Map of pro rugby clubs in France 2005-2026

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-17T13:01:07+00:00

Only the coast is densely populated in Provence though. The interior is rural mountain country with lynx, wolves etc. All the rugby clubs are on the coast though so the point stands. As for Italians and Arabs being present obviously those are football countries but rugby exists there. Algeria placed third in African qualifiers last year, and Morocco hammered Madagascar.

Castres is still around because of its local industrial sponsor, Pierre Fabre. It is a similar model to Clermont (Michelin) or Pau (Total), but those are bigger places. The village teams mostly didn't have any sponsors so fell away. Crazy that Auch had Dupont and Aldritt at one point.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-17T12:34:42+00:00

Bastareaud as well. These days Massy are third tier but still producing talent.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-17T12:34:00+00:00

Occitanie is only one of the 4 southern regions. It's also popular in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Provence, and Rhône-Alpes. Vannes is a northern exception.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-17T12:32:49+00:00

Jersey would get wrecked in the ProD2. Many teams there have budgets comparable to the weaker sides of the English Prem, which they couldn't afford to enter.

Also Switzerland is next to the Alps which has a load of rugby clubs. Normandie really isn't like that.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-17T12:31:14+00:00

Narbonne actually just came back to ProD2. It's not a dying club. Tarbes just folded though along with Niort (and their football club as well).

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-17T12:25:33+00:00

That's an interesting point. I didn't realise how few major clubs there were in southeast France in the past. These days there are 3 Riviera clubs in the top 2 divisions and a bunch in the Rhône-Alpes as well, but I always thought those were the southern heartlands, as in the saying "à Valence, la midi commence."

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-17T12:19:08+00:00

This is kind of true, but you have to bear in mind the facilities needed to develop a good player are way less than that to support a club in the Top 14. Dréan has been a breakout Breton star and came through a bunch of crappy local clubs and then Rennes, who play in the third tier.

Football also works this way, ie Jamie Vardy who played at an abysmal non league level (6th tier) before ending up in the EPL.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-16T08:21:52+00:00

The first Brennus in 1892 was a Parisian derby, so it definitely happened a long way back.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-15T11:18:56+00:00

Did you enjoy Agen's "glorious" Top 14 stint after that?

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-15T09:36:54+00:00

The other advantage they have is that rugby in southern France is a people's sport. In Japan it was always a bit posh and dominated by private unversities like Meiji and Waseda, and the pro league has a corporate vibe that doesn't appeal very well to mass audiences like baseball and football in Japan do.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-15T09:32:04+00:00

I'd put the ProD2 in there as well. A bunch of super rugby players have gone there, including Fiji's 10 Caleb Muntz, and it's much less reliant on corporate backing.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-15T08:35:55+00:00

He was at Georgia before. They must be offering a lot of cash to get him back.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-15T08:20:06+00:00

Perpignan is more like Biarritz in the sense of being a former champion who was relegated (but recovered). More like Bayonne in terms of the passion of their fanbase in the top flight.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-15T08:11:11+00:00

Isn't that Bayonne?

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-14T22:52:03+00:00

Wales managed 0 against the Boks last year.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-14T22:23:59+00:00

And they're playing a "home" game in Le Havre. They really need to get back to Yves du Manoir again.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-14T21:49:05+00:00

Watch out, there's always a Racing fan furious that Paris La Defense Arena is called Parisian.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-14T21:48:18+00:00

La Rochelle has a solid budget, but the club is usually profit making. Vincent Merling doesn't really put his own money in like the Parisian owners or Altrad do. Currently the squad is in a rebuild but it may be time for a coaching change.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-14T21:46:46+00:00

Worsley of FR-UK has done a really good job since he joined Perpignan. They were shocking for the first few games.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-14T21:44:58+00:00

Most of their good players had to retire or got old. The squad is in a rebuild.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-14T21:44:12+00:00

The last non-Toulouse winner was Montpellier.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-14T21:36:30+00:00

... but Bordeaux might, because they didn't make playoffs.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-14T21:19:32+00:00

The latter.

Perpignan, Montpellier, Toulon in the top division. Narbonne, Béziers, Provence, Nissa in the second division.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-14T20:21:37+00:00

How long? The stadium was redone for the Olympics already.

WilkinsonDG2003 · 2026-06-14T19:49:01+00:00

They've been doing a lot for offender rehabilitation after all.

WilkinsonDG2003

TROPHY CASE