Sixteen sides kick off French rugbyโs new ProD2 campaign with varying degrees of great expectations. But only six will reach the post-season title play-offs, just one or two will win promotion to the Top 14, and one โ or two โ will be relegated…
Provence, Oyonnax, Grenoble, Brive, Mont-de-Marsan, Colomiers, Nevers, Beziers. All eight, listed here in no particular order, come into the campaign with serious play-off ambitions.
Then thereโs Dax, Agen, and Biarritz. No doubt, they will want a say, too, after their very different ProD2 experiences last season. Aurillac, too, in their quiet way.
The problem is that there can be only six in the title play-offs. And a maximum of two can win promotion to the Top 14.
Then thereโs promoted Nice, access match survivors Montauban, Jonny Mayโs new club Soyaux-Angouleme, and sophomore-seasoners Valence Romans, whoโll all fight tooth-and-nail to keep maximum distance between themselves and the drop, and whoโll happily upset a few rivalsโ ambitious apple carts en route.
The problem, here, too, is that definitely one, and maybe two, bottom-of-the-table sides will be relegated at the end of the campaign…
The 2024/25 ProD2 campaign kicks off with Brive v Oyonnax on Thursday, August 29, while new boys Nice kick off their season at home to Beziers the following evening.ย Hereโs the fixture list for the first round of the season.
The final is on June 6, 2025, with the promotion โaccess matchโ against the 13th-placed Top 14 side a week later. The survival match between the side that finishes 15th in the ProD2 and the losing Nationale 1 finalist is on June 1.
But that end of the season is a long way off. Hereโs the state of play for all 16 ProD2 sides as they head into the new campaign.
AGEN
In: Santi Socino; Hayam El Bibouji; Mathieu de Giovanni; John Madigan; Franck Porteau; Thibaud Mazzoleni; Jack Maunder; Lasha Macharashvili; Billy Searle.
Out: Tane Takulua; Ben Volavola; Malik Hamadache; Richard Barrington; Theo Sauzaret; Mike Sosene-Feagai; Clement Martinez; Joe Maksymiw; Zak Farrance; Corentin Vernet; Antoine Erbani; Thomas Vincent; Pablo Fabius; Harry Sloan; Timilai Rokoduru; Tevita Railevu; Mathieu Lamoulie.
Senior staff: Sebastien Calvert, Dave Ryan, Adel Fellah, Barry Maddocks
First five matches: Provence (a), Nice (h), Mont-de-Marsan (a), Nevers (h), Valence Romans (a)
Agenโs Sebastien Calvet-era started three days after his France U20 squad โ champions for three successive tournaments โ lost to England in the final of the World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa.
He faces something of a rebuilding job because Agen are here via a season to forget. It started with an failed takeover, prompting a mad scramble to fill squad holes left by expected arrivals who ended up heading elsewhere โ with even less success, as it turned out, as they mostly went to Biarritz.
Fortunes dipped on New Yearโs Eve when then-manager Bernard Goutta quit suddenly, leaving Dave Ryan, Adel Fellah and Barry Maddocks to nurse the club through the remainder of the campaign. That they did so successfully is testament to their emergency management skills and no small amount of buy-in from their squad.
But the new Agen era is under way. And Calvet has made it clear heโs chasing a play-off place. From day one. Donโt dismiss him, or them, too early.
AURILLAC
In: Koen Bloemen; Jean-Luc Cilliers; Ugo Seunes; Dominic Robertson-McCoy; Abongile Nonkontwana; Tedo Abzhandadze.
Out: Tim Daniel; Alexandre Plantier; Lasha Mchedlidze; Thomas Cretu; Cam Dodson; Latuka Maituku; Steve Moukete; Marc Palmier; Antoine Aucagne; Christa Powell; Anderson Neisen.
Senior staff: Romeo Gontineac, Alain Belguiral, Mathieu Lescure, Jeremy Wanin
First five matches: Soyaux-Angouleme (h), Colomiers (a), Grenoble (h), Brive (a), Beziers (h)
Aurillac are one of those generally ignored teams that quietly go about the business of doing better than their reputation or budget should, by common consensus, allow.
But, like bees and flying, here they are, ready to do their ProD2 thing all over again, as they have done every season bar one since 2001, after finishing a solid and unfussy ninth last time around.
Theyโve recruited, as they always do, frugally and cannily. Would they like to challenge for the title, or even a play-off place? Of course they would. Will they? Given the quality and budgets of bigger clubs in the ProD2, it seems perenially unlikely (Dax notably bucked the big-budget-big-season trend in 2023/24). And yet…
Youโll commonly hear variations on a theme of โno money, lots of ideasโ in and around Stade Jean Alric โ and thatโs really rather the point. Aurillac are a better team than many give them credit for. A couple of things go their way, and they probably wonโt be far off top six.
In fact, itโs a truth that should be more universally accepted that one or three โbiggerโ clubs could learn a lot from how the Cantal side go about their rugby.
BEZIERS
In: Christian Judge; Cam Dodson; Baptiste Abescat; Taylor Gontineac; Aminiasi Tuimaba; Marco Trauth (loan); Yahnis El Maslouhi; Clement Doumenc; Damien Anon; Hugo Aubry; Shahn Eru.
Out: Raffaele Costa Storti; Jon Zabala; Tim Nanai-Williams; Giorgi Akhaladze; Clement Bitz; John Madigan; Pierrick Gunther; Thomas Hoarau; Mitch Short; Jean-Victor Goillot; Maxime Espeut; Paul Alquier; Filippo Alongi; Luka Tchelidze; Maxime Espeut.
Senior staff: Pierre Caillet, Karne Kaufana, Sylvain Charlet
First five matches: Nice (a), Biarritz (h), Valence Romans (a), Provence (h), Aurillac (a)
Beziers, which has been council-owned since a much-publicised failed takeover in 2020, may be on the brink of new ownership.
An overseas group โ headed by former All Black Andrew Mehrtens, who finished his playing career and started his coaching one at the club โ has reportedly made a formal offer to the mayor and submitted the necessary documents to league officials.
Off the pitch, then, a new future may be in the offing. But it will take time for any boardroom stuff other than uncertainty to trickle down to what matters on it. And Beziers look in decent shape, there.
Admittedly, losing Portuguese scoring machine Raffaele Costa Storti, who headed back to Stade Francais after two seasons on loan in the ProD2, will hit Beziersโ try-scoring stats โ his 21 touchdowns last season were more than a fifth of the senior sideโs total.
But the good news is that the side still has the leagueโs third most-prolific try-scorer last season on its books. Gabin Lorre scored 14 times, and slotted five penalties and four drop goals for extra fun. And grabbing wingman Aminiasi Tuimaba from Pau looks like an excellent catch. Their attack, then, has not been entirely blunted.
Beziers finished third last season, before losing at home to Brive in a 33-31 barrage-round thriller. They will want to be in top-six country again next season. And, with the prospect of an โunder new managementโ sign appearing at Stade Raoul-Barriere soon, the future suddenly looks … different.
BIARRITZ
In: Alexandre Plantier; Clement Martinez; Cornell du Preez; Yohan Beheregaray; Filimo Taofifenua; Thibault Debaes; Arthur Bonneval; Bastien Guillemin; Edgar Retiere; Kylian Jaminet; Piula Faโasalele; Masivesi Dakuwaqa; Jessy Jegerlehner; Enzo Selponi; Thomas Dolhagaray; Mathieu Acebes.
Out: Mohamed Haouas; Joe Jonas; Romain Lonca; Vincent Martin; Lasha Tabidze; Christophe Hilsenbeck; Alfie Petch; Dave OโCallaghan; Thomas Sauveterre; Billy Searle; Bastien Soury; Pieter Jansen van Vuren; Kevin Tougne; Tornika Jalagonia; Joe Jonas; Tiaan Jacobs; Temo Matiu; Yoan Artru; Guy Millar; Charlie Francoz.
Senior staff: Boris Bouhraoua, James Coughlan, Remi Bonfils, Sebastien Buada, Jerome Filitoga-Taofifenua
First five matches: Valence Romans (h), Beziers (a), Oyonnax (h), Montauban (a), Grenoble (h)
Survival โ on and off the pitch โ was as good as it got for Biarritz last season. Now under new ownership and new management, with former Munster backrow James Coughlan in the sporting directorโs hotseat following a long-and-winding โฌ1 fire sale, the club is looking to build something better.
The money is in place, the clubโs ProD2 future secure โ confirmed by the gameโs financial watchdog on June 11 following a tense wait โ and a fresh start under new head coach Boris Bouhraoua begins here.
Bouhraoua comes to the club from Stade Francais, where he was director of the academy, having spent a few years in New Zealand coaching at Napier School. Donโt be surprised to see the Biarritz academy production line whirl into higher gear, especially as the senior squad for 2024/25 looks โฆ well โฆ lean.
So, Bouhraoua and Coughlan will rely heavily on building academy promise.
There is plenty of it around โ the club cashed in on the potential of Temo Matiu and Tiaan Jacobs, who netted Biarritz a reported โฌ500,000 when they moved to Bordeaux in the summer.
That was, no doubt, financially helpful for the club, if not entirely in line with their new head coachโs squad development instincts. Still, money and all that…
The coaches will not want to lose many more future talents as they build a longer-term squad around a new financial reality at Parc des Sports dโAguilera.
BRIVE
In: Courtney Lawes; Curwin Bosch; Henzo Kiteau; Simon-Pierre Chauvac; Samuel Maximin; Hugo Verdu; Thomas Zenon; Erwan Dridi; Omar Odishvili; Konstantine Mikautadze; Maxime Sidobre; Paul Pimienta; Timilai Rokoduru; Tevita Railevu.
Out: Said Hireche; Daniel Brennan; Julien Blanc; Jackson Garden-Bachop; Wesley Douglas; Aaron Grandidier Nkanang; Nico Lee; Sammy Arnold; Paula Walisoliso; Mathieu Brignonen.
Senior staff: Pierre-Henry Broncan, David Darricarrere, Joe Worsley, Didier Faugeron, Said Hireche
First five matches: Oyonnax (h), Soyaux-Angouleme (a), Nevers (a), Aurillac (h), Mont-de-Marsan (a)
Much has been written, on both sides of the Channel, about Courtney Lawesโ Big Brive Move. Justifiably so.
But his switch from the English Premiership to Franceโs second-tier ProD2 isnโt the crucial piece of the ambitious clubโs jigsaw. Nor, either, is the arrival of Curwin Bosch, from Sharks โ important though both signings, inevitably, are
Lawesโ arrival coincided with the retirement of club legend Said Hireche, whoโs joining the staff as assistant defence coach. And rugby watchers will find the bigger news on the staff and boardroom side of things.
Manager Pierre-Henry Broncan, who arrived in November after a brief and difficult stint with Australia at the Rugby World Cup, has got his old Castresโ coaching band back together, with attack coach David Darricarrere and defence coach Joe Worsley joining him in the Correze this summer.
That trio worked well for a while at Stade Pierre Fabre. On their watch, Castres finished the 2022 season at the head of the Top 14 table for the first time in their history, and went on to the final, where they lost to Montpellier.
Darricarrere โ France under-20 attack coach when they won the U20 Championships in 2018 and 2019 โ turned long-time one-dimensional rugby cliches Castres into an attractive attacking side, and Broncan will want him to repeat the trick with a back line that has plenty of youthful potential but has yet to fully deliver.
Higher up the club ladder, ex-Sharks GM Eduard Coetzee has taken over from Xavier Ric, bringing his hefty contacts book with him. His job: to make sure the clubโs โBrive 2030โ project โ a four-prong plan to return Brive to the elite of French rugby and keep them there โ properly takes hold.
COLOMIERS
In: Elias El Ansari; Theo Lachaud; Gregoire Bazin; Caleb Timu; Joaquin de la Vega; Baseisei Sakiusa; Anzelo Tuituvaki.
Out: Joseva Tamani; Edoardo Gori; Maxime Javaux; Thomas Dubois; Hugo Djehi; Andrew Ready; Alexandre Manukula; Romain Bรฉzian; Jorick Dastugue; Wael Ponpon; Fabien Perrin; Paul Pimienta; Thomas Girard, Antoine Lere.
Senior staff: Julien Sarraute, Florian Nicot, Fabien Berneau, Alexandre Castola
First five matches: Mont-de-Marsan (a), Aurillac (h), Dax (a), Valence Romans (h), Nice (a)
By internal Colomiers accounting, the 2023/24 campaign was a failure โ as they did not make the post-season play-offs for the second campaign in a row. The finger of blame pointed in one direction: away form.
Colomiers won just once on the road โ giving up leads in the dying minutes on several occasions. That repeated wastefulness in matchday money-time cost Colomiers dearly in the final analysis.
But it wasnโt all bad news. The rise of the clubโs academy is cause for optimism heading into the new season. A goodly number of them have already shown they are ready to swim in the ProD2 pool. One โ backrow Jeremy Bechu โ was promoted to the leadership group last season at the age of just 20.
Several have now signed their first full senior or progressive contracts, academy deals which develop into a senior ones, so expect to see more promise on the pitch this season. And the club is committed to tuning up production from its academy line.
The intention is clear. Make last seasonโs disappointment a thing of the past.
DAX
In: Dino Casadei; Alexandre Manukula; Jale Vatubua; Kito Falatea; Alexandre Manukula; Lucas Guillaume; Peter Lydon.
Out: Faitotoa Asa; Elvis Levi; Maxime Delonca; Mat Luamanu; Josh Furno; Ilikena Bolakoro; Alex McHenry; Theo Dachary.
Senior staff: Jean-Frederic Dubois, Marc Dal Maso, Herve Durquety, Eric Artiguste
First five matches: Montauban (h), Valence Romans (a), Colomiers (h), Grenoble (a), Soyaux-Angouleme (h)
Itโs fair to say that Jeff Duboisโ promotion-to-play-off side, who were promoted to the ProD2 as Nationale 1 runners-up in 2023, overperformed on their first season back in French rugbyโs second-tier.
A fifth-place finish earned a play-off barrage at eventual finalists Grenoble. The size of their defeat there โ they lost 58-10 โ was something of a cruel end to what had been, after a difficult start, a stunningly impressive campaign.
Now, though, Dax enter difficult second season territory. Itโs a cliche, but theyโre no longer the surprise package. Duboisโ go-to gameplan and tactics will have been weighed and measured, with schemes in place to exploit areas that rival coaches think they will be found wanting.
None of this is to say that Dax wonโt be in the mix at the business end of the season nine months after it kicks off โ just that everyone else, even freshly promoted Nice, who faced them in the Nationale, are on to them now. This season will be more difficult than the last one. Duboisโ job is to navigate that.
GRENOBLE
In: Kaminieli Rasaku; Johannes Jonker; Giorgi Pertaia; Bastien Soury; Richard Hardwick; Hanru Sirgel; Marc Palmier; Yan Lestrade; Gershwin Mouton; Tommy Raynaud; Cody Thomas; Julien Heriteau; Giorgi Kveseladze.
Out: Steeve Blanc-Mappaz; Barnabe Massa; Talalelei Gray; Karim Qadiri; Siua Halanukonuka; Vincent Vial; Luka Goginava; Regis Montagne; Filipe Ezcurra; Romain Barthelemy; Atu Manu; Erwan Dridi; Irakli Aptsiauri; Terrence Hepetema.
Senior staff: Nicolas Nadau, Patrick Perezy, Tom Palmer, Romain Guerin, Jean-Noel Perrin
First five matches: Nevers (a), Provence (h), Aurillac (a), Dax (h), Biarritz (a)
So near so far, again, for Sam Daviesโ Grenoble last season who, despite being docked a total eight points [reduced from 12] for financial reasons, and having something of an internal bust-up with general manager Aubin Hueber, still made it to the ProD2 final, where they lost to Vannes.
Then, they gave Montpellier a fright in an intense promotion-relegation play-off before losing 18-20 courtesy of Louis Carbonelโs 75th-minute penalty.
They had missed out the season before, too, losing to Oyonnax in the ProD2 final, and coming off second best in the โAccess Matchโ play-off at home to Perpignan. They were then, briefly, busted down to the amateur leagues because of serious questions over their financial situation โ but won a reprieve on appeal.
That off-field uncertainty toughened the squad on it. But anyone could live without the kind of financial uncertainty Grenoble have suffered in recent years.
The good news is that this preseason, unlike the last two, has not had a financial shadow hanging over it. And the ambition apparently burns brighter still, with big overhaul plans in place for the clubโs training ground at Lesdiguiรจres.
Huber remains in sporting director post, but his job description is very hands-off.
The day-to-day is the purview of Patrick Pezery and Nicolas Nadau. The squad for the new season looks light in certain areas, following 20 or so interseason departures, but โ despite a heavy staff turnaround through the age grades squads โ an academy that is a source of pride and produces Top 14 recruiter head-turners year after year is expected to cover any holes that appear throughout the season.
Expect to see Grenoble in and around the top six when it matters.
MONT-DE-MARSAN
In: Luca Goginava; Alexandre de Nardi (loan); Luka Begic; Wael Ponpon; Ioane Iashagashvili; Ewan Bertheau
Out: Cherif Traore; Dino Casadei; Torsten van Jaarsveld; Simon Labouyrie; Andrei Ostrikov; William Wavrin; Veresa Tuqovu Ramototabua; Simon Desaubies
Senior staff: Patrick Milhet, Julien Tastet, Stephane Prosper, Federic Urruty, Romain Mareuil
First five matches: Colomiers (h), Montauban (a), Agen (h), Soyaux-Angouleme (a), Brive (h)
Mont-de-Marsan โ or Stade Montois, to use their Sunday name โ had a frustratingly sub-par season in 2023/24 in which, for the first time in three campaigns, they failed to make the play-offs.
โWe are frustrated with the end of the season, we have to rebuild and move forward. You will see that with this team, there is desire,โ club president Jean-Robert Cazeaux told fans at a new-season gathering as he promised something better this time around.
Thatโs the goal, then. Return to the play-offs โ which have featured the Landes club for seven of the past 10 seasons. Donโt be too surprised, either, to see a noticeable difference in the way Mont-de-Marsan play. The coaches are smart โ theyโll have noticed the flaws in last seasonโs base gameplan.
Mont-de-Marsan have to do all this with one budgetary hand tied behind their backs. They do not have the resources of Brive or heavy-recruiters Provence, so โ like more than one other team in this league โ theyโre relying on their academy, and have targeted their recruitment plans carefully, putting quality ahead of quantity.
MONTAUBAN
In: Victor Moreaux; Clement Bitz; Facundo Pomponio; Jeremie Maurouard; Sikhumbuzo Notshe; Joe Powell; Hugo Zabalza; JT Jackson; Maxime Espeut; Baptiste Mouchous.
Out: Nicolas Agnesi; Victor Laval; Victor Delmas; German Kessler; Lui Naeata; Quentin Witt; Stephane Munoz; Giorgadze; Shaun Venter; Alexis Bernadet; Tedo Abzhandadze; Dan Goggin; Sanchez; Semesa Rokoduguni; Jean-Bernard Pujol; Bastien Guillemin.
Senior staff: Sebastien Tillous-Borde, Andries Hough, David Snyman, Cameron Ruiz
First five matches: Dax (a), Mont-de-Marsan (h), Provence (a), Biarritz (h), Nevers (a)
โNew staff, new chapterโ ran a recent headline in regional newspaper La Depeche du Midi after Montauban officially unveiled their new coaching set-up at a pre-season fan event.
That usually signals that the previous season was something akin to a disaster โ and so it was at Montauban, who needed to survive the promotion-relegation play-off against Nationale 1 finalists Narbonne to ensure ProD2 rugby this season.
Enter ex-Toulon and France scrum-half Sรฉbastien Tillous-Bordes, bringing former Rouen coaching cohorts with him. Johan Snyman comes in as forwards coach, Andries Hough as backs coach and Cameron Ruiz is in charge of S&C.
Club president Jean-Claude Maillard admitted this is no โbling-blingโ coaching team. But, he pointed out the second-half of Rouenโs relegation season was much better than the first โ after being down and out for a long time, they fought their way to a slim shot at survival on the final day of the season. Rouen nearly took it, too. A late penalty in their last-day match against Mont-de-Marsan was the difference between ProD2 and Nationale rugby from this September.
Back to Montauban. What we have, then, is another club resetting the counter to zero after a difficult 2023/24 campaign, with all the teething troubles that entails โ they were well beaten, 61-14, by Top 14 near-neighbours Castres in their first preseason friendly. The unknown rolls towards USM Sapiac. But… Their future is not set โ thereโs no fate but what they make for themselvesโฆ
NEVERS
In: Simon Tarel; Paula Walisoliso; Efi Maโafu; Ugo Vignolles; Atu Manu, Tom Deleuze.
Out: Kylian Jaminet; Elia Elia; Christian Ambadiang; Quentin Beaudaux; Christian van der Merwe; Lado Chachanidze; Arthurs Barbier; Tanguy Menoret; Matteo Faucher; Thomas Zenon; Christiaan Erasmus; Robin Dione.
Senior staff: Xavier Pemeja, Guillaume Jan, Sebastien Fouassier, Benjamin Thiery, Phillip van Schalkwyk
First five matches: Grenoble (h), Oyonnax (a), Brive (h), Agen (a), Montauban (h)
Rugby is a cruel game. For about 30 seconds at the end of the final night of the regular ProD2 season, Nevers were in the play-offs with a bonus-point try against Dax. But, some five hoursโ travel away, Brive scored a bonus point-winning try of their own against Biarritz to snatch the sixth and final play-off out of Neversโ hands.
Manager Xavier Pemeja summed up their campaign in four words. Nevers were โtoo good, too stupidโ last season, he said.
He wasnโt wrong. For large parts of the season, they were too good not to be in the conversation for the play-offs, but in the end they were too stupid to get there. Home defeats against Grenoble and Soyaux-Angouleme in the run-in killed them before the emotional rollercoaster of the dying moments of that last match. If they had won either one of them, they would have had a play-off place. Third was theirs if they had won both.
Pemeja has the job of channelling that late, late disappointment into season-long furious vengeance. Heโs already hinted at higher standards and expectations from his players.
And heโll have to do it without two-thirds of his preferred back three last season as Kylian Jaminet and Christian Ambadiang have moved on. And Neversโ strict recruitment policy has not wavered. There are no big-name signings here.
NICE
In: Clement Chartier; Tanguy Mรฉnoret; Jordan Taufua; Tom Ross; Thibault Dufau; Tom Daly; Christiaan Erasmus; Fabio Gonzalez; Joris Simon; Facundo Gigena.
Out: Laijaisa Bolenaivalu; Johann Grundlingh; Louis Vincent; Agustin Ormaechea; Mathias Sonzagni Argiro.
Senior staff: Alexandre Compan, Guillaume Cazenave, Mariano Taverna, Alexandre Vie
First five matches: Beziers (h), Agen (a), Soyaux-Angouleme (h), Oyonnax (a), Colomiers (h)
Introducing Stade Niรงois โ born out of the ruins of Rugby Nice Cรดte dโAzur Universitรฉ-Racing in 2012, and known as Racing Rugby Club de Nice in their glory days back in the 80s. In 1983, RRC Nice reached the French Championship final, losing to Beziers at Parc des Princes. Two years later, they won the Challenge Yves du Manoir (now a national schools championship).
The Nationale title they won last season โ beating Narbonne in the final โ was their most important piece of silverware since their mid-80s glory years, meaning a step up into the ProD2, which was founded long after Niceโs Yves du Manoir title.
In the clubโs current form, it has climbed through the ranks from Federale 3 to ProD2 in just over a decade. Upper echelons rugby has always been part of this iterationโs plan.
Promotion has cued this particular big year. Jean-Baptiste Aldige has arrived, bringing his experience as Biarritz president with him. Plans are in place to completely redevelop the newly renamed Stade Marcel Volot over several years.
And the club has been busy on the squad front, too. With Aldige in the boardroom, Matthew Clarkin, until recently also at the Basque club, is reportedly set to come in as sporting director; while Jordan Taufua, Tom Daly, Facundo Gigena, Tom Ross, and Christiaan Erasmus are the flagship player signings for what promises to be a steep learning curve of a season.
In truth, the squad looks short of players in a couple of areas, notably the back three. But the club are clearly hopeful that they have the players to survive Season One. And they plan to do that, โas quickly as possibleโ.
OYONNAX
In: Antoine Miquel; Zack Holmes; Oli Kebble; Paulo Tafili; Veresa Tuqovu Ramototabua; Peniami Narisia; Manuel Leindekar; Maelan Rabut; Eddie Sawailau; Karime Qadiri; Martin Bogado; Chris Smith.
Out: Irakli Mirtskhulava; Rory Sutherland; Manu Leiataua; Steve Mafi; Luke Hamilton; Filimo Taofifenua; Loic Credoz; Charlie Cassang; Ilan El Khattabi; Jules Soulan; Domingo Miotti; Theo Millet; Joe Ravouvou; Enzo Reybier; Tommy Raynaud; Julien Ratajczak; Pedro Bettencourt.
Senior staff: Joe El-Abd, Vincent Debaty, Valentin Usache, Fabien Cibray
First five matches: Brive (a), Nevers (h), Biarritz (a), Nice (h), Provence (a)
Oyonnax are back in the ProD2 after a single season in the top tier of French domestic rugby โ and, no doubt, determined to be in the mix at the end of the season again.
It will be a tough job: Provence, Brive, Beziers, and Mont-de-Marsan have similar ambitions and, in the end, there can be only one. Or, at most, twoโฆ
But โ despite some big-name departures โ Oyonnaxโs recruitment and retention efforts are unequivocal. As well as 12 new arrivals, they have extended the contracts of 11 senior players and, notably, dozens of academy hopefuls. They want their Top 14 status back, and this time, they plan to keep it in the longer termโฆ
There is plenty of experience for El-Abd to work with at Oyonnax this season. Expect them to be at the higher end of the table come the business end of the season.
PROVENCE
In: George North; Thomas Sauveterre; Ian Boubila (loan); Ned Hanigan; Tornike Jalagonia; Jules Plisson; Jules Soulan; Izack Rodda; Kevin Viallard (loan).
Out: Jean-Charles Orioli; Carl Axtens; Jessy Jegerlehner; Nicolas Mousties; Simon Tarel; Enzo Selponi; Johnny McPhillips; Dorian Lavernhe; Louis Marrou; Adrian Sanday; Clement Chartier.
Senior staff: Mauricio Reggiardo, Jacques Delmas, Remy Ladauge, Julien Dupuy
First five matches: Agen (h), Grenoble (a), Montauban (h), Beziers (a), Oyonnax (h)
When Provence โ who finished the regular season at the top of the ProD2 pile โ lost their play-off semi-final on home plastic to hardship-forged Grenoble by a single point, the disappointment at Stade Maurice David was so palpable it almost had physical form.
The clubโs blatant ambition had oโerleapt itself. Mauricio Reggiardoโs side really should have made the final. In fact, they played that semi-final like they believed it was all over, that a trip to Stade Ernest Wallon for the showpiece match was theirs by divine right.
Crucially, no one seemed to consider that Grenoble might have an opinion about the result. It was arrogance that cost Provence.
In one sense, that was a good thing. The self-belief remains, but it is a little more tempered, by disappointment and experience, these days. โOnly the knockout matches matter,โ scrum-half Arthur Coville said recently. โBut we first have to finish in the top six to get there. We have to do things in order โ letโs not forget that 12 or 13 teams will want to reach the top six this season.โ
George North, Ned Hanigan and Izack Rodda are the big summer signings as Provence look to avoid repeating the big mistake of last season โ while the arrival of Jules Plisson and Jules Soulan also means that Provence are placing rather less of their aspirations in one veteran Jimmy Gopperth basket.
SOYAUX-ANGOULEME
In: Jonny May; Arthur Proult; Paul Tailhades; Vivien Devisme; Karl Sorin.
Out: Khatchik Vartan; Michael Kumbirai; Matt Vaโai; Irakli Tskhadadze; Nicolas Martins; Inaki Ayarza; Maxime Laforgue; Marvin Lestremau; Pierre Lafitte; Omar Odishvili; Akuila Tabualevu; Nasoni Naqiri.
Senior staff: Alexandre Ruiz, Fabrice Landreau, Guillaume Laforgue, Tanguy Kerdrain
First five matches: Aurillac (a), Brive (h), Nice (a), Mont-de-Marsan (h), Dax (a)
Jonny May. JONNY May. Jonny MAY. JONNY MAY. Definitely one of the signing surprises of the summer. And not just in the ProD2.
Midi Olympique reported that the English teacher partner of Soyaux Angoulรชmeโs president Didier Pitcho had a lot to do with tempting Englandโs second-most prolific try scorer from Gloucester to darkest Charente on a salary that โ Pitcho said โ is about average for the ProD2. That would put it in the region of โฌ60,000 per year, according to Midolโs figures.
Soyaux Angouleme, coached by hugely ambitious former referee Alexandre Ruiz, finished 12th last season, routinely failing to set the league alight en route to a 13 wins, two draws, 15 defeats campaign.
Ruiz will want much better this time around, after โ experienced May and Devisme apart โ adding a dash of youth to his squad. Word out of the club is that May and his family have settled in well, and that expectations are high.
VALENCE ROMANS
In: Vincent Vial; Darren OโShea; Otar Giorgadze; Ilia Spanderashvili; Owen Lane; Thomer Roziere; Matteo Rodor; Louis Marrou.
Out: Chris Talakai; Darrel Dyer; Charles Brayer; Ioane Iashagashvili; Leopold Dupas; Jonathan Quinnez; Isaac Te Tamaki; Bart Wierenga.
Senior staff: Fabien Fortassin, Scott Newlands, Vincent Pelo, Kylian Bernard
First five matches: Biarritz (a), Dax (h), Beziers (h), Colomiers (a), Agen (h)
Forgotten somewhat in the all the fuss over Daxโs surprise season, is the fact that the side that won the Nationale 1 title in 2022/23 had a perfectly reasonable first season back in the ProD2, with 62 points from 13 wins and a solid 12th-place finish, above Soyaux Angouleme, Agen, Biarritz, Montauban and relegated Rouen.
Received wisdom is that thereโs a two-season step-up for promoted sides: the first is all about survival, followed by consolidation in the second. Then, and only then, would they be ready to make a mark on the league build towards challenging for the play-offs.
Dax broke that convention by going straight to the play-offs in their return season. Valence followed the more traditional survival-first route.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods. Racing 92 did the Dax thing when they went promotion to play-offs on their return to the Top 14 in 2009/10 โ and have made the top six every season since. Bayonne came close in their first season back in the top-flight in 2022/23.
La Rochelle and Bordeaux, Pau and Lyon have done it the second way. With varying degrees of success, so far. Weโll have to see, over a longer timeframe, whether Dax or Valenceโs system is better suited to ProD2 lifeโฆ
Looking for insightful, knowledgeable French rugby content? Hi โ my name is James Harrington. Iโm a France-based freelance sports journalist, writing mostly about French club and international rugby. Contact me for match previews, reviews, articles, news, features, interviews, live blogs, or simply all-round, up-to-date, French rugby expertise.
You can read my French rugby column in The Rugby Paper every Sunday. And I also round-up all the weekendโs Top 14 action on the Irish Examiner website.
James Harrington: Rugby writer and freelance sports journalist 
James Harrington: Rugby writer and freelance sports journalist
Expert French
rugby insight