Rouen Normandie Rugby is a French rugby union club from Rouen, currently playing in the second level of the country's professional rugby system, Pro D2.

Rouen NR
Full nameRouen Normandie Rugby
Nickname(s)Les Lions (The Lions)
Founded2009; 15 years ago (2009)
LocationRouen, France
Ground(s)Stade Robert Diochon (Capacity: 12,018)
Coach(es)Nicolas Godignon
League(s)Pro D2
2022–2312th
Official website
rouennormandierugby.fr

The team plays in red and black shirts. It plays their home matches at Stade Robert Diochon in Rouen. There are plans to build a new stadium by 2023.[1]

History edit

The team origins date back to 2009, when a group of rugby fanatics from the Normandy region wanted to build a team in the city of Rouen.[2] Named Stade Rouennais, their primary objective of reaching Fédérale 2 was achieved in 2013.

Seeking further progress, Stade Rouennais hired Richard Hill, former captain of the England team and finalist of the 1991 World Cup, as General Manager in 2013. Under his management the club stabilized itself in Fédérale 2 and then gained promotion to Fédérale 1 in 2014–15.

After this meteoric rise Normand entrepreneurs Jean-Louis Louvel and Eric Leroy invested in the club by becoming the presidents. The club was renamed Rouen Normandie Rugby. The goal was to professionalize the club and extend it to all of Normandy. Richard Hill committed to the club until 2023.

These changes were beneficial, since for the first time in the history of Normandy rugby, Richard Hill lead Rouen Normandy Rugby to become Champion of France of the highest amateur level in 2016–17.

During the 2018–19 Fédérale 1 season Hill led Rouen to victory in the Jean Pratt Trophy, which automatically promoted them to Pro D2.[3]

Honours edit

Current standings edit

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD B Pts
1 Oyonnax (C, P) 30 23 1 6 904 457 +447 17 111 Semi-final promotion playoff place
2 Grenoble 30 19 3 8 672 588 +84 8 87[a]
3 Mont-de-Marsan 30 19 0 11 764 649 +115 10 86 Quarter-final promotion playoff place
4 Nevers 30 17 3 10 718 551 +167 11 85
5 Vannes 30 17 1 12 718 633 +85 11 81
6 Agen 30 15 1 14 653 583 +70 15 77
7 Colomiers 30 15 0 15 674 678 −4 10 70
8 Provence 30 13 4 13 652 638 +14 9 69
9 Béziers 30 13 1 16 700 716 −16 11 65
10 Aurillac 30 15 0 15 586 706 −120 5 65
11 Biarritz 30 12 2 16 690 699 −9 8 60
12 Rouen 30 12 2 16 594 767 −173 6 58
13 Montauban 30 12 1 17 678 784 −106 6 54[a]
14 Soyaux Angoulême 30 11 0 19 569 697 −128 8 52
15 Carcassonne (R) 30 10 1 19 553 677 −124 10 52 Relegation to Nationale
16 Massy (R) 30 7 0 23 499 801 −302 5 33
Source: Pro D2
Rules for classification: When two teams have the same points total, position is determined by head-to-head results before points difference.
(C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Grenoble were penalised three competition points, and Montauban were penalised two, for financial and administrative issues that made the clubs "non-compliant with the regulatory provisions and decisions of the CCCP".[4][5]

Current squad edit

The Rouen squad for the 2022–23 season is:[6]

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union
Efi Ma'afu Hooker   Australia
Jean-Etienne Lesueur Hooker   France
Mathieu Bonnot Hooker   France
Mohamed Boughnami Prop   France
Soulemane Camara Prop   France
Jeremy Clamy-Edroux Prop   France
Antoine Fournier Prop   France
Dylan Jacquot Prop   France
Alexandru Țăruș Prop   Romania
Cody Thomas Prop   Portugal
JC Astle Lock   South Africa
Jimi Maximin Lock   France
Toby Salmon Lock   England
Raphaël Vieilledent Lock   France
Tienie Burger Back row   South Africa
Abdelkarim Fofana Back row   France
Valentino Mapapalangi Back row   Tonga
Willy N'Diaye Back row   France
Julien Ruaud Back row   France
Fabien Vincent Back row   France
Psalm Wooching Back row   United States
Player Position Union
Florent Campeggia Scrum-half   France
Joris Lezat Scrum-half   France
Theo Nanette Scrum-half   France
Franck Pourteau Fly-half   France
Thibault Olender Fly-half   France
Ugo Delorme Centre   France
Taylor Gontineac Centre   Romania
JT Jackson Centre   South Africa
Alex Luatua Centre   New Zealand
Ope Peleseuma Centre   Samoa
Malcom Bertschy Wing   France
Amidou Marciniek Wing   France
Benito Masilevu Wing   Fiji
Paul Surano Wing   France
Peter Lydon Fullback   Netherlands
Marius Marty Fullback   France
Kevin Milhorat Fullback   France

Espoirs squad edit

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union
Ru-Hann Greyling Hooker   France
Lucas Malbert Hooker   France
Hugo Nabeiro Prop   France
Lucas Poisson Hooker   France
Ewan Clement Prop   France
Hugo N'Diaye Prop   France
Khvicha Tsopurashvili Prop   Georgia
Octave Leleu Lock   France
Lucas Costa Back row   France
Jean Leleu Back row   France
Samuel Maximin Back row   France
Philippe Obreja Back row   France
Adrien Brissard Scrum-half   France
Alois Chayla Fly-half   France
Matthias Mendes Fullback   France

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Un nouveau stade de rugby construit dans quatre ans au sud de Rouen ?". actu.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Histoire". Rouen Normandie Rugby (in French). Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Rouen Normandie Rugby sacré champion de France de Fédérale 1 au terme d'un match renversant". actu.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  4. ^ "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 ».
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "Le Groupe Pro" (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2019.

External links edit