Union Bordeaux Bègles

Union Bordeaux Bègles (UBB)
Full name	Union Bordeaux Bègles
Nickname(s)	Les Girondins, The Girondists
Founded	2006; 15 years ago
Location	Bordeaux, France
Ground(s)	Stade Chaban-Delmas (main venue) (Capacity: 34,694); Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux (Capacity: 40,000)
President	Laurent Marti
Coach(es)
League(s)	Top 14
2020–21	4th (playoff semi-finalists)
Official website
	www.ubbrugby.com

Union Bordeaux Bègles (French: [ynjɔ̃ bɔʁdo bɛɡl]; Occitan: Union Bordèu Begla) is a French rugby union team playing in the Top 14, the first level of the country's professional league system. They earned their Top 14 place by winning the promotion playoffs that followed the 2010–11 season in the second-level Rugby Pro D2. Upon promotion to the Top 14 in 2011, they were assured a place in the European Challenge Cup. In 2015, they earned their European Champions Cup place, after winning the European playoffs against Gloucester Rugby in Worcester.

They were founded in 2006 as a result of a merger between two Bordeaux clubs, Stade Bordelais and Club Athlétique Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde. They wear claret (in French: bordeaux) and white. They are based in Bordeaux (New Aquitaine), and play at the Stade Chaban-Delmas. The two teams which amalgamated cumulated nine championship titles of France: seven for the Stade Bordelais and two for the Club Athlétique Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde. Since 2006 and the amalgamation, the club competed in Pro D2 until winning the 2011 promotion playoffs. UBB drew an average home attendance of 23,689 in the 2014/2015 Top 14 season.^[1]

History[]

For several years, the city of Bordeaux suffered from the absence of a leading club, or rather from the competition between the two large clubs of the city, the Stade Bordelais and CA Bordeaux-Bègles-Gironde (named for the suburb of Bègles).

The Stade Bordelais was a large national Rugby team at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century (seven championships between 1899 and 1911), before continuing their life within the amateur championships.

The CA Béglais did not reach soaring highs before the First World War, finally gaining two French Championships in 1969 and 1991 and then taking part in the first European Rugby Cup in 1995. The transition into the new millennium was hard. The club was relegated to the Pro D2 at the conclusion of the 2002–03 season, then into the Fédérale 1 division, while Stade Bordelais took the opposite direction and reached Pro D2.

In 2005, a plan to merge both clubs was created, in spite of strong opposition by both club's supporters. There was strong insight from former influential players (Serge Simon, Bernard Laporte) who pushed for a result of pooling the assets of the two clubs. One of the arguments frequently employed in favour of fusion was that the local companies did not know which club to promote.

On 10 March 2006, Bordeaux Rugby Metropolis was created. This association gathered a network of local companies eager to imply themselves in the formation of a large club in Bordeaux.

Bordeaux Rugby Metropolis organised in June 2006 the event 'Bordeaux Rugby Quinconces' which brought together 25,000 people and 100 companies during 3 days on the Esplanade of the Quinconces of Bordeaux. Under the influence of the association, the historical dissensions between the two clubs were partly alleviated. A union was sealed, in the shape of a Professional Sporting Public Limit Company (SASP), with the issue of work for a committee made up of six members resulting with members from each of the two clubs (CABBG : Michel Moga, Alban Moga, Raymond Chatenet; Stade bordelais : Jean-Pierre Lamarque, Herve Hargous, Philippe Moulia).

Only the professional squads were actually merged, as each club has kept its youth teams to this day.

The new team took the place of the Stade Bordelais in the Pro D2. The training centre of Bègles is particularly strong and will hopefully provide players to the top grades.

For their first seasons, the team profited from a budget of €3.6 million. Frederic Martini remained one year as the president of USBCABBG before yielding his place to Laurent Marti, entrepreneur bergeracois (Groupe Top Tex, basé à Toulouse) at the start of the 2006 season. The new president contributed to finalising where the Union's home ground would be (Stage Andre Moga de Bègles), and the unpronouncable name "USBCABBG" which became Union Bordeaux Bègles (UBB) in the spring of 2008. Laurent Marti contributed largely to increase the club's budget, passing it from €3.8 million (euros) in 2007–08 to €4.2 million (euros) 2008–09. The ambition is to rediscover the clubs elite form in a short-term (two or three years).

The Pro D2 2010–11 season, saw the club finish fifth place on the table and gaining a place in the finals. The UBB beat Grenoble (12–19) in the semis, securing their spot in the final against SC Albi. The grand final took place in Agen with the final result going to the Bordealaise (14–21), also seeing them promoted to the Top 14.

Hong Kong investment company GaveKal bought a 10% stakes of the team in 2015.

Name[]

In spite of calls to simplify the club name, "Union Stade bordelais-C.A.Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde" was adopted; neither of the two clubs wanting to yield. The Béglais refused to disappear within a name which would only mention Bordeaux (for example, Bordeaux Rugby), whereas, at the time, top-level rugby in the area was the CAB. "We found it hard to find a name for the club which is appropriate for the two teams. The selected name respects the concepts of parity and equilibrium" (Philippe Moulia, président du Stade bordelais omnisports)

In May 2008, the club's name, known for its length, was changed to 'Union Bordeaux Bègles'.

Stadium[]

The other problem related to the home ground. Neither of the two clubs wanted to yield, so that, for their first season, the team was to play 7 matches at the Stade Sainte-Germaine at Bouscat and the other 7 matches at the Stade André-Moga at Bègles—although the rules of the (French) National Rugby League specify that no Pro D2 rugby club could play their home matches at two different home grounds. During the second season, it was decided that the 1st grade matches would be held in Bègles, while the lower grade matches would be held in Bouscat.

For their ascent to the Top14 competition in the 2011–12 season, it was decided that matches would be shared between Stade Andre Moga (in Bègles) and Stade Chaban-Delmas (in Bordeaux).^[2] Since 2012–13, Bordeaux Bègles have played most of their home matches at the larger Stade Chaban-Delmas instead of their traditional home of Stade André Moga. In the 2015–16 season, they also played three home matches at the newer and even larger Matmut Atlantique stadium.

Logo[]

The logo represents, on one side the blue and white checker work of CA Béglais and the other side the yellow lion with a black base of Stade Bordelais. The crescents symbolises the city of Bordeaux.

Honours / Results[]

Rugby Top 14[]

2014–15 – 7th : won European playoffs for European Champions Cup
2013–14 – 8th
2012–13 – 11th
2011–12 – 8th

Rugby Pro D2[]

2010–11 – 5th; won promotion playoffs
2009–10 – 9th
2008–09 – 11th
2007–08 – 12th
2006–07 – 12th
2005–06 – 7th

Current standings[]

2020–21 Top 14 Table

· · discuss

Club

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points for

Points against

Points diff.

Tries for

Tries against

Try bonus

Losing bonus

Points

1

Toulouse (C)

26

17

1

8

767

557

+210

92

53

8

3

81

2

La Rochelle (RU)

26

17

0

9

726

452

+274

79

41

6

4

78

3

Racing (SF)

26

17

0

9

757

577

+180

82

48

6

4

78

4

Bordeaux Bègles (SF)

26

15

1

10

740

546

+216

78

41

7

3

72

5

Clermont (QF)

26

15

1

10

830

619

+211

88

61

6

5

71

6

Stade Français (QF)

26

15

0

11

701

622

+79

69

63

6

70

7

Castres

26

15

1

10

625

676

−51

61

63

3

5

69

8

Toulon

26

14

0

13

641

605

+36

62

53

7

4

66

9

Lyon

26

14

1

11

678

568

+110

74

56

3

4

65

10

Montpellier

26

10

0

16

579

615

–36

51

58

6

9

54

11

Brive

26

11

0

15

585

711

−126

52

78

2

5

51

12

Pau

26

9

1

16

688

752

−64

65

76

3

10

46

13

Bayonne (R)

26

10

0

16

565

796

−231

48

94

1

5

46

14

Agen (R)

26

0

26

315

1101

−696

30

146

0

2

If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

Competition points earned in head-to-head matches
Points difference in head-to-head matches
Try differential in head-to-head matches
Points difference in all matches
Try differential in all matches
Points scored in all matches
Tries scored in all matches
Fewer matches forfeited
Classification in the previous Top 14 season

Green background (rows 1 and 2) receive semi-final play-off places and receive berths in the 2021–22 European Rugby Champions Cup.
Blue background (rows 3 to 6) receive quarter-final play-off places, and receive berths in the Champions Cup.
Yellow background (rows 7 and Montpellier) indicates teams outside the play-offs that also earn a place in the Champions Cup.
Plain background indicates teams that earn a place in the 2021–22 European Rugby Challenge Cup.
Pink background (row 13) will qualify to the relegation play-offs.
Red background (row 14) will automatically be relegated to Rugby Pro D2.
Final table — source: [1]
Updated: 5 June 2021

Current squad[]

The Bordeaux squad for the 2021–22 season is:^[3]

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player	Position	Union
	Hooker	Argentina
Joseph Dweba	Hooker	South Africa
	Hooker	France
Clément Maynadier	Hooker	France
	Hooker	France
	Prop	France
Vadim Cobîlaș	Prop	Moldova
Lekso Kaulashvili	Prop	Georgia
	Prop	France
	Prop	France
Thierry Paiva	Prop	France
Jefferson Poirot (c)	Prop	France
Lasha Tabidze	Prop	Georgia
Ben Tameifuna	Prop	Tonga
Cyril Cazeaux	Lock	France
Kane Douglas	Lock	Australia
	Lock	France
Jandré Marais	Lock	South Africa
Guido Petti	Lock	Argentina
	Lock	France
	Back row	France
	Back row	France
	Back row	Cameroon
	Back row	France
Louis Picamoles	Back row	France
Alexandre Roumat	Back row	France
	Back row	France
Cameron Woki	Back row	France

Player	Position	Union
Jules Gimbert	Scrum-half	France
Yann Lesgourgues	Scrum-half	France
Maxime Lucu	Scrum-half	France
	Fly-half	France
Matthieu Jalibert	Fly-half	France
François Trinh-Duc	Fly-half	France
	Centre	France
Remi Lamerat	Centre	France
Yoram Moefana	Centre	France
Federico Mori	Centre	Italy
UJ Seuteni	Centre	Samoa
	Centre	France
	Wing	France
Santiago Cordero	Wing	Argentina
	Wing	France
	Wing	France
Ben Lam	Wing	New Zealand
	Wing	France
	Fullback	France
	Fullback	France
Nans Ducuing	Fullback	France

References[]

^ "Top 14 : Les dix équipes ayant les meilleures affluences en 2014-15 - Rugby 365". 14 June 2016.
^ "As evidenced by EPCR Challenge Cup game details 2011". European Professional Club Rugby. 12 November 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2017.^{[dead link]}
^ "Équipe 1". Union Bordeaux Bègles (in French). Retrieved 6 September 2019.

External links[]

(in French) Official website
(in French) Official site of CABBG (Bègles)
(in French) Official site of Stade Bordelais (multi-sports club)

[1] "Top 14 : Les dix équipes ayant les meilleures affluences en 2014-15 - Rugby 365". 14 June 2016.

[2] "As evidenced by EPCR Challenge Cup game details 2011". European Professional Club Rugby. 12 November 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2017.^{[dead link]}

[Équipe_1-3] "Équipe 1". Union Bordeaux Bègles (in French). Retrieved 6 September 2019.

[1]

[2]

[3]

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Trophy	Bouclier de Brennus
Governing body	Ligue Nationale de Rugby

show v t Bordeaux – current squad
Forwards	Cyril Cazeaux Vadim Cobîlaș Kane Douglas Joseph Dweba Lekso Kaulashvili Jandré Marais Clément Maynadier Thierry Paiva Guido Petti Louis Picamoles Jefferson Poirot Alexandre Roumat Lasha Tabidze Ben Tameifuna Cameron Woki
Backs	Santiago Cordero Nans Ducuing Jules Gimbert Matthieu Jalibert Ben Lam Rémi Lamerat Yann Lesgourgues Maxime Lucu Yoram Moefana Federico Mori UJ Seuteni François Trinh-Duc
Coach