended due to Coronavirus outbreak.[108]
Round 24[]
- All games cancelled as French rugby is suspended due to Coronavirus outbreak.[108]
Round 25[]
- All games cancelled as French rugby is suspended due to Coronavirus outbreak.[108]
Round 26[]
- All games cancelled as French rugby is suspended due to Coronavirus outbreak.[108]
Round 27[]
- All games cancelled as French rugby is suspended due to Coronavirus outbreak.[108]
Round 28[]
- All games cancelled as French rugby is suspended due to Coronavirus outbreak.[108]
Round 29[]
- All games cancelled as French rugby is suspended due to Coronavirus outbreak.[108]
Round 30[]
- All games cancelled as French rugby is suspended due to Coronavirus outbreak.[108]
Attendances[]
- Attendances do not include the final as this is held at a neutral venue. Also does not include the relegation playoff game.
| Club | Home Games |
Total | Average | Highest | Lowest | % Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurillac | 11 | 28,147 | 2,559 | 3,500 | 1,500 | 28% |
| Béziers | 12 | 55,122 | 4,594 | 5,537 | 3,765 | 25% |
| Biarritz | 12 | 39,000 | 3,250 | 5,000 | 2,000 | 22% |
| Carcassonne | 11 | 31,500 | 2,864 | 4,000 | 2,500 | 29% |
| Colomiers | 12 | 47,926 | 3,994 | 5,000 | 2,900 | 35% |
| Grenoble | 11 | 100,971 | 9,179 | 12,205 | 7,000 | 46% |
| Mont-de-Marsan | 11 | 48,923 | 4,448 | 5,900 | 2,500 | 26% |
| Montauban | 11 | 51,027 | 4,639 | 5,500 | 4,000 | 37% |
| Nevers | 11 | 70,564 | 6,415 | 7,373 | 5,886 | 86% |
| Oyonnax | 12 | 65,465 | 5,455 | 6,909 | 4,500 | 47% |
| Perpignan | 11 | 98,299 | 8,936 | 13,000 | 7,374 | 61% |
| Provence | 11 | 45,967 | 4,179 | 5,950 | 3,000 | 70% |
| Rouen | 11 | 32,795 | 2,981 | 6,437 | 1,452 | 66% |
| Soyaux Angoulême | 11 | 49,500 | 4,500 | 6,500 | 3,000 | 56% |
| Valence Romans | 12 | 42,500 | 3,542 | 5,500 | 2,000 | 23% |
| Vannes | 11 | 82,655 | 7,514 | 8,641 | 7,000 | 79% |
Leading scorers[]
Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.
Top points scorers[]
|
Top try scorers[]
|
See also[]
Notes[]
References[]
- ^ "Top 14 - Pro D2 : les présidents d'accord pour ne pas attribuer de titre". L'Equipe. 6 May 2020.
- ^ "French try out new bonus point system". Planet-Rugby.com. 27 June 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
- ^ "Article 330, Section 3.2. Points "terrain"" (PDF). Règlements de la Ligue Nationale de Rugby 2008/2009, Chapitre 2 : Règlement sportif du Championnat de France Professionnel (in French). LNR. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
- ^ "Article 330, Section 3.2. Points "terrain" et points de bonus" (PDF). Statuts et Reglements de la Ligue Nationale de Rugby 2014/2015, Chapitre 2 : Règlement sportif des championnats profesionnels (in French). Ligue Nationale de Rugby. p. 166. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Mortimer, Gavin (18 August 2016). "French rugby enjoys a popularity boom as it looks to the future". Rugby World. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ "Classement PRO D2". Ligue Nationale de Rugby (in French). Retrieved 8 March 2020.
- ^ "Montauban. Les Sapiacains ne ratent pas leur entrée". La Dépêche. 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Pro D2: Oyonnax s'impose avec le bonus face à Valence-Romans (53-13)". Le Progrès. 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Pro D2. Le RC Vannes prend l'eau à Carcassonne d'entrée". Le Télégramme. 23 August 2019.
- ^ "1ère journée". L'Equipe. 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Rugby - Pro D2 : Rouen subit la loi d'Aurillac". Paris-Normandie. 30 August 2019.
- ^ "2e journée". L'Equipe. 1 September 2019.
- ^ "USON NEVERS RUGBY". Rugby Fédéral. 5 September 2019.
- ^ "Provence Rugby 17-26 Grenoble : Défaite logique". Provence Rugby. 6 September 2019.
- ^ "Rugby - Pro D2 : Rouen ne méritait pas de perdre". Paris-Normandie. 6 September 2019.
- ^ "Pro D2. Exploit de Vannes, tombeur du leader Oyonnax à la Rabine". Ouest-France. 6 September 2019.
- ^ "Colomiers a fini par craquer". La Dépêche. 9 September 2019.
- ^ "3e journée". L'Equipe. 8 September 2019.
- ^ "RC Vannes – Mont de Marsan 17 – 5". Rugby Club Vannes. 12 September 2019.
- ^ "Pro D2 : Battu à Rouen 21-17, le VRDR ramène un premier point". Le Dauphiné. 13 September 2019.
- ^ "4e journée". L'Equipe. 15 September 2019.
- ^ "Mont-de-Marsan - Grenoble: 26 - 24". Midi Olympique. 30 September 2019. p. 28.
- ^ "Aurillac-Montauban se jouera le week-end du 29 novembre". La Montagne. 11 October 2019.
- ^ "Pro D2 : le match Nevers-Béziers reporté pour raison sanitaire". France Bleu. 26 September 2019.
- ^ "L'USON fixée pour le report de son match contre Béziers". France 3 Régions. 11 October 2019.
- ^ "Oyonnax - Colomiers: 23 - 19". Midi Olympique. 30 September 2019. p. 29.
- ^ "Aix-en-Provence - Vannes: 45 - 24". Midi Olympique. 30 September 2019. p. 29.
- ^ "Valence Romans - Carcassonne: 18 - 22". Midi Olympique. 30 September 2019. p. 30.
- ^ "Rouen - Perpignan: 12 - 10". Midi Olympique. 30 September 2019. p. 30.
- ^ "Soyaux-Angoulême - Biarritz: 24 - 15". Midi Olympique. 30 September 2019. p. 28.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "5e journée". L'Equipe. 27 September 2019.
- ^ "Béziers - Oyonnax: 25 - 15". Midi Olympique. 7 October 2019. p. 30.
- ^ "Carcassonne - Nevers: 28 - 21". Midi Olympique. 7 October 2019. p. 33.
- ^ "Colomiers - Rouen: 22 - 0". Midi Olympique. 7 October 2019. p. 32.
- ^ "Grenoble - Valence-Romans: 34 - 13". Midi Olympique. 7 October 2019. p. 32.
- ^ "Pro D2 : le match Montauban - Provence Rugby reporté". France Bleu. 3 October 2019.
- ^ "Montauban – Provence Rugby : La nouvelle date connue". Provence Rugby. 11 October 2019.
- ^ "Vannes - Aurillac: 34 - 13". Midi Olympique. 7 October 2019. p. 31.
- ^ "Biarritz - Mont-de-Marsan: 23 - 12". Midi Olympique. 7 October 2019. p. 31.
- ^ "Perpignan - Soyaux Angoulême: 48 - 10". Midi Olympique. 7 October 2019. p. 30.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "6e journée". L'Equipe. 6 October 2019.
- ^ "Nevers - RC Vannes (26-10). Les Vannetais n'y étaient pas". Le Télégramme. 11 October 2019.
- ^ "7e journée". L'Equipe. 13 October 2019.
- ^ "Pro D2 : l'USAP d'attaque". L'Indépendant. 19 October 2019.
- ^ "LA FICHE TECHNIQUE". Le Télégramme. 19 October 2019.
- ^ "8e journée". L'Equipe. 20 October 2019.
- ^ "J9 – USON 14 v 10 Perpignan / la compo". Supporters Uson Nevers Rugby. 31 October 2019.
- ^ "9e journée". L'Equipe. 3 November 2019.
- ^ "Au bout de l'ennui". La Provence. 14 November 2019.
- ^ "Rugby – Pro D2 : Rouen n'a pas tenu face à Oyonnax". Paris-Normandie. 8 November 2019.
- ^ "10e journée". L'Equipe. 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Aurillac - Mont-de-Marsan: 21 - 33". Midi Olympique. 19 November 2019.
- ^ "Béziers - Soyaux Angoulême: 15 - 12". Midi Olympique. 19 November 2019.
- ^ "Rugby - Pro D2 : un bonus, mais des regrets pour Rouen". RugbyCleek. 16 November 2019.
- ^ "Nevers enterre Valence-Roman". Sport Business Mag. 16 November 2019.
- ^ "Colomiers renversé à Vannes". La Dépêche. 16 November 2019.
- ^ "Carcassonne à l'énergie". La Dépêche. 16 November 2019.
- ^ "11e journée". L'Equipe. 17 November 2019.
- ^ "Soyaux-Angoulême - Oyonnax: 10 - 19". Midi Olympique. 25 November 2019. p. 18.
- ^ "Biarritz - Provence: 19 - 12". Midi Olympique. 25 November 2019. p. 18.
- ^ "Colomiers - Aurillac: 45 - 11". Midi Olympique. 25 November 2019. p. 17.
- ^ "Mont-de-Marsan - Béziers: 30 - 10". Midi Olympique. 25 November 2019. p. 17.
- ^ "Rouen - Nevers: 24 - 34". Midi Olympique. 25 November 2019. p. 15.
- ^ "Valence Romans - Vannes: 16 - 21". Midi Olympique. 25 November 2019. p. 16.
- ^ "Montauban - Carcassonne: 20 - 24". Midi Olympique. 25 November 2019. p. 15.
- ^ "12e journée". L'Equipe. 24 November 2019.
- ^ "Aurillac - Montauban: 16 - 18". Midi Olympique. 2 December 2019. p. 13.
- ^ "Nevers - Béziers: 16 - 13". Midi Olympique. 2 December 2019. p. 13.
- ^ "13e journée". L'Equipe. 8 December 2019.
- ^ "Rugby – Pro D2 : Rouen n'a pas tenu face à Oyonnax". Paris-Normandie. 13 December 2019.
- ^ "Colomiers assomme Montauban". La Dépêche. 16 December 2019.
- ^ "14e journée". L'Equipe. 15 December 2019.
- ^ "15e journée". L'Equipe. 22 December 2019.
- ^ "Colomiers a dû s'arracher". La Dépêche. 11 January 2020.
- ^ "16e journée". L'Equipe. 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Pro D2 : le FC Grenoble s'impose sans le bonus contre Soyaux-Angoulême". Le Dauphiné Libéré. 19 January 2020.
- ^ "17e journée". L'Equipe. 19 January 2020.
- ^ "Rugby - Pro D2 : Rouen trop léger à Aurillac". Paris-Normandie. 24 January 2020.
- ^ "Pro D2. Le match Carcassonne – Valence/Romans reporté en raison des inondations". Actu.fr. 23 January 2020.
- ^ "Pro D2. Le RC Vannes chute lourdement sur la pelouse de Colomiers". Ouest-France. 24 January 2020.
- ^ "L'Uson Nevers bat Provence Rugby et remonte au classement". France 3 Regions. 24 January 2020.
- ^ "La mauvaise entame plombe les espoirs de Montaubant". La Dépêche. 25 January 2020.
- ^ "Rugby - ProD2 : Béziers enchaîne une nouvelle défaite, à domicile face à Grenoble (16-25)". Midi Libre. 24 January 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "18e journée". L'Equipe. 26 January 2020.
- ^ "Mont-de-Marsan - Aurillac: 23 - 20". Midi Olympique. 3 February 2020. p. 22.
- ^ "Montauban - Oyonnax: 21 - 15". Midi Olympique. 3 February 2020. p. 20.
- ^ "Rouen - Béziers: 18 - 19". Midi Olympique. 3 February 2020. p. 20.
- ^ "Valence-Romans - Colomiers: 17 - 18". Midi Olympique. 3 February 2020. p. 21.
- ^ "Vannes - Aix-en-Provence: 16 - 6". Midi Olympique. 3 February 2020. p. 19.
- ^ "Perpignan - Carcassonne: 53 - 10". Midi Olympique. 3 February 2020. p. 21.
- ^ "19e journée". L'Equipe. 2 February 2020.
- ^ "Pro D2 : le FC Grenoble reprend la tête en battant Perpignan". Le Dauphiné Libéré. 13 February 2020.
- ^ "20e journée". L'Equipe. 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Stade Aurillacois 22 - Vannes 11". Cantal passion. 21 February 2020.
- ^ "Mont-de-Marsan - Colomiers: 16 - 12". Midi Olympique. 24 February 2019. p. 27.
- ^ "Carcassonne rivalise une mi-temps". La Dépêche. 22 February 2020.
- ^ "Rugby - Pro D2 : Rouen se saborde encore". Paris Normandie. 21 February 2020.
- ^ "Pro D2 : défait par Provence Rugby, le VRDR met un pied en Fédérale 1". Le Dauphiné Libéré. 21 February 2020.
- ^ "Pro D2 : Montauban s'offre Grenoble et une bouffée d'air frais". La Dépêche. 22 February 2020.
- ^ "Oyonnax renoue avec le succès face à Béziers, pas avec la manière". Le Progrès. 23 February 2020.
- ^ "21e journée". L'Equipe. 23 February 2020.
- ^ "Rugby. Le RC Vannes mange Valence (47-21)". Breizh Info. 2 March 2020.
- ^ "Pro D2 : le match entre Soyaux-Angoulême et Nevers annulé en raison du vent". L'Equipe. 1 March 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "22e journée". L'Equipe. 1 March 2020.
- ^ "Rugby - Pro D2 : Rouen, comme un air de déjà-vu". Paris Normandie. 6 March 2020.
- ^ "Pro D2 - Biarritz : Aguiléra tombe une nouvelle fois, face à Nevers (13-15)". France Bleu. 6 March 2020.
- ^ "23e journée". L'Equipe. 8 March 2020.
- ^ "24e journée". L'Equipe. 29 March 2020.
- ^ "25e journée". L'Equipe. 3 April 2020.
- ^ "26e journée". L'Equipe. 10 April 2020.
- ^ "27e journée". L'Equipe. 17 April 2020.
- ^ "28e journée". L'Equipe. 24 April 2020.
- ^ "29e journée". L'Equipe. 8 May 2020.
- ^ "30e journée". L'Equipe. 15 May 2020.
- ^ "Classement buteurs Pro D2 2019-2020". L'Équipe. 8 March 2020.
- ^ "RUGBY PRO D2 : STATISTIQUES DÉTAILLÉES SAISON 2019-2020". Ligue Nationale Rugby. 8 March 2020.
External links[]
- (in French) Ligue Nationale de Rugby – Official website
- (in French) Midi Olympique
Categories:
- Rugby Pro D2 seasons
- 2019–20 in French rugby union leagues