Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque, usually known simply as Biarritz, is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, New Aquitaine which competes in the Rugby Pro D2, the second division of French rugby. Biarritz plays its home matches at the Parc des Sports Aguiléra, which is a multi-use stadium in Biarritz and which has a capacity of around 13,500 people, though for games that need a larger capacity, Biarritz may play at the Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastián. Biarritz play in red and white colours. Biarritz won a number of major honors, including the French championship on five occasions.
Montpellier Hérault Rugby is a French professional rugby union club, based in Montpellier, Occitania 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 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.
Felipe Contepomi is an Argentine rugby coach who is currently the backs coach at Leinster Rugby. He was a rugby union footballer who played fly-half or centre; his last club was Club Newman, in the first division of the URBA championship. He was also a key player for Argentina, having played 15 years for the national team. His twin brother Manuel was also a Puma. In June 2015 he was appointed coach of Argentina XV. Contepomi was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in November 2017.
Shane Geraghty is an English rugby union player who plays for Stade Francais in the French Top 14
Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne is a French rugby union club that 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. They participated in the 2005-06 Pro D2 competition, but were relegated to the amateur Fédérale 1 league for the 2006-07 season, from which they regained their place in the Pro D2 for the 2007-08 Pro D2 competition.
The 2007-08 Top 14 Competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition, operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). 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 after the Rugby World Cup final. The league compensated for the late start by playing on several weekends that it normally skips, namely the weekends of the 2008 Six Nations Championship and the semifinals and final of the 2007-08 Heineken Cup. The season ended on June 28, 2008, with Toulouse defeating regular-season league leader Clermont 26–20 in the final and thereby lifting the Bouclier de Brennus.
Sébastien Viars is a former French rugby union footballer. He was nicknamed "The Compass". He played as a centre and as a wing.
The 2009–10 Top 14 competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). It began on August 14, 2009 with a match between Toulon and Stade Français at Stade Mayol in Toulon, and continued through to the final at the Stade de France on May 29, 2010.
Malkhaz Urjukashvili is a Georgian rugby union player. He plays as a wing.
Luciano Orquera is an Argentine-Italian rugby union player. He plays as a fly-half for Zebre, an Italian club in the Pro14.
Yoann Huget is a French rugby union player. He plays as a wing or fullback for Toulouse.
Konstantin Rachkov is a Russian rugby union footballer who plays as a fly-half.
Paliko Jimsheladze is a Georgian rugby union player. He plays as a fly-half.
Tommaso Allan, commonly known as Tommy Allan is an Italian rugby player who can play fly-half, centre or fullback, and currently plays for Benetton and the Italy national team. Besides Italy and Scotland, Allan has spent several years in England and some time in South Africa.
The 2015–16 Top 14 competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Two new teams from the 2014–15 Pro D2 season were promoted to Top 14 this year, Agen and Pau in place of the two relegated teams, Bayonne and Lyon. Home-and-away play began on 22 August 2015 and ended on 23 May 2016. This was followed by a playoff stage involving the top six teams, culminating in the final on 24 June 2016 at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. The final was moved from its traditional site of the Stade de France in Saint-Denis because of a scheduling conflict with UEFA Euro 2016.
The 2017–18 Top 14 competition is the 119th French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Two new teams from the 2016–17 Pro D2 season were promoted to Top 14 in place of the two relegated teams, Grenoble and Bayonne. It marks the second time in a row that both promoted teams had returned on their first opportunity after relegation.
