RC Narbonne

Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée

Full name	Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée
Founded	1907
Location	Narbonne, France
Ground(s)	Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié (Capacity: 12,000)
President	Louis Madaule
Coach(es)	Chris Whitaker and Justin Harrison
League(s)	Pro D2
2014–15	14th
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.rcnm.com

Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée (also known as RCNM) is a French rugby union club that play in the second-level Rugby Pro D2.

They are based in Narbonne in Languedoc-Roussillon. They were founded in 1907. They play at Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié (capacity 12,000). They wear orange and black.

History

RC Narbonne were established in 1907. The club's first appearance in the domestic championship final came in May 1932, where they faced Lyon in Bordeaux. However, Narbonne were not able to capture their first title, as Lyon would go onto win the final 9 points to three. The following season Narbonne again made it to the final of the league, and once again, Lyon were their opponents. Again played in Bordeaux, Lyon were victorious once again, defeating Narbonne 10 points to three. However, by 1936 Narbonne were once agagin finalists of the French championship, and on May 10 in Toulouse they defeated Montferrand 6 points to three, claiming their first ever championship.

In 1967 Narbonne contested the final of the Challenge Yves du Manoir, playing FC Lourdes (the 1966 Challenge Yves du Manoir champions). FC Lourdes held onto their title, defeating Narbonne 9 points to three. However the following season, Narbonne were again finalists, and won their first Challenge Yves du Manoir title, defeating Dax 14 points to six.

The 1970s were another successful era for RC Narbonne. In 1973 Narbonne captured their first Challenge Yves du Manoir title since the 1968 season, defeating Béziers 13 points to six. 1974 was a great season for Narbonne; they successfully defended their Challenge Yves du Manoir title by defeating CA Brive in the final, they were also runners-up in the main French championship, being defeated by their 1973 Challenge Yves du Manoir opponents AS Béziers (16 points to 14). In 1978 Narbonne again won the Challenge Yves du Manoir, being awarded the title after drawing 19-all with AS Béziers due to them scoring more tries. 1979 was a very successful year for Narbonne; they were able to hold on to their Challenge Yves du Manoir title, defeating AS Montferrand 9 points to seven, as well as the Challenge Yves du Manoir, Narbonne won the French championship (for the first time since 1936), defeating Stade Bagnérais 10 to nil at Parc des Princes in the final.

Narbonne would also win a number of honours during the 1980s. The club were runners-up in the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1982, losing to US Dax 19 points to 22 in the final. Narbonne won it again in 1984, defeating Toulouse 17 points to 13 in the final. In 1985 Narbonne won the Coupe de France, defeating AS Béziers 28 to 27 after extra time. In 1989 Narbonne won the Challenge Yves du Manoir again, defeating Biarritz 18 points to 12. The club won it again in 1990, defeating Grenoble 24 to 19 in the final. Narbonne made it three in a row after winning the 1991 Challenge Yves du Manoir, defeating CA Bègles 24 to 19 in the final game. Narbonne came close to winning the Challenge Yves du Manoir four times in a row, but lost to SU Agen 23-18 in the final. In 2001 Narbonne were runners-up in the European Challenge Cup, losing to the Harlequins 42 to 33 in the final.

The Club has been owned by an Australian Consortium since 2012. The consortium includes Bob Dwyer, Rocky Elsom, Pete O'Connell and Chris Bayman. RCNM made the finals of ProD2 in 2013/14 season losing narrowly to SG Agen. This was achieved with one of the smallest budgets in the League and the innovation in recruitment, preparation and training enabled the club to perform well above expectation.

Honours

• French championship:
  • Champions: 1936, 1979
  • Runners-up: 1932, 1933, 1974

• European Challenge Cup:
  • Runners-up: 2001

• Challenge Yves du Manoir:
  • Champions: 1968, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1991
  • Runners-up: 1967, 1982, 1992

• Coupe de France:
  • Champions: 1985

Finals results

French championship

Date	Winners	Runners-up	Score	Venue	Spectators
5 May 1932	Lyon OU	RC Narbonne	9-3	Parc Lescure, Bordeaux	13,000
7 May 1933	Lyon OU	RC Narbonne	10-3	Parc Lescure, Bordeaux	15,000
10 May 1936	RC Narbonne	AS Montferrand	6-3	Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse	25,000
12 May 1974	AS Béziers	RC Narbonne	16-14	Parc des Princes, Paris	40,609
27 May 1979	RC Narbonne	Stade Bagnérais	10-0	Parc des Princes, Paris	41,981

Challenge Yves du Manoir

Year	Winner	Score	Runner-up
1967	FC Lourdes	9-3	RC Narbonne
1968	RC Narbonne	14-6	US Dax
1973	RC Narbonne	13-6	AS Béziers
1974	RC Narbonne	19-10	CA Brive
1978	RC Narbonne	19-19 (more tries scored)	AS Béziers
1979	RC Narbonne	9-7	AS Montferrand
1982	US Dax	22-19	RC Narbonne
1984	RC Narbonne	17-13	Stade Toulousain
1989	RC Narbonne	18-12	Biarritz Olympique
1990	RC Narbonne	24-19	FC Grenoble
1991	RC Narbonne	24-19	CA Bègles
1992	SU Agen	23-18	RC Narbonne

Coupe de France

Year	Winner	Score	Runner-up
1985	RC Narbonne	28-27 (a.e.t.)	AS Béziers

European Challenge Cup

Year	Winner	Score	Runner-up
2004	Harlequins	27-26	RC Narbonne

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	7	6	0	1	211	124	+87	2	1	27
2	Aurillac	7	5	0	2	231	161	+70	3	1	24
3	Bayonne	7	5	0	2	184	163	+21	1	1	22
4	Perpignan	7	5	0	2	170	120	+50	0	2	22
5	Albi	7	4	0	3	139	138	+1	1	1	18
6	Béziers	7	4	0	3	187	161	+26	0	1	17
7	Colomiers	7	4	0	3	153	156	–3	1	0	17
8	Mont De Marsan	7	3	0	4	162	132	+30	1	3	16
9	Narbonne	7	3	0	4	146	154	–8	0	2	14
10	Montauban	7	3	0	4	137	176	−39	0	2	14
11	Tarbes	7	3	0	4	140	151	–11	0	1	13
12	Dax	7	3	0	4	150	178	–28	0	1	13
13	Provence Rugby	7	3	0	4	132	175	−43	0	0	12
14	Bourgoin	7	2	0	5	129	151	−22	0	3	11
15	Carcassonne	7	2	0	5	120	207	–87	0	1	9
16	Biarritz	7	1	0	6	109	153	−44	0	2	6
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.

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 Cyril Deligny Hooker France Huia Edmonds Hooker Australia Jean-Charles Fidinde Hooker France Gregory Fichten Prop France Astamour Iosseliani Prop Georgia Tariel Ratianidze Prop Georgia Benoît Zanon Prop France Thomas Boidin Lock Australia Otilo Kafotamaki Lock Samoa Romain Manchia Lock France Hands Nkinsi Lock France David Penalva Lock Portugal Étienne Herjean Flanker France Jono Jenkins Flanker Australia Nic Strauss Flanker France Chris Hala'ufia Number 8 Tonga Leiataua Tomiki Number 8 Tonga

Player Position Union Sébastien Rouet Scrum-half Spain Lucas Rubio Scrum-half France Brett Sheehan Scrum-half Australia Pierre-Alexandre Dut Fly-half France Clint Eadie Fly-half France Christopher Ruiz Fly-half France Vincent Rattez Centre France Leone Ravuetaki Centre Fiji Saia Fekitoa Wing Tonga Benoît Jasmin Wing France Sakiusa Navakadretia Wing Fiji Klur Pierre Fullback France

Notable former players

Gérard Bertrand René Araou Julien Candelon Didier Codorniou Patrick Estève Jean-Pierre Hortoland Christian Labit Jo Maso Jean-Baptiste Poux Francois Sangalli Henri Sanz Claude Spanghero Walter Spanghero Franck Tournaire

Federico Pucciariello Alessandro Stoica Massimo Giovanelli Marco Bortolami Gareth Llewellyn Willem De Waal Louis Koen Ignacio Corleto Gonzalo Quesada Martin Scelzo Mario Ledesma Gonzalo Longo Bryan Redpath Stuart Reid Luke Hume

See also

• List of rugby union clubs in France
• Rugby union in France

References

External links

• (French) Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée Official website