The 2016–17 Top 14 competition was the 118th French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Two new teams from the 2015–16 Pro D2 season were promoted to Top 14 this year, Bayonne and Lyon in place of the two relegated teams, Agen and Oyonnax. It marked the first time that both promoted teams had returned on their first opportunity after relegation (Bayonne and Lyon were both relegated during the 2014–15 Top 14 season).
Teams
Locations of the 2016–17 Top 14 teams
Competition format
The top six teams at the end of the regular season (after all the teams played one another twice, once at home, once away) enter a knockout stage to decide the Champions of France. This consists of three rounds: the teams finishing third to sixth in the table play quarter-finals (hosted by the third and fourth placed teams). The winners then face the top two teams in the semi-finals, with the winners meeting in the final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
The LNR uses a slightly different bonus points system from that used in most other rugby competitions. It trialled a new system in 2007–08 explicitly designed to prevent a losing team from earning more than one bonus point in a match,[2] a system that also made it impossible for either team to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. LNR chose to continue with this system for subsequent seasons.[3]
France's bonus point system operates as follows:[3]
- 4 points for a win.
- 2 points for a draw.
- 1 bonus point for winning while scoring at least 3 more tries than the opponent. This replaces the standard bonus point for scoring 4 tries regardless of the match result.
- 1 bonus point for losing by 5 points (or fewer). The margin had been 7 points until being changed prior to the 2014–15 season.
Table
Relegation
Normally, the teams that finish in 13th and 14th places in the table are relegated to Pro D2 at the end of the season. In certain circumstances, "financial reasons" may cause a higher placed team to be demoted instead. This last happened at the end of the 2009–10 season when 12th place Montauban were relegated thereby reprieving 13th place Bayonne.
Fixtures and results
Round 1
[4]
Round 2
[5]
Round 3
[6]
Round 4
[7]
Round 5
[8]
Round 6
[9]
Round 7
[10]
Round 8
[11]
Round 9
[12]
Round 10
[13]
Round 11
[14]
Round 12
[15]
Round 13
[16]
Round 14
[17]
Round 15
[18]
Round 16
- Postponed due to adverse weather conditions. Game rescheduled for 12 February 2017.[19]
- Postponed due to Racing playing a European Rugby Champions Cup fixture against Munster. The original fixture had been cancelled due to the death of Munster head coach Anthony Foley meaning the game was moved to a weekend. Racing's game against Bayonne would be rescheduled for 11 February 2017.
[20]
Round 17
[21]
Round 16 rescheduled matches
- Game rescheduled from 8 January 2017.
- Game rescheduled from 8 January 2017.
[20]
Round 18
[22]
Round 19
[23]
Round 20
[24]
Round 21
- Postponed due to player strikes and turmoil surrounding the announced merger between franciliens teams Stade Français and Racing 92. Game would be rescheduled to 19 April 2017.[25]
- Postponed due to player strikes and turmoil surrounding the announced merger between franciliens teams Stade Français and Racing 92. Game would be rescheduled to 22 April 2017.[25]
[26]
Round 22
[27]
Round 23
[28]
Round 24
[29]
Round 21 rescheduled matches
- Game rescheduled from 17 March 2017.
- Game rescheduled from 18 March 2017.
[26]
Round 25
[30]
Round 26
[31]
Playoffs
Semi-final Qualifiers
[32]
Semi-finals
Final
Leading scorers
Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.
Attendances
- Attendances do not include the semi-finals or final as these are at neutral venues.
See also
Notes
- ^ Brive's stadium capacity was reduced down to 13,979, compared with 16,000 from the previous season.
- ^ Grenoble's traditional home is Stade Lesdiguières; however, beginning in 2012–13, they moved high-demand home matches to the larger Stade des Alpes.[1] Starting in 2014–15, they became the primary tenants of Stade des Alpes.
- ^ Montpellier's stadium capacity was expanded up to 15,697 from 14,700 the previous season.
- ^ Pau's stadium capacity was expanded up to 18,000 from 13,800 the previous season.
- ^ In recent years, Racing has taken occasional home matches to Stade de France, MMArena in Le Mans, and Stade Océane in Le Havre.
- ^ In recent years, Toulon has taken occasional home matches to Stade Vélodrome in Marseille and Allianz Riviera in Nice.
- ^ Toulon's stadium capacity was expanded up to 15,820 from 15,400 the previous season. This capacity was exceeded in Toulon's fixture against Bayonne on 11 March 2017 when 16,049 attended so it is not clear if the stadium increased in size during the season or if temporary seats were installed for this game alone.
- ^ Toulouse often takes high-demand home matches to the city's largest sporting venue, Stadium Municipal.
- ^ Montpellier's attendance figure includes home semi-final qualifier.
- ^ Toulon's attendance figure includes home semi-final qualifier.
References
- ^ "ABONNEMENTS SAISON 2013–2014". Fcgrugby.com (in French). Retrieved 11 June 2013.
- ^ "French try out new bonus point system". Planet-rugby.com. 27 June 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
- ^ a b "Article 330, Section 3.2. Points "terrain"" (PDF). Règlements de la Ligue Nationale de Rugby 2008/2009, Chapitre 2 : Règlement sportif du Championnat de France Professionnel (in French). LNR. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
- ^ "1ère journée". L'Équipe. 21 August 2016.
- ^ "2e journée". L'Équipe. 28 August 2016.
- ^ "3e journée". L'Équipe. 4 September 2016.
- ^ "4e journée". L'Équipe. 11 September 2016.
- ^ "5e journée". L'Équipe. 18 September 2016.
- ^ "6e journée". L'Équipe. 26 September 2016.
- ^ "7e journée". L'Équipe. 2 October 2016.
- ^ "8e journée". L'Équipe. 9 October 2016.
- ^ "9e journée". L'Équipe. 30 October 2016.
- ^ "10e journée". L'Équipe. 6 November 2016. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
- ^ "11e journée". L'Équipe. 13 November 2016.
- ^ "12e journée". L'Équipe. 20 November 2016.
- ^ "13e journée". L'Équipe. 4 December 2016.
- ^ "14e journée". L'Équipe. 23 December 2016. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
- ^ "15e journée". L'Équipe. 1 January 2017.
- ^ "Top 14, J16 – Pau - Lyon reporté" [Top 14, MD16 – Pau - Lyon moved]. LNR (in French). 7 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
- ^ a b "16e journée". L'Équipe. 8 January 2017.
- ^ "17e journée". L'Équipe. 29 January 2017.
- ^ "18e journée". L'Équipe. 19 February 2017.
- ^ "19e journée". L'Équipe. 5 March 2017.
- ^ "20e journée". L'Équipe. 12 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Top 14, J21 – Report de Castres/Paris et Montpellier/Racing 92" [Top 14, MD16 – Castres/Paris and Montpellier/Racing 92 moved]. LNR (in French). 17 March 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ^ a b "21e journée". L'Équipe. 19 March 2017.
- ^ "22e journée". L'Équipe. 26 March 2017.
- ^ "23e journée". L'Équipe. 9 April 2017.
- ^ "24e journée". L'Équipe. 16 April 2017.
- ^ "25e journée". L'Équipe. 30 April 2017.
- ^ "26e journée". L'Équipe. 6 May 2017.
- ^ "Barrages". L'Équipe. 20 May 2017. Archived from the original on May 8, 2017.
- ^ "Top 14 Top Points Scorers". eurosport. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
- ^ "Top 14 Top Try Scorers". lnr.fr. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
