Stade Rochelais (), commonly called La Rochelle, is a French

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

club who compete in the

Top 14 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the French National Rugby League, also known by its French initialism o ...

. They were founded in 1898 and play at Stade Marcel-Deflandre (capacity 16,000). They wear yellow and black. They are based in

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. Wi ...

in the

Charente-Maritime Charente-Maritime () is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region on the southwestern coast of France. Named after the river Charente, its prefecture is La Rochelle. As of 2019, it had a population of 651,358 with an area of 6,864 square kil ...

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

'' of the

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine (; oc, Nòva Aquitània or ; eu, Akitania Berria; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Novéle-Aguiéne'') is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by ...

region. 98% of the shares are owned by the Stade Rochelais Association.

Stadium

The stadium is named after Marcel Deflandre, who was the president of the club born of the fusion between the

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

and rugby union clubs during World War II in La Rochelle, after the

Vichy government Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...

banned the game of Rugby League and forced all of its assets to be handed to the French Rugby Union.

Honours

** Runners-up:

2020–21 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...

* European Rugby Champions Cup ** Champions: 2021–22 ** Runners-up:

EPCR Challenge Cup The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception ...

** Runners-up: 2018–19 *

Challenge Yves du Manoir The Challenge Yves du Manoir was a rugby union club competition that was played in France between 1931 and 2003 under different names. It is named after former player Yves du Manoir. History The Challenge Yves du Manoir was officially created on ...

** Champions: 2002, 2003 (March) Asr

Current standings

Current squad

The La Rochelle squad for the 2022–23 season is:

Espoirs squad

The Stade Rochelais Espoirs squad is:

France results

French championship

European results

European Rugby Champions Cup Finals

Notable former players

Facundo Bosch Facundo Bosch (born 8 August 1991) is an Argentine rugby union player who plays at Hooker for the national Argentina team ''The Pumas'' and Stade Rochelais. Bosch started playing as semi-professional level in 2011 for Club Universitario de B ...

Ramiro Herrera Ramiro Herrera (born 14 February 1989) is an Argentine people, Argentine Rugby Union, rugby union footballer who plays as a Prop (rugby union), prop for Jaguares (Super Rugby), Jaguares in Super Rugby. Career Herrera started out his rugby care ...

Germán Llanes Germán Antonio Llanes (born Cañada Seca, 27 May 1968) is former Argentine rugby union player. He played as a lock. Llanes played for La Plata Rugby Club, from 1986/87 to 1994/95, Mirano Rugby 1957, in Italy, in 1995/96, Bath Rugby, in England, f ...

* Federico Todeschini * Zack Holmes * Brock James *

Ryan Lamb Ryan Lamb (born 18 May 1986 in Gloucester) is a former rugby union player who plays at fly-half. Club career A former pupil of St Peter's High School, he made his professional debut in the European Challenge Cup quarter final against Brive ...

Lopeti Timani Lopeti Timani (born 28 September 1990) is a Tongan professional rugby union player. His usual position is second row or number 8. After two seasons with the NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby, he signed on to play for the Melbourne Rebels in 2014. H ...

* Julien Berger * Jason Marshall *

Lesley Vainikolo Lesley Paea 'I'muli Vainikolo (born 4 May 1979) is a former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer. A dual code international, he has played for the New Zealand Kiwis in rugby league and England in rugby union. He began his caree ...

Sireli Bobo Isireli Bobo (born 28 January 1976), is a Fijian rugby union footballer. Early career Early in his career, he played for Grupo Dramático e Sportivo Cascais, a Portuguese team. He was in the Nawaqavesi 7s and was subsequently picked to play at ...

* Eneriko Buliruarua * Norman Ligairi * Kini Murimurivalu * Jone Qovu *

Seru Rabeni Ratu Seru Rabeni (27 December 1978 – 15 March 2016) was a Fijian rugby union player. He played as a centre or wing. At both club and international level, his physicality and heavy tackles earned him the nickname "Rambo". Career Early career R ...

* Alipate Ratini * Savenaca Rawaca * Albert Vulivuli *

Marc Andreu Marc Andreu (born 27 December 1985 in Fréjus, Var (department), Var) is a French rugby union player. Andreu, who is a Rugby union positions#14. & 11. Wing, wing, plays his club rugby for Stade Rochelais, La Rochelle having previously been at Raci ...

Julien Audy Julien Audy (born 21 November 1984) is a French rugby union player. His position is Scrum-half and he currently plays for US Oyonnax in the Rugby Pro D2 Rugby Pro D2, also known as Pro D2 is the second tier of rugby union club competition di ...

* Alexi Balès *

Jean-Pascal Barraque Jean-Pascal Barraque (born 24 April 1991) is a French rugby union player. He plays for Clermont. He is a utility back. His usual position is fly-half, although he can play as a centre or fullback. He competed for France at the 2022 Rugby Wor ...

* Steeve Barry * Pierre Bérard * Mohamed Boughanmi * Benoît Bourrust *

Damien Cler Damien Cler (born 2 October 1983) is a French rugby seven forward who competed at the 2016 Olympics ) , nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams) , athletes = 11,238 , events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines) , opening = 5 August 20 ...

* Thomas Combezou * Manoël Dall'igna * Benjamin Dambielle *

Vincent Debaty Vincent Debaty (; born 2 October 1981) is a Belgian born French rugby union footballer. He has played for France and in the Top 14 for ASM Clermont Auvergne with whom he won two Top 14 Championships in 2010 & 2017. In February 2017 it was annou ...

* William Demotte * Geoffrey Doumayrou * Luc Ducalcon * Arnaud Élissalde *

Jean-Baptiste Élissalde Jean-Baptiste Élissalde (born 23 November 1977) is a former French rugby union player, playing either as a scrum-half or as a fly-half, and current defense coach for Montpellier in the Top 14. Biography Early life Born on 23 November 1977 i ...

Jean-Pierre Élissalde Jean-Pierre Élissalde (born 31 December 1953) is a rugby union coach and former player. Playing career Élissalde began his career with his local team La Rochelle. He went on to play for Bayonne for two years between 1978 and 1980 before returnin ...

* Sébastien Fauqué *

Lionel Faure Lionel Faure (born 26 November 1977 in France) is a rugby union player for ASM Clermont Auvergne, Clermont Auvergne in the Top 14. Faure plays as a Rugby union positions#1. Loosehead prop .26 3. Tighthead prop, Loosehead prop, and previously playe ...

* Romain Frou * Loann Goujon * Jean-Philippe Grandclaude * Gabriel Lacroix *

Damien Lagrange Damien Lagrange born 4 July 1987 in Bayonne, France, is a French professional rugby union player for SU Agen, having previously represented his hometown club after coming through their youth academy. Lagrange has become a regular in the SU Agen ...

Grégory Lamboley Grégory Lamboley (12 January 1982) is a French rugby union footballer, currently playing for Stade Toulousain in the Top 14, the top competition of rugby in France. Lamboley has also played for the French national team. His usual position is as ...

* Benjamin Lapeyre * Benoit Lecouls * Henri Magois * Gérald Merceron * Jean Pambrun * Vincent Pelo * Julien Pierre *

Jules Plisson Jules Plisson (born 20 August 1991) is a French rugby union player. His position is Fly-half and he currently plays for Clermont in the Top 14 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created i ...

Dany Priso Dany Priso (born 2 January 1994) is a French rugby union player. His position is prop and he currently plays for Toulon in the Top 14. He began his career at Stade Français. International career Priso was called up to the French national team f ...

Vincent Rattez Vincent Rattez (born 24 March 1992) is a French rugby union player who plays the regular position of wing and he currently plays for Montpellier and the France national team. International career Rattez was part of the French squad for the 2017 ...

* Arthur Retière * David Roumieu * Christophe Samson * Laurent Simutoga * Jérémy Sinzelle *

Rémi Talès Rémi Talès (born 2 May 1984) is a French rugby union player. His position is fly-half and he currently plays for Mont-de-Marsan in the Pro D2. He began his career with Stade Montois before moving to La Rochelle. He established himself as a ke ...

* Jean-Teiva Jacquelain * Gagi Bazadze * Guram Papidze * Robert Mohr *

Gonzalo Canale Gonzalo Canale (born 11 November 1982) is an Italian Argentine rugby union footballer. His usual position is in the centre or at full back. He plays for French club ASM Clermont Auvergne. Canale has also been capped for the Italy national team ...

* Pietro Ceccarelli * Leandro Cedaro *

Jason Eaton Jason John Eaton (born 21 August 1982) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He played as a lock. Early life Although born in Palmerston North, Eaton grew up on a farm near the small community of Colyton. He attended Feilding Intermedi ...

* Hamish Gard * Romana Graham * David Raikuna * Rene Ranger * Victor Vito * Ihaia West * Petrișor Toderașc * Alofa Alofa * Piula Faʻasalele * Tamato Leupolu * Ricky Januarie * Paul Jordaan Arnaud, then his son Jean-Pierre and his grandson Jean-Baptiste all played for La Rochelle as scrum-halves.

Coaches

Well known former coaches include * Arnaud Élissalde *

The club only had three head coaches from 1992-2017, including Patrice Collaco since 2011.

Leadership and management

Vincent Marling, 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.

References

External links

*
Stade Rochelais
Official website {{Stade Rochelais squad

Rugby clubs established in 1898 Sport in La Rochelle