Provence Rugby

Provence

Full name	Provence Rugby
Founded	1970
Location	Aix-en-Provence, France
Ground(s)	Stade Maurice David
President	Denis Philipon
Coach(es)	Gilbert Doucet and Thierry Fournier
League(s)	Pro D2
2014–15	Champions, Fédérale 1
Team kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.parcrugby.com

Provence Rugby is a French rugby union club currently playing in Pro D2, the second tier of the country's professional system. They were most recently promoted as champions of the top amateur league, Fédérale 1, in 2014–15.

Based in Aix-en-Provence in the Bouches-du-Rhône just north of Marseille, the club was founded in 1970. They currently play at Stade Maurice David and wear black. The club was known as Aix Rugby Club from 1970 to 2001, and Pays d'Aix Rugby Club (PARC) from 2001 to 2015.

At the end of 2004/5 they were promoted to Pro D2 but were relegated back to Fédérale 1 at the end of the season. They would return to Pro D2 as runners-up to Lannemezan in 2009. In the 2009–10 season, they finished next-to-last on the league table, in a relegation spot. However, they were reprieved when Top 14 club Montauban filed for bankruptcy and were relegated directly to Fédérale 1. They would suffer the drop after the 2012-13 season, not returning until 2015–16.

By that time, they had changed their name to the current Provence Rugby, officially announcing the name change on 22 June 2015.^[1]

Honours

One of several logos used by the club in the early 21st century.

• Fédérale 1:
  • Champions: 2004, 2015
  • Runners-up: 2009
• Deuxième Division:
  • Champions: 1986

Current standings

2015–16 Rugby Pro D2 Table
	Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points For	Points Against	Points Diff	Try Bonus	Losing Bonus	Points
1	Lyon	22	20	0	2	738	340	+398	9	2	91
2	Bayonne	22	15	1	6	496	426	+70	3	3	68
3	Béziers	22	13	1	8	555	466	+89	3	3	60
4	Aurillac	22	13	0	9	524	450	+74	4	3	59
5	Perpignan	22	11	1	10	519	458	+61	4	5	55
6	Colomiers	22	10	3	9	436	436	0	3	3	52
7	Albi	22	11	2	9	426	438	-12	1	2	51
8	Mont De Marsan	22	10	1	11	418	475	-57	2	3	47
9	Montauban	22	10	0	12	407	448	−41	0	6	46
10	Narbonne	22	10	0	12	438	489	−51	1	5	46
11	Bourgoin	22	9	0	13	414	427	–13	3	7	46
12	Biarritz	22	10	0	12	457	430	+27	2	3	45
13	Carcassonne	22	8	0	14	346	530	−184	0	4	36
14	Dax	22	7	1	14	394	527	–133	0	4	34
15	Tarbes	22	8	0	14	421	466	−45	0	9	33
16	Provence Rugby	22	6	0	16	376	559	−183	0	3	27
Green background (row 1) Champions automatically promoted to Top 14. Blue background denotes teams that qualify for the promotion play-offs. Red background relegation to Fédérale 1. Note: When two teams have the same points total, position is calculated by results between teams before points difference. Note: Tarbes have had 8 points deducted and will also be automatically relegated at the end of the season.

Current squad

2015-16 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 Romain Colliat Hooker France Denis Fogarty Hooker Ireland Florian Lescadieu Hooker France Talemaitoga Tuapati Hooker Fiji Youssef Amrouni Prop France Alan Cotter Prop Ireland Francisco Domingues Prop Portugal Mohammed Loukia Prop France Campese Ma'afu Prop Fiji Jesus Moreno Rodriguez Prop Spain Ousmane N'Diaye Prop Senegal Giorgi Zaqashvili Prop Georgia Nikola Latuhoi Lock Tonga Yassine Maamry Lock France Rupeni Nasiga Lock Fiji Karolis Navickas Lock Lithuania Anthony Potente Lock France Ross Skeate Lock South Africa Tomas Vallejos Cinalli Lock Argentina Alexandre Audet Flanker France Jannie Bornman Flanker South Africa Lucas Guillaume Flanker France Paula Havea Flanker Tonga Romain Longepee Flanker France Florian Munoz Rivero Flanker France Loic Verdy Flanker France Alexis Droillet Number 8 France Tanguy Molcard Number 8 France Nicolas Verdy Number 8 France

Player Position Union Julien Berger Scrum-half Belgium Sonny Cecot Scrum-half France Robin Clement Scrum-half France Sylvain Bouillon Fly-half France Kevin Boulogne Fly-half France Erwan Meudic Brun Fly-half France Baptiste Hecker Centre France Jerome Jacquet Centre France Louis Marrou Centre France Constantine Mika Centre Samoa Riaan Swanepoel Centre South Africa Akuila-Joeli Tabualevu Centre Fiji Marika Vakacegu Centre Fiji Lucas Caneda Wing Argentina Eddy Labarthe Wing France Evi Naioko Wing Fiji Leone Naisorotabua Wing Fiji Anthony Poujol Wing France Arthur Cestaro Fullback France Lucas Levy Fullback France Jason Seage Fullback Australia

Notable former players

• Jean-Luc Aqua
• Guillaume Delmotte
• Norman Jordaan
• Yannick Ricardo (Portuguese international)
• George Kutarashvili (Georgian international)
• Legi Matiu (French international)
• Mihai Lazăr (Romanian international)
• Ovidiu Toniţa (Romanian international)

References

1. "LE PARC devient Provence Rugby" (Press release) (in French). Provence Rugby. 22 June 2015. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2016.

External links

• Provence Rugby - Official site (French)