US Montauban

US Montauban (Occitan: Union Esportiva Montalban) is a French rugby union club that currently competes in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system. They have also competed at the top level, Top 14, in the past, most recently between 2007 and 2010. The club is based in Montauban in the département of Tarn-et-Garonne in Occitania.

US Montauban

Full name	Union Sportive Montalbanaise
Union	Fédération Française de Rugby
Gegründet	1903
Standort	Montauban, France
Ground(s)	Stade Sapiac (Capacity: 12,600)
President	Robert Gomes
Coach(es)	Sébastien Calvet
League(s)	Pro D2
2023–24	15th
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
usmsapiac.fr

In April 2010, it was announced the club would be relegated from the Top 14 to the Rugby Pro D2 at the end of the 2009/2010 season after breaking budget rules for the league. Although the club appealed the ruling it started to release players to reduce its budget. The club was not in the relegation zone at the time, thereby saving CS Bourgoin-Jallieu, Aviron Bayonnais and Montpellier Hérault RC a nervous run in as they were in the relegation battle with Montauban. On the 26 April 2010, the club filed for bankruptcy at a commercial court following a meeting of the club's board of directors.

On 24 May 2014, it was announced that they had won promotion back to Pro D2 for the 2014–15 season as a result of winning the Fédérale 1 semi-final 35 – 12 against Lille Métropole Rugby. They went on to win the Fédérale 1 title, defeating Massy 18–14 in the final.

History

The club was established in 1903. The club made its first championship appearance in the 1967 season, when it captured its first championship title, defeating CA Bègles 11 points to 3 in Bordeaux. It gained promotion from Pro D2 for the 2006–07 season.

In its first match of the 2006-07 season, Montauban defeated Narbonne 41–20, gaining five points (including a bonus point) to go to second in the table after round one. The team continued in surprisingly strong form for a newly promoted team, notably handing early runaway league leaders Stade Français their first defeat of the season, 15–9, in Round 10 on 6 October. Montauban ended the season in seventh place, a respectable position for a newly promoted team. The 2007-08 season saw it consolidate its Top 14 position, again finishing seventh. Because Toulouse advanced to the final of that year's Heineken Cup, which was farther than any team from England or Italy, Montauban was given a place in the 2008-09 Heineken Cup, pooled with champions Munster.

Honours

• French championship Top 14
  • Champions (1): 1967
• Pro D2
  • Champions: 2001, 2006
• Fédérale 1
  • Champions (Trophée Jean-Prat): 2014
• Challenge de l'Espérance:
  • Champions: 1967
• Challenge Antoine Béguère:
  • Champions: 1971
• Challenge Armand Vaquerin:
  • Champions: 2005
  • Runners-up: 2004

Finals results

French championship

Date	Winner	Score	Runners-up	Venue	Attendance
28 May 1967	US Montauban	11-3	CA Bègles	Parc Lescure, Bordeaux	32,115

Trophée Jean-Prat

Date	Winner	Runner-up	Score	Venue	Attendance
7 June 2014	US Montauban	RC Massy	18-14	Stade Jean-Antoine Moueix, Libourne	4,500

Current standings

2023–24 Pro D2 Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts	Qualification
1	Provence	30	20	2	8	803	632	+171	8	3	95	Semi-final promotion playoff place
2	Vannes	30	17	2	11	777	508	+269	10	7	89
3	Béziers	30	17	1	12	789	715	+74	6	4	80	Quarter-final promotion playoff place
4	Grenoble	30	19	0	11	826	694	+132	8	3	79
5	Dax	30	17	1	12	626	683	−57	5	2	77
6	Brive	30	16	1	13	689	583	+106	8	2	76
7	Nevers	30	15	0	15	682	610	+72	6	9	75
8	Mont-de-Marsan	30	15	1	14	766	641	+125	5	7	74
9	Aurillac	30	14	1	15	593	764	−171	3	3	64
10	Colomiers	30	13	1	16	661	657	+4	4	6	64
11	Valence Romans	30	13	0	17	623	640	−17	5	5	62
12	Soyaux Angoulême	30	13	2	15	563	616	−53	0	6	62
13	Agen	30	13	1	16	597	732	−135	2	5	61
14	Biarritz	30	11	0	19	618	811	−193	4	5	53
15	Montauban	30	11	0	19	577	755	−178	2	5	51	Relegation play-off
16	Rouen	30	9	1	20	604	753	−149	5	5	48	Relegation to Nationale

Updated to match(es) played on 12 January 2024. Source: [1]
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

1. Competition points earned in head-to-head matches
2. Points difference in head-to-head matches
3. Try differential in head-to-head matches
4. Points difference in all matches
5. Try differential in all matches
6. Points scored in all matches
7. Tries scored in all matches
8. Fewer matches forfeited
9. Classification in the previous Top 14 season
   Notes:

Current squad

For player movements before or during the 2023–24 season, see List of 2023–24 Rugby Pro D2 transfers § Montauban.

The Montauban squad for the 2023–24 season is:

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

Player Position Union Badri Alkhazashvili Hooker Georgien Kévin Firmin Hooker Frankreich Ru-Hann Greyling Hooker Südafrika Germán Kessler Hooker Uruguay Nicolas Agnési Prop Frankreich Léo Aouf Prop Frankreich Mirian Burduli Prop Georgien Victor Delmas Prop Frankreich WillGriff John Prop Wales Victor Laval Prop Frankreich Lucas Seyrolle Prop Frankreich Tietie Tuimauga Prop Samoa Malino Vanaĭ Prop Frankreich Lewis Bean Lock England Frank Bradshaw Ryan Lock Irland Kévin Gimeno Lock Frankreich Tjiuee Uanivi Lock Namibia Dimitri Vaotoa Lock Frankreich Lui Naeata Back row Tonga Otar Giorgadze Back row Georgien Tomás Lezana Back row Argentinien Stéphane Munoz Back row Frankreich Fred Quercy Back row Frankreich Tyrone Vi'iga Back row Australien Karl Wilkins Back row England Quentin Witt Back row Frankreich

Player Position Union Alexis Bernadet Scrum-half Frankreich Yoan Cottin Scrum-half Frankreich Shaun Venter Scrum-half Südafrika Tedo Abzhandadze Fly-half Georgien Jerome Bosviel Fly-half Frankreich Thomas Fortunel Fly-half Frankreich Seva Galala Centre Fidschi Dan Goggin Centre Irland Maxime Mathy Centre Frankreich Yvan Reilhac Centre Frankreich Simon Renda Centre Frankreich Raphaël Sanchez Centre Frankreich Stephané Ahmed Wing Frankreich Bastien Guillemin Wing Frankreich Semesa Rokodoguni Wing England Josua Vici Wing Fidschi Thomas Larregain Fullback Frankreich Segundo Tuculet Fullback Argentinien

Espoirs squad

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

Player Position Union Jules Casile Hooker Frankreich Maxime Da Costa Hooker Frankreich Thomas Buí Prop Frankreich Florian Maffre Prop Frankreich Roydon Swift Prop Südafrika Corentin Coularis Back row Frankreich Hugo Fuentes Back row Frankreich Inem Iskhakov Back row Frankreich Noa Kanika Back row Frankreich Matis Prime Back row Frankreich Kyllan Ringuet Back row Frankreich

Player Position Union Maël Castel Scrum-half Frankreich Beau Peart Fly-half Neuseeland Théo Adaba Centre Belgien Maxence Bonnin Centre Frankreich Mathis Marchand Centre Frankreich Victor Olivier Centre Frankreich Hugo Tournier Centre Frankreich Romain Fonnicola Wing Frankreich Raphaël Grandmougin Wing Frankreich Matthieu Piperol Wing Frankreich Alexis Rey Fullback Frankreich Siméon Soenen Fullback Frankreich

References

• USM Rugby - 100 photos pour un centenaire, 2003

External links

• (in French) Official site