Fédérale 2

Fédérale 2
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2025–2026 Fédérale 2 season
SportRugby union
Founded1997 (1997)
No. of teams96
CountryFrance
Most recent
champion
Cahors (2nd title)
(2024–25)
Most titles
Level on pyramidLevel 6
Promotion toFédérale 1
Relegation toFédérale 3

Fédérale 2 is a rugby union club championship division in France. It is the sixth division of rugby above Fédérale 3. Teams can earn promotion to Fédérale 1, and subsequently, to the National 2 and Nationale leagues, and on to the professional leagues such as Rugby Pro D2 and the Top 14.

History

At the end of the 1996–1997 season, there were changes made to the national club competitions in France:

  • Groups A1 and A2 were separated from the 1st division, with Group A2 corresponding to the 2nd tier.
  • Group B was also divided into two divisions, taking the names Nationale 1 and Nationale 2, corresponding to the 3rd and 4th divisions of French rugby.
  • The teams from the 2nd division championship (corresponding in 1996 to the 3rd tier) are relegated to Nationale 2.
  • The 3rd division championship (corresponding in 1996 to the 4th tier) would not take the name Nationale 3 until 1999, and was positioned at the 5th tier of French rugby.

The competition has had different names over the years:

  • National 2 (from 1997 to 2001)
  • Federal 2 (since 2001)

In 2021, the French Rugby Federation (FRF) announced a reform of its amateur competitions.[1] Three new regional divisions, managed exclusively by the leagues, replaced the Honneur, Promotion d'Honneur, and Séries competitions.[1]

Format

The competition involves 96 teams (8 pools of 12) and is played in two phases: a preliminary phase and a final phase. At the end of each season, eight teams are promoted to Fédérale 1 and sixteen are relegated to Fédérale 3.

Preliminary phase

96 teams are divided into four geographical sectors, each comprising two groups of twelve teams. The top two teams from each pool, a  total of 16 teams, qualify directly for the round of 32. The 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th ranked teams compete in a play-off to reach the round of 32. The bottom two teams in each pool, 16 teams in total, are relegated to Fédérale 3.

Final phase

The final phase consists of a knockout tournament starting at the round of 32, where the 32 teams that qualified from the preliminary phase are drawn. All round of 32 and round of 16 matches are played over two legs, while the remaining matches are single matches played on neutral ground. The eight teams reaching the quarter-finals are all promoted to Fédérale 1, with the team winning the final being crowned Fédérale 2 champion.

Current teams

Pool 1 Pool 2 Pool 3 Pool 4
Antony Métro 92Bièvre Saint-Geoirs RCAS MonacoAvenir Castanéen Rugby
Bourges XVCS Villefranche BeaujolaisAvignon Le Pontet RugbyBalma ORC
COM BagneuxCS LonsRO GrasseCoq Léguevinois
CO Creusot BourgogneFC Saint-ClaudeRC AubagneES Gimont
Paris UCRC RillieuxRC Les AnglesFC Villefranche
RC AuxerreRC Andrézieux-BouthéonRCM PalavasJO Prades
RC VincennesRCP Saint-JeannaisSO MillauLombez Samatan Club
RC Clermont CournonRC des Vallons-de-la-TourSaint-Marcellin SportsSalanque Côte Radieuse
RC RiomSaint-Priest RugbyServian Boujan RugbySC Rieumes
Rugby Tango ChalonnaisSaint-Savin SportifStade PiscénoisSC Leucate
US Ris-OrangisSO VoironSU CavaillonnaisUS Thuir
US Nantua HBRXV de la DombesUMS MontélimarUS Quillan
Pool 5 Pool 6 Pool 7 Pool 8
AS Pont-LongASV LavaurAS MérignacC' Chartres Rugby
Boucau Tarnos StadeEV Malemort BOCA LormontCSM Gennevilliers
Emak Hor RugbyRC Arpajon VeinazèsFC YonnaisÉvreux AC
Entente Aramits AsaspStade Rodez AveyronRC SablaisLe Havre AC
Hasparren ACRugby Causse VézèreRion Morcenx CRMLSGP Rugby
Inthalatz Rugby LarressoreSC DecazevilleRC VilleneuvePlaisir RC
Oursbelille Bordères RCSor Agout XVSC SurgèresRC Roubaix
Stade NavarraisStade BeaumontoisStade BordelaisRC Versailles
US Coarraze NayStade BelvesoisUS BazasRC Pays de Meaux
US MorlaàsUA VergtUS CastillonSC Le Rheu
US MouguerreUSC AlbanUS MugronSCUF Rugby
USEP Ger Séron BédeilleUS CaussadeUS CasteljalouxStade Caennais RC

Past champions

SeasonChampion
National 2
1996–97 US Tours
1997–98 Céret Sportif
1998–99 Union Sportive Bressane
1999–00 CS Lons Jura
2000–01 Blagnac Rugby
Fédérale 2
2001–02 AC Bobigny 93 Rugby
2002–03 Cahors Rugby
2003–04 Paris Université Club
2004–05 CSM Gennevilliers
2005–06 US Nafarroa
2006–07 Avenir Valencien
2007–08 US Carcassonne
2008–09 Avenir Castanéen
2009–10 Blagnac Rugby
2010–11 RC Stade Phocéen
2011–12 CS Vienne
2012–13 SO Chambéry
2013–14 SA XV Charente
2014–15 RC Strasbourg
2015–16 Saint-Jean-de-Luz OR
2016–17 RC Hyères Carqueiranne La Crau
2017–18 AS Bédarrides Châteauneuf-du-Pape
2018–19 US Issoire
2019–20 FRF announced the cancellation of amateur competitions due to the lockdown period following the COVID-19 pandemic.[2][3]
2020–21
2021–22 RO Agathois
2022–23 AS Layrac
2023–24 US Montmélian
2024–25 Cahors Rugby
2025–26 TBD

References

  1. 1 2 Perrin, Thibault (2021-10-16). "AMATEUR. La FFR officialise la création de la Nationale 2 et des divisions régionales !". Rugbynistere (in French). Retrieved 2026-02-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ↑ "COVID-19 : arrêt des compétitions de rugby amateur pour la saison 2019-2020". Fédération Française de Rugby (in French). 2020-03-27. Retrieved 2026-02-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ↑ "Bureau fédéral : arrêt des compétitions amateurs pour la saison 2020-2021". Fédération Française de Rugby (in French). 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2026-02-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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