2007-08 Rugby Pro D2 season - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 2007-08 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...

was a French rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

club competition. The season ran alongside the 2007-08 Top 14

2007-08 Top 14 season

The 2007-08 Top 14 Competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition, operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby . Because France hosted the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the competition did not begin at its normal time of August, but instead started on the last weekend in October 2007, one week...

competition, which is the highest club competition. Both competitions were operated by the Ligue nationale de rugby

Ligue nationale de rugby

The French National Rugby League is the name of the national professional rugby union league system of France. It is divided into two divisions:*Top 14*Rugby Pro D2-External links: *...

(LNR).

At the end of the previous season, Auch

FC Auch Gers

Football Club Auch Gers is a French rugby union club based in Auch in Midi-Pyrénées currently playing in Rugby Pro D2, the second tier of the country's professional league system. In recent years, they have bounced between the first-level Top 14 and Pro D2...

were champions and thus automatically promoted to Top 14

2007-08 Top 14 season

. They were eventually followed by Dax

US Dax

Union Sportive Dacquoise, also known as US Dax, is a French rugby union club currently playing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system....

who beat La Rochelle

Atlantique Stade Rochelais

Stade Rochelais is a French rugby union club who compete in the Pro D2. They are often known simply as La Rochelle.They were founded in 1898 and play at Stade Marcel-Deflandre . They wear yellow and black...

in the final providing the second promotion place. Colomiers

US Colomiers

US Colomiers is a French rugby union club currently competing in Fédérale 1, the third level of the French rugby pyramid. They had been relegated from Pro D2 after finishing last in the 2006-07 season, but earned promotion from Fédérale 1 at the first opportunity in 2007-08, and survived a...

were relegated to Fédérale 1

Fédérale 1

Le championnat de France de première division fédérale, a.k.a. Fédérale 1, is a French rugby union club competition, the highest level of amateur rugby. The competition has been organised by the Fédération Française de Rugby since 2000, when it replaced the B2 Group...

; Limoges

USA Limoges

USA Limoges is a French rugby union club currently competing in Fédérale 1, the top level of the French amateur rugby pyramid and one level below the professional leagues. They finished second-from-bottom in the second professional level, Rugby Pro D2, in both 2007 and 2008...

finished in a relegation spot, but were reprieved when Gaillac

UA Gaillac

Union Athlétique Gaillac is a French rugby union club currently competing in the Fédérale 3 league, the third level of the French amateur league system, after having been forcibly relegated from the second level of the French professional league due to serious financial problems...

were denied a professional license for the 2007-08 season due to serious financial problems. Aurillac

Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne

Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne is a French rugby union club, which play in Rugby Pro D2, the second division of French rugby. The club currently play at the Stade Jean Alric, which has a capacity of around 10,000. The club was founded in 1904...

and Blagnac

Blagnac SCR

Blagnac Sporting Club Rugby is a French rugby union team that currently takes part in Fédérale 1, the top level of the country's amateur league system. The club is currently attempting to make a comeback to the professional ranks after having been relegated due to both sporting and financial issues...

earned promotion from Fédérale 1.

The new season showed a bright future for two particular clubs who signed several quality players in the transfer market in hopes of promotion at the end of the season. Some notables include George Gregan

George Gregan

George Musarurwa Gregan AM is an Australian rugby union halfback who has made more appearances for his national team than any other player in the sport's history....

, Victor Matfield

Victor Matfield

Victor Matfield is a South African rugby union player. He has played for, and captained the Springbok rugby team as well as the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls franchise in the Super 14...

, 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...

and Anton Oliver

Anton Oliver

Anton David Oliver is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer who most recently played professionally for the French second-division club Toulon, noted for signing veteran greats including former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga and great George Gregan...

who all signed with Toulon

RC Toulonnais

RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...

. The team also signed former All Black and Toulon player Tana Umaga

Tana Umaga

Jonathan Ionatana Falefasa "Tana" Umaga, ONZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer and former captain of the national team, the All Blacks. He played for the Hurricanes starting with the Super 12's inception in 1996 and took over the captaincy in 2003...

as their Manager Sportif. Meanwhile Sireli Bobo

Sireli Bobo

Isireli Bobo is a Fijian rugby union footballer, currently playing for the Paris club Racing Métro 92 in the Top 14 club competition in France.-Career:...

, 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....

and Argentine

Argentina national rugby union team

The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...

captain 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...

moved to Racing Métro

Racing Metro 92 Paris

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...

. Pichot's move wasn't a long distance one since he was simply switching from one Parisian team to the other.

Toulon jumped to an early lead on the ladder and never looked back, ultimately clinching the title and automatic promotion with two rounds to spare. 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...

won the promotion playoffs, defeating Racing Métro in the final, to secure the second promotion place. At the other end of the table, Limoges and Blagnac finished in the relegation places. Unlike the previous season, when Limoges were spared relegation due to the financial woes of Gaillac, all of the clubs above the bottom two places passed their required postseason financial audits, ensuring that both of the bottom two teams would go down.

This season, LNR trialled a modification to the bonus point system

Rugby union bonus points system

The Rugby union bonus points system is a method of deciding table points from a rugby union match. It was implemented in order to encourage attacking play throughout a match, to discourage repetitive goal-kicking, and to reward teams for "coming close" in losing efforts...

in both the Top 14 and Pro D2. The system being used this season was:

4 points for a win.
2 points for a draw.
1 "bonus" point for winning while scoring at least 3 more tries than the opponent. This replaces the standard bonus point for scoring 4 tries regardless of the match result.
1 "bonus" point for losing by 7 points (or less).

This system was explicitly intended to prevent a losing team from earning two bonus points, as is possible under the standard system.

Season table

Key to colors
	Champions automatically promoted to Top 14
	Winner of playoffs between second- through fifth-place teams for the second promotion place
	Remaining participants in promotion playoffs
	Bottom two teams are relegated to Fédérale 1 Fédérale 1 Le championnat de France de première division fédérale, a.k.a. Fédérale 1, is a French rugby union club competition, the highest level of amateur rugby. The competition has been organised by the Fédération Française de Rugby since 2000, when it replaced the B2 Group... . Blagnac was later relegated further, to Fédérale 2 Fédérale 2 Fédérale 2 is a rugby union club championship division in France. It is the fourth division of rugby above Fédérale 3. Teams can earn promotion to Fédérale 1, and subsequently, the professional leagues such as Rugby Pro D2 and the Top 14.-Results:... , due to financial issues.

Club	Total points	Bonus points	Match points	Games	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points for	Points against	Diff
2007-08 Rugby Pro D2 Table
1	Toulon RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...	106	16	90	30	22	1	7	873	495	+378
2	Racing Métro Racing Metro 92 Paris 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...	99	13	86	30	21	1	8	683	426	+257
3	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...	89	7	82	30	19	3	8	582	488	+94
4	Lyon Lyon OU Lyon Olympique Universitaire or LOU is a French rugby union team that competes in the Top 14, the first level of the country's professional league system. They earned their spot in the Top 14 by winning the 2010–11 title of the second-tier Pro D2....	83	15	68	30	17	0	13	604	424	+180
5	La Rochelle Atlantique Stade Rochelais Stade Rochelais is a French rugby union club who compete in the Pro D2. They are often known simply as La Rochelle.They were founded in 1898 and play at Stade Marcel-Deflandre . They wear yellow and black...	81	13	68	30	17	0	13	540	443	+97
6	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...	81	9	72	30	17	2	11	556	505	+51
7	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...	81	9	72	30	17	2	11	575	430	+145
8	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:...	77	9	68	30	16	2	12	506	454	+52
9	Oyonnax Oyonnax Rugby Union sportive Oyonnax Rugby is a French rugby union club from Oyonnax in the Ain département of the région Rhône-Alpes, currently competing in the second level of the French league system . They play at Stade Charles-Mathon...	73	9	64	30	16	0	14	612	545	+67
10	Pau 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:...	69	13	56	30	14	0	16	533	576	−43
11	Aurillac Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne is a French rugby union club, which play in Rugby Pro D2, the second division of French rugby. The club currently play at the Stade Jean Alric, which has a capacity of around 10,000. The club was founded in 1904...	66	10	56	30	14	0	16	609	691	−82
12	Bordeaux-Bègles Bordeaux Rugby Métropole Union Bordeaux Bègles is a French rugby union team currently preparing to join 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...	61	11	50	30	12	1	17	468	526	−58
13	Narbonne RC Narbonne Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée is a French rugby union club that play in the second-level Rugby Pro D2, after finishing at the bottom of the 2006-07 Top 14 table....	57	7	50	30	12	1	17	503	626	−123
14	Tarbes 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....	45	11	34	30	8	1	21	428	705	−277
15	Limoges USA Limoges USA Limoges is a French rugby union club currently competing in Fédérale 1, the top level of the French amateur rugby pyramid and one level below the professional leagues. They finished second-from-bottom in the second professional level, Rugby Pro D2, in both 2007 and 2008...	31	7	24	30	5	2	23	340	791	−451
15	Blagnac Blagnac SCR Blagnac Sporting Club Rugby is a French rugby union team that currently takes part in Fédérale 1, the top level of the country's amateur league system. The club is currently attempting to make a comeback to the professional ranks after having been relegated due to both sporting and financial issues...	27	7	20	30	4	2	24	469	756	−287

Results

Round

<>mall>Saturday 27 and Sunday 38 october

41	Toulon	Béziers	7
18	Aurillac	Stade Montois	26
22	Grenoble	Tarbes	16
16	La Rochelle	Oyonnax	10
22	Racing Métro 92	LOU	17
26	Pau	Bordeaux-Bégles	17
20	SU Agen	Blagnac	9
19	Limoges	Narbonne	26

Round

<>mall>Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 november

19	Stade Montois	La Rochelle	9
29	Béziers	Grenoble	5
17	Tarbes	Racing Métro 92	22
28	Oyonnax	Pau	13
39	LOU	Limoges	5
15	Bordeaux-Bégles	SU Agen	22
5	Blagnac	Toulon	16
6	Narbonne	Aurillac	17

Round

<>mall>Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 november

29	Narbonne	SU Agen	10
21	Grenoble	Stade Montois	16
29	La Rochelle	Béziers	21
48	Aurillac	Tarbes	3
30	Toulon	Oyonnax	15
20	Pau	LOU	9
21	Racing Métro 92	Bordeaux-Bégles	18
9	Limoges	Blagnac	9

Round

<>mall>Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 november

34	Tarbes	Toulon	39
26	Béziers	Pau	19
22	Stade Montois	Racing Métro	11
28	Oyonnax	Aurillac	20
6	LOU	Grenoble	3
12	Bordeaux-Bégles	La Rochelle	11
12	Blagnac	Narbonne	19
62	SU Agen	Limoges	0

Round

<>mall>Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 november

15	SU Agen	Béziers	12
15	Limoges	Stade Montois	14
19	Pau	Tarbes	7
19	Racing Métro 92	Oyonnax	10
29	Aurillac	LOU	21
37	Toulon	Bordeaux-Bégles	7
28	La Rochelle	Blagnac	11
12	Narbonne	Grenoble	23

Round

<>mall>Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 december

23	Tarbes	Narbonne	19
17	Béziers	Limoges	10
19	Stade Montois	SU Agen	9
45	Oyonnax	Blagnac	6
11	LOU	La Rochelle	15
42	Grenoble	Bordeaux-Bégles	6
35	Toulon	Pau	10
15	Aurillac	Racing Métro 92	9

Round

<>mall>Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 december

13	Grenoble	Toulon	13
8	Narbonne	Béziers	20
9	Blagnac	Stade Montois	19
6	Limoges	Tarbes	3
16	SU Agen	Oyonnax	3
9	Bordeaux-Bégles	LOU	12
6	Pau	Racing Métro 92	11
28	La Rochelle	Aurillac	10

Round

<>mall>Saturday 15 december and Sunday 9 march

30	La Rochelle	Pau	6
27	Béziers	Blagnac	15
14	Stade Montois	Narbonne	10
19	Tarbes	Bordeaux-Bégles	6
25	Oyonnax	LOU	21
64	Toulon	Limoges	10
23	Aurillac	SU Agen	11
28	Racing Métro 92	Grenoble	13

Round

<>mall>Saturday 22 december, Sunday 23 december, Saturday 8 March* and Sunday 20 April**

24	Racing Métro 92 **	La Rochelle	6
18	Oyonnax *	Béziers	16
33	SU Agen	Toulon	0
12	Tarbes	Stade Montois	12
15	LOU	Narbonne	12
36	Bordeaux-Bégles	Blagnac	13
16	Limoges	Aurillac	23
22	Grenoble	Pau	13

Round 1

>small>Saturday 5 january and Sunday 6 january

20	Pau	SU Agen	26
6	Béziers	Bordeaux-Bégles	3
22	Stade Montois	Oyonnax	6
37	LOU	Tarbes	0
18	Blagnac	Aurillac	19
9	Narbonne	Racing Métro 92	6
27	Grenoble	Limoges	18
36	Toulon	La Rochelle	0

Round 1

>small>Saturday 12 january and Sunday 13 january

18	Aurillac	Grenoble	16
7	Tarbes	Béziers	11
19	Stade Montois	LOU	10
33	Bordeaux-Bégles	Oyonnax	16
17	Blagnac	Pau	19
21	Toulon	Narbonne	20
29	Racing Métro 92	Limoges	0
17	La Rochelle	SU Agen	6

Round 1

>small>Saturday 19 january and Sunday 20 january

12	Grenoble	La Rochelle	3
6	SU Agen	Racing Métro 92	13
21	Béziers	Stade Montois	21
39	Oyonnax	Tarbes	12
36	LOU	Blagnac	11
9	Bordeaux-Bégles	Narbonne	16
16	Limoges	Pau	19
14	Aurillac	Toulon	23

Round 1

>small>Saturday 26 january and Sunday 27 january

15	Racing Métro 92	Toulon	21
17	Blagnac	Grenoble	29
14	Tarbes	Grenoble	16
10	Stade Montois	Bordeaux-Bégles	6
15	LOU	Béziers	6
25	Narbonne	Oyonnax	10
11	Limoges	La Rochelle	15
19	Pau	Aurillac	17

Round 1

>small>Saturday 2 february and Sunday 3 february

9	Grenoble	SU Agen	3
16	Béziers	Racing Métro 92	16
9	Pau	Stade Montois	13
20	Blagnac	Tarbes	15
40	Oyonnax	Limoges	6
14	Bordeaux-Bégles	Aurillac	12
16	Toulon	LOU	6
19	La Rochelle	Narbonne	0

Round 1

>small>Saturday 9 february and Sunday 10 february

9	Tarbes	La Rochelle	32
37	Racing Métro 92	Blagnac	21
16	Stade Montois	Toulon	12
31	Aurillac	Toulon	32
20	Oyonnax	Grenoble	12
24	SU Agen	LOU	20
19	Limoges	Bordeaux-Bégles	10
14	Narbonne	Pau	8

Round 1

>small>Saturday 16 february and Sunday 17 february

24	Béziers	Toulon	23
15	Blagnac	SU Agen	12
52	Stade Montois	Aurillac	13
19	Tarbes	Grenoble	3
12	Oyonnax	La Rochelle	9
9	LOU	Racing Métro 92	13
16	Bordeaux-Bégles	Pau	6
26	Narbonne	Limoges	10

Round 1

>small>Saturday 23 february and Sunday 24 february

23	La Rochelle	Stade Montois	12
60	Racing Métro 92	Tarbes	7
26	Aurillac	Narbonne	20
11	Grenoble	Béziers	12
37	Pau	Oyonnax	16
9	Limoges	LOU	29
16	SU Agen	Bordeaux-Bégles	9
38	Toulon	Blagnac	9

Round 1

>small>Saturday 1 march and Sunday 2 march

33	Oyonnax	Toulon	22
23	Béziers	La Rochelle	19
12	Stade Montois	Grenoble	6
13	Tarbes	Aurillac	7
6	LOU	Pau	9
20	Bordeaux-Bégles	Racing Métro 92	16
33	Blagnac	Limoges	11
37	SU Agen	Narbonne	11

Round 1

>small>Saturday 15 march and Sunday 16 march

19	Grenoble	LOU	12
30	Aurillac	Oyonnax	6
9	Limoges	SU Agen	9
9	Pau	Béziers	13
23	Racing Métro 92	Stade Montois	22
30	Toulon	Tarbes	13
9	La Rochelle	Bordeaux-Bégles	3
22	Narbonne	Blagnac	22

Round 2

>small>Saturday 22 march and Sunday 23 march

9	Oyonnax	Racing Métro 92	16
12	Blagnac	La Rochelle	31
25	Béziers	SU Agen	9
19	Stade Montois	Limoges	12
3	Tarbes	Pau	8
28	LOU	Aurillac	9
8	Bordeaux-Bégles	Toulon	20
6	Grenoble	Narbonne	13

Semifinals

15 June, 15:15 — Mont-de-Marsan 12–6 Lyon
15 June, 19:00 — Racing Métro 23–17 La Rochelle

Final

21 June, 15:00 at Limoges — Racing Métro 23–32 Mont-de-Marsan (extra time)

External links

LNR.fr
Table

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