Wikipedia

Stade Rochelais

Stade Rochelais (French pronunciation: [stad ʁɔʃlɛ]), commonly called La Rochelle, is a French professional rugby union club based in La Rochelle, France that competes in the Top 14. Founded in 1898 and wearing yellow and black, the club's first-team plays its home matches at Stade Marcel-Deflandre.

Stade Rochelais
Full nameStade Rochelais
Nickname(s)Les Maritimes (The Seaborn Men)
Les Jaune et Noir (The Yellow and Blacks)
Les Bagnards (The Convicts)
Founded1898; 126 years ago (1898)
LocationLa Rochelle, France
Ground(s)Stade Marcel-Deflandre (Capacity: 16,000)
ChairmanVincent Merling
Coach(es)Ronan O'Gara
Captain(s)Grégory Alldritt
Uini Atonio
League(s)Top 14
2022–232nd
1st kit
2nd kit
3rd kit
Official website
www.staderochelais.com

Alongside other French club Brive, La Rochelle is one of only two clubs that won the European Rugby Champions Cup (twice in its case; beating Leinster in both 2022 and 2023 finals) without succeeding in winning its domestic championship losing on both occasions against Toulouse in the final: the first time in 2021 and the second in 2023. Owned by several shareholders, including club president and coffee magnate Vincent Merling, the club is renowned for the fervour of its supporters and its continual sold-out home matches.

History edit

Originally formed in 1898, Stade Rochelais won three regional Atlantic championships in the early part of the 20th century, qualifying them for the French Championship, where they reached the quarter-finals twice and the semi-finals once.[1] The popularity of rugby league in the area lessened the number of available players, and in 1935 Stade Rochelais merged with neighbours Union Sportive Rochelaise.[1]

Occupation of La Rochelle by troops from Nazi Germany, accompanied by a banning of rugby league by the Vichy Government, forced the city's rugby league club La Rochelle-Etudiants XIII to also be merged into Stade Rochelais in 1941.[1] This was overseen by club President Marcel Deflandre, who was later executed for his role as part of the French Resistance - the club's stadium is named Stade Marcel-Deflandre in his honour.[1]

The club formed a school for training players and coaches in the 1950s, resulting in them reaching the French Championship quarter-finals three times in the 1960s.[1] They were relegated in 1985, returning in 1997.[1] They were again relegated in 2002, though they won the Challenge Yves du Manoir that same year.[1] They retained the Challenge title the following year but were not promoted again until 2010.[1] They spent one season in Top 16 before being relegated again.[1]

Les Maritimes came third in the 2013–14 Rugby Pro D2 season and were promoting after beating Agen in the play-off final.

Honours edit

 

Current standings edit

2023–24 Top 14 Table
Pos Team
 Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Stade Français 21 15 1 5 440 356 +84 46 30 4 1 67 Qualification for 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup and Playoffs
2 Toulouse 21 13 0 8 596 469 +127 81 55 6 3 61
3 Racing 92 21 12 0 9 525 418 +107 67 42 5 4 57
4 Toulon 21 12 0 9 558 418 +140 57 47 4 3 55
5 Bordeaux Bègles 21 12 0 9 521 463 +58 60 54 3 3 54
6 La Rochelle 21 10 0 11 474 372 +102 54 34 5 7 52
7 Pau 21 11 0 10 497 481 +16 51 54 2 4 50 Qualification for 2024–25 European Rugby Challenge Cup
8 Perpignan 21 11 0 10 500 557 −57 64 69 5 0 49
9 Castres 21 10 0 11 522 523 −1 56 62 4 5 49
10 Bayonne 21 9 0 12 460 532 −72 51 62 2 6 44
11 Clermont 21 8 2 11 447 538 −91 50 63 3 3 42
12 Lyon 21 9 0 12 482 621 −139 52 73 4 2 42
13 Montpellier 21 8 0 13 418 496 −78 46 57 1 5 38 Qualification for Relegation play-off
14 Oyonnax 21 5 1 15 449 645 −196 47 80 0 4 26 Relegation to Pro D2
Updated to match(es) played on 21 April 2024. Source: Top 14


Current squad edit

For player movements before or during the 2023–24 season, see List of 2023–24 Top 14 transfers § La Rochelle.

The La Rochelle squad for the 2022–23 season is:[2][3]

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

Player Position Union
Pierre Bourgarit Hooker   France
Sacha Idoumi Hooker   France
Quentin Lespiaucq Hooker   France
Uini Atonio Prop   France
Georges-Henri Colombe Prop   France
Alexsandre Kuntelia Prop   Georgia
Thierry Paiva Prop   France
Joel Sclavi Prop   Argentina
Reda Wardi Prop   France
Ultan Dillane Lock   Ireland
Thomas Lavault Lock   France
Rémi Picquette Lock   France
Thomas Ployet Lock   France
Will Skelton Lock   Australia
Grégory Alldritt Back row   France
Levani Botia Back row   Fiji
Paul Boudehent Back row   France
Judicaël Cancoriet Back row   France
Noé Della Schiava Back row   France
Matthias Haddad Back row   France
Yoan Tanga Back row   France
Player Position Union
Thomas Berjon Scrum-half   France
Teddy Iribaren Scrum-half   France
Tawera Kerr-Barlow Scrum-half   New Zealand
Antoine Hastoy Fly-half   France
Hugo Reus Fly-half   France
Ihaia West Fly-half   New Zealand
Jonathan Danty Centre   France
Jules Favre Centre   France
UJ Seuteni Centre   Samoa
Dillyn Leyds Wing   South Africa
Jack Nowell Wing   England
Raymond Rhule Wing   South Africa
Teddy Thomas Wing   France
Brice Dulin 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
Alexandre Kaddouni Prop   France
Louis Penverne Prop   France
Karl Sorin Prop   France
Nika Sutidze Prop   Georgia
Robin Garnier Lock   France
Simon Huchet Lock   France
Sampie Joubert Lock   South Africa
Charles Kante-Samba Lock   France
Oscar Jégou Back row   France
Edouard Richer Back row   France
Player Position Union
Lucas Zamora Scrum-half   France
Timothee Castaignede Fly-half   France
Simeli Daunivucu Centre   Fiji
Romain Lamit Centre   France
Seru Tomasi Centre   Fiji
Theo Williamson Centre   England
Ika Anagu Wing   Ireland
Nathan Bollengier Wing   France
Hoani Bosmorin Wing   France
Mathis Lhomet Wing   France
Maxime Tetlow Fullback   France

France results edit

Top 14 Championship Final edit

Date Winners Score Runners-up Venue Spectators
25 June 2021 Stade Toulousain 18–8 Stade Rochelais Stade de France, Saint-Denis 14,000
17 June 2023 Stade Toulousain 29-26 Stade Rochelais Stade de France, Saint-Denis 79,804

European results edit

European Rugby Champions Cup Final edit

Date Winners Score Runners-up Venue Spectators
22 May 2021 Stade Toulousain 22–17 Stade Rochelais Twickenham Stadium, London 10,000
28 May 2022 Stade Rochelais 24–21 Leinster Orange Vélodrome, Marseille 59,682
20 May 2023 Stade Rochelais 27–26 Leinster Aviva Stadium, Dublin 51,711

Notable former players edit

See also: Category:Stade Rochelais players

Arnaud, then his son Jean-Pierre and his grandson Jean-Baptiste all played for La Rochelle as scrum-halves.

Coaches edit

Well known former coaches include

The club only had three head coaches from 1992 to 2017, including Patrice Collaco since 2011.[4]

Leadership and management edit

Vincent Merling, president as of 2017, had guided the club for 25 years. He was the driving force behind the “Grow Together” campaign launched in 2015 that persuaded 500 local businesses to support/sponsor the club.[4]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Local club La Rochelle now pressing claims at Europe's top table". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Effectif" (in French). Stade Rochelais. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  3. ^ "La Rochelle squad for season 2023/2024". All Rugby. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Europe's team of the season are coming to Murrayfield". www.scotsman.com. 26 March 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2021.

External links edit

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