Colomiers Rugby
Union sportive Colomiers Rugby or US Colomiers is a French rugby union club currently competing in Pro D2, the second 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 relegation scare in 2008–09, finishing 14th, in the last safe position. The club was relegated from Pro D2 in the 2010–11 season. The club, based in Colomiers in the Haute-Garonne département of Occitania, was founded in 1915 and plays at the Stade Michel Bendichou (capacity 11,000). The players wear blue and white. Colomiers have been runners-up in the French championship and Heineken Cup, as well as winners of the European Challenge Cup.
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| Full name | Union Sportive Colomiers Rugby | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1915 | ||
| Location | Colomiers, France | ||
| Ground(s) | Stade Michel Bendichou (Capacity: 11,430) | ||
| President | Alain Carre | ||
| Coach(es) | Olivier Baragnon | ||
| League(s) | Pro D2 | ||
| 2021–22 | 6th (playoff quarter-finalists) | ||
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| Official website | |||
| www | |||
US Colomiers were established in 1915. Colomiers had various European success in the late 1990s. In 1998 they won the European Challenge Cup, the competition below the Heineken Cup, defeating fellow French club SU Agen in the final. The following season they competed in the Heineken Cup. They made it all the way to the final, which took place at Lansdowne Road, Dublin. The capacity crowd saw Irish side Ulster win 21 points to 6.
Colomiers also competed in the 1999-00 and 2000-01 Heineken Cups, but did not make the finals stages of the tournament. The club made its first domestic championship final when they met Stade Français in 2000. The Paris club won the game 28 points to 23 at Stade de France. In 2005 they were crowned Fédérale 1 champions and were promoted back up to Rugby Pro D2, but went back down to Fédérale 1 after two seasons in the second flight. They again claimed the Fédérale 1 title in 2008 to return to Pro D2.
Honours
- French championship:
- Runners-up: 2000
- Heineken Cup:
- Runners-up: 1999
- European Challenge Cup:
- Champions: 1998
- Fédérale 1:
- Champions: 2005, 2008
Finals results
French championship
| Date | Winners | Runner-up | Score | Venue | Spectators |
| 15 July 2000 | Stade Français | US Colomiers | 28-23 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | 78,000 |
Heineken Cup
| Date | Winners | Runner-up | Score | Venue | Spectators |
| 30 January 1999 | Ulster Rugby | US Colomiers | 21-6 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 49,000 |
European Challenge Cup
| Date | Winners | Runner-up | Score | Venue | Spectators |
| 1 February 1998 | US Colomiers | SU Agen | 43-5 | Stade des Sept Deniers, Toulouse | 12,500 |
Current standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oyonnax | 18 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 559 | 226 | +333 | 68 | Top 14 promotion play-offs |
| 2 | Mont-de-Marsan | 18 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 449 | 382 | +67 | 54 | |
| 3 | Agen | 18 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 367 | 314 | +53 | 49 | |
| 4 | Colomiers | 18 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 391 | 380 | +11 | 48 | |
| 5 | Biarritz | 18 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 433 | 368 | +65 | 46 | |
| 6 | Grenoble | 17 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 334 | 339 | −5 | 42[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 7 | Vannes | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 379 | 372 | +7 | 41 | |
| 8 | Béziers | 18 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 405 | 393 | +12 | 40 | |
| 9 | Nevers | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 365 | 356 | +9 | 39 | |
| 10 | Aurillac | 17 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 322 | 387 | −65 | 38 | |
| 11 | Provence | 18 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 369 | 380 | −11 | 37 | |
| 12 | Rouen | 18 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 358 | 436 | −78 | 36 | |
| 13 | Carcassonne | 18 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 290 | 382 | −92 | 32 | |
| 14 | Montauban | 18 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 388 | 442 | −54 | 31[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 15 | Soyaux Angoulême | 18 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 343 | 453 | −110 | 25 | Relegation to Nationale |
| 16 | Massy | 18 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 306 | 448 | −142 | 23 |
Rules for classification: When two teams have the same points total, position is determined by head-to-head results before points difference.
Notes:
Current squad
The squad for the 2022–23 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.
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Notable former players
- Jean-Luc Sadourny / 1984-2003
- Fabien Galthié / 1985-2001
- Yannick Bru / 1997-1998
- David Skrela / 1997-2003 and 2013-2016
- Patrick Tabacco / 1997-2000
- Marc Dal Maso / 1998-2000
- Yannick Jauzion / 1999-2002
- Francis Ntamack / 1999-2004 and 2006-2007
- Julien Arias / 2001-2004
- Hugues Miorin / 2002-2003
- Yannick Forestier / 2003-2004
- Thierry Dusautoir / 2003-2004
- Jean-Philippe Grandclaude / 2003-2004
- Patricio Albacete / 2003-2004
- Benjamin Thiéry / 2003-2004
- Jonathan Wisniewski / 2007
- François Tardieu / 2017-2018
Coaches
- Jean-Luc Sadourny
- Bernard de Giusti
References
- "Le FCG sanctionné de trois points de retrait au classement par la Ligue !". Le Dauphiné libéré (in French). 21 November 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
Un retrait de cinq points dont deux points avec sursis au classement du championnat professionnel de Pro D2 de la saison en cours [...] Cette sanction a été prononcée au motif du « non-respect des dispositions réglementaires et décisions de la CCCP ».
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Pro D2 : l'US Montauban sanctionnée de cinq points de retrait pour la prochaine saison !" [Pro D2: US Montauban sanctioned with five withdrawal points for the next season!]. La Dépêche (in French). 20 May 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- "Effectif 2017-2018". US Colomiers. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
External links
- (in French) Union Sportive Colomiers Rugby Official website
- The Fourth Heineken Cup Final