Montpellier Hérault Rugby

Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Full name	Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Nickname(s)	Les Cistes (The Cistuses); MHR
Founded	1986
Location	Montpellier, France
Ground(s)	GGL Stadium (Capacity: 15,697)
President	Mohed Altrad
Coach(es)	Philippe Saint-André
Captain(s)	Fulgence Ouedraogo
League(s)	Top 14
2021–22	2nd (champions)
Team kit	2nd kit
Official website
	www.montpellier-rugby.com

Montpellier Hérault Rugby (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃pɛlje eʁo ʁyɡbi klœb, -pəl-]; Occitan: Montpelhièr Erau Rugbi Club) is a French professional rugby union club, based in Montpellier, Occitanie and named after the Hérault river. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé (capacity 5,000) but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir, later known as Altrad Stadium, and since renamed the GGL Stadium, in 2007. They wear white and blue.

History

The club was established in 1986 through the merger of two other rugby union clubs, the Stade Montpelliérain and MUC Rugby.

In 1993 the club won the Challenge de l'Espérance.

In 2003 the club became the champion of France's second division national rugby league, the Pro D2. After finishing second in the league table at the end of the 2002–03 season, Montpellier advanced to the playoffs. They defeated Auch in the semi-finals and Tarbes in the finals to win promotion to the Top 14. The following season the club played for the European Shield, and contested the final. Played in May 2004, Montpellier defeated Italian club Viadana 25 points to 19 to win the Shield.

The club barely avoided relegation after the 2006–07 season. Winning only nine games during a twenty-six-game season, Montpellier found itself in a relegation position with only two games left to play. Thanks to a bonus-point victory in week 25, the team finished just four points ahead of Agen which was relegated to the Pro D2 at the end of the year.

After 2006–07, the club's fortunes began to improve. In June 2007, Fulgence Ouedraogo became the first Montpellier player to play on the French national rugby union team. That same summer the club's new stadium, the Stade Yves-du-Manoir (now GGL Stadium), opened. In 2007–08 Montpellier enjoyed its first winning season in the Top 14. The club made its next step up the table in 2010–11 when it unexpectedly finished sixth by a single point and made the Top 14 playoffs for the first time. The underdog squad defeated both Castres and Racing Métro to make the championship game where they were defeated 15–10 by Toulouse. Since that season, Montpellier has become a consistent playoff contender, finishing fifth in both 2011–12 and 2012–13 and second on the league table in 2013–14.

Thanks to the club's excellent 2010–11 showing, Montpellier was awarded its first spot in the Heineken Cup tournament for 2011–12. The club returned for the 2012–13 tournament and made the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Clermont. Montpellier returned for the final edition of the Heineken Cup in 2013–14, and are participating in the successor to the Heineken Cup, the European Rugby Champions Cup, in 2014–15.

From 2011 the club has been chaired and funded by Mohed Altrad.[1]

In late November 2019, Montpellier were beaten by Connacht in the opening game of the Champions Cup pool stages.[2]

Honours

Top 14
- Champions: 2022
- Runners-up (2): 2011, 2018
Rugby Pro D2
- Champions: 2003
European Rugby Challenge Cup
- Champions: 2016, 2021
European Shield:
- Champions: 2004
Challenge de l'Espérance:
- Champions: 1993

Finals results

Top 14

Date	Winners	Runners-up	Score	Venue	Spectators
4 June 2011	Stade Toulousain	Montpellier Hérault RC	15–10	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	77,000
2 June 2018	Castres Olympique	Montpellier Hérault RC	29–13	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	79,441
24 June 2022	Montpellier Hérault RC	Castres Olympique	29–10	Stade de France, Saint-Denis

European Shield

Date	Winners	Runners-up	Score	Venue	Spectators
21 May 2004	Montpellier Hérault RC	Viadana	25-19	Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma	2,553

European Challenge Cup

Date	Winners	Runners-up	Score	Venue	Spectators
13 May 2016	Montpellier Hérault RC	Harlequins	26-19	Grand Stade de Lyon, Lyon	28.556[3]
21 May 2021	Montpellier Hérault RC	Leicester	18-17	Twickenham, London	10.000

Current standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Toulouse	16	11	1	4	8	413	266	+147	54	Champions Cup & Top 14 finals
2	Stade Français	16	9	1	6	8	426	265	+161	46
3	La Rochelle	16	9	0	7	6	401	309	+92	42
4	Racing 92	16	9	1	6	4	443	414	+29	42
5	Bayonne	16	9	1	6	2	370	359	+11	40
6	Bordeaux Bègles	16	8	1	7	6	360	324	+36	40
7	Lyon	16	9	0	7	4	384	384	0	40	Challenge Cup
8	Montpellier	16	8	0	8	6	384	357	+27	38
9	Toulon	16	8	0	8	3	361	334	+27	35
10	Castres	16	7	1	8	2	321	376	−55	32
11	Clermont	16	6	1	9	5	345	407	−62	31
12	Pau	16	5	1	10	5	337	395	−58	27
13	Brive	16	5	0	11	5	267	435	−168	25	Relegation play-off
14	Perpignan	16	5	0	11	2	249	436	−187	22	Relegation to Rugby Pro D2

Updated to match(es) played on 29 January 2023. Source: Top 14
Rules for classification: 1) Competition points earned in head-to-head matches; 2) Points difference in head-to-head matches; 3) Try differential in head-to-head matches; 4) Points difference in all matches; 5) Try differential in all matches; 6) Points scored in all matches; 7) Tries scored in all matches; 8) Fewer matches forfeited; 9) Classification in the previous Top 14 season.

Current squad

The Montpellier squad for the 2022–23 season is:[4]

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
Brandon Paenga-Amosa	Hooker	Australia
Vincent Guidicelli	Hooker	France
Jérémie Maurouard	Hooker	France
Ru-Hann Greyling	Hooker	South Africa
Curtis Langdon	Hooker	England
Simon-Pierre Chauvac	Prop	France
Grégory Fichten	Prop	France
Enzo Forletta	Prop	France
Mohamed Haouas	Prop	France
Titi Lamositele	Prop	United States
Henry Thomas	Prop	England
Karl Tu'inukuafe	Prop	New Zealand
Bastien Chalureau	Lock	France
Nico Janse van Rensburg	Lock	South Africa
Tyler Duguid	Lock	Canada
Florian Verhaeghe	Lock	France
Paul Willemse	Lock	France
Alexandre Bécognée	Back row	France
Yacouba Camara	Back row	France
Clément Doumenc	Back row	France
Masivesi Dakuwaqa	Back row	Fiji
Zach Mercer	Back row	England
Marco Tauleigne	Back row	France

Player	Position	Union
Gela Aprasidze	Scrum-half	Georgia
Léo Coly	Scrum-half	France
Cobus Reinach	Scrum-half	South Africa
Louis Carbonel	Fly-half	France
Louis Foursans	Fly-half	France
Paolo Garbisi	Fly-half	Italy
Thomas Darmon	Centre	France
Geoffrey Doumayrou	Centre	France
Pierre Lucas	Centre	France
Jan Serfontein	Centre	South Africa
Arthur Vincent	Centre	France
George Bridge	Wing	New Zealand
Gabriel N'Gandebe	Wing	France
Ben Lam	Wing	New Zealand
Vincent Rattez	Wing	France
Anthony Bouthier	Fullback	France
Julien Tisseron	Fullback	France

Espoirs squad

The Montpellier Hérault Rugby Espoirs squad is:[5]