Montpellier Hérault Rugby

MHR
Full name Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Nickname(s) Les Cistes, The Cistuses
Founded 1986 (1986)
Location Montpellier, Occitania, France
Ground(s) Altrad Stadium (Capacity: 14,700)
President Roy Spiers
Coach(es) Jake White
Captain(s) Fulgence Ouedraogo
League(s) Top 14
2015–16 3rd (playoff semi-finalists)
Team kit
2nd kit
3rd kit
Official website
www.montpellier-rugby.com

Montpellier Hérault Rugby (French pronunciation: ​[mɔ̃.pə.lje eʁo ʁʊɡbi klʊb]) (Occitan: Montpelhièr Erau Rugbi Club) is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier, Occitanie. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé (capacity 5,000) but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir, now known as Altrad Stadium, in 2007. They wear white and blue.

History

The club was established in 1986 through the merger of two other rugby union clubs, the Stade Montpelliérain and MUC Rugby.

In 1993 the club won the Challenge de l'Espérance.

In 2003 the club became the champion of France's second division national rugby league, the Pro D2. After finishing second in the league table at the end of the 2002–03 season, Montpellier advanced to the playoffs. They defeated Auch in the semi-finals and Tarbes in the finals to win promotion to the Top 14. The following season the club played for the European Shield, and contested the final. Played in May 2004, Montpellier defeated Italian club Viadana 25 points to 19 to win the Shield.

The club barely avoided relegation after the 2006–07 season. Winning only 9 games during a 26-game season, Montpellier found itself in a relegation position with only two games left to play. Thanks to a bonus-point victory in week 25, the team finished just four points ahead of Agen which was relegated to the Pro D2 at the end of the year.

After 2006–07, the club's fortunes began to improve. In June 2007, Fulgence Ouedraogo became the first Montpellier player to play on the French national rugby union team. Also that summer the club's new stadium opened, the Stade Yves-du-Manoir (renamed Altrad Stadium in 2014). In 2007–08 Montpellier enjoyed its first winning season in the Top 14. The club made its next step up the table in 2010–11 when it unexpectedly finished sixth by a single point and made the Top 14 playoffs for the first time. The underdog squad defeated both Castres and Racing Métro to make the championship game where they were defeated 15–10 by Toulouse. Since that season, Montpellier has become a consistent playoff contender, finishing fifth in both 2011–12 and 2012–13 and second on the league table in 2013–14.

Thanks to the club's excellent 2010–11 showing, Montpellier was awarded its first spot in the Heineken Cup tournament for 2011–12. The club returned for the 2012–13 tournament and made the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Clermont. Montpellier returned for the final edition of the Heineken Cup in 2013–14, and are participating in the successor to the Heineken Cup, the European Rugby Champions Cup, in 2014–15.

Honours

Finals results

Top 14

Date Winners Runners-up Score Venue Spectators
4 June 2011 Stade Toulousain Montpellier Hérault RC 15–10 Stade de France, Saint-Denis 77,000

European Shield

Date Winners Runners-up Score Venue Spectators
21 May 2004 Montpellier Hérault RC Viadana 25-19 Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma 2,553

European Challenge Cup

Date Winners Runners-up Score Venue Spectators
13 May 2016 Montpellier Hérault RC Harlequins 26-19 Grand Stade de Lyon, Lyon 28.556[1]

Current standings

2016–17 Top 14 Table
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Diff. Tries For Tries Against Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1 Clermont 13 8 2 3 378 286 +92 38 29 3 2 41
2 Montpellier 13 8 0 5 318 253 +65 26 21 3 2 37
3 La Rochelle 13 6 3 4 312 265 +47 30 19 3 3 36
4 Toulon 13 7 1 5 336 266 +90 32 25 4 2 36
5 Bordeaux 13 8 0 5 316 297 +19 27 26 1 1 34
6 Castres 13 7 1 5 335 259 +76 29 18 2 2 34
7 Toulouse 13 7 0 6 272 252 +20 25 18 2 3 33
8 Racing 13 7 1 5 291 285 +6 29 24 2 0 32
9 Stade Français 13 6 1 6 338 313 +25 33 26 2 1 29
10 Brive 13 6 1 6 288 341 –53 19 31 0 1 27
11 Pau 13 5 0 8 296 342 –46 27 31 1 4 25
12 Lyon 13 4 2 7 263 298 –35 19 23 1 3 24
13 Bayonne 13 3 2 8 188 341 –153 11 33 0 0 16
14 Grenoble 13 2 0 11 297 430 –193 28 40 1 5 14

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.
  9. Classification in the previous Top 14 season
Green background (rows 1 and 2) receive semi-final play-off places and receive berths in the 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup.
Blue background (rows 3 to 6) receive quarter-final play-off places, and receive berths in the Champions Cup.
Yellow background (row 7) advances to a play-off for a chance to compete in the Champions Cup.
Plain background indicates teams that earn a place in the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup.
Red background (row 13 and 14) will be relegated to Rugby Pro D2. Final table

Current squad

For player movements leading up to the 2016–17 season, see List of 2016–17 Top 14 transfers § Montpellier.

The Montpellier squad for the 2016–17 Top 14 season is:[2]

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union
Bismarck du Plessis Hooker South Africa South Africa
Charles Géli Hooker France France
Shalva Mamukashvili [lower-alpha 1] Hooker Georgia (country) Georgia
Romain Ruffenach Hooker France France
Arno van Wyk Hooker South Africa South Africa
Gagi Bazadze [lower-alpha 2] Prop Georgia (country) Georgia
Jannie du Plessis Prop South Africa South Africa
Grégory Fichten Prop France France
Antoine Guillamon Prop France France
Mohammed Haouas Prop France France
Davit Kubriashvili Prop Georgia (country) Georgia
Mikheil Nariashvili Prop Georgia (country) Georgia
Yvan Watremez Prop France France
Julien Delannoy Lock France France
Konstantin Mikautadze Lock Georgia (country) Georgia
Robins Tchale-Watchou Lock Cameroon Cameroon
Paul Willemse Lock South Africa South Africa
Nico Janse van Rensburg Lock South Africa South Africa
Antoine Battut Flanker France France
Jacques du Plessis Flanker South Africa South Africa
Wiaan Liebenberg Flanker South Africa South Africa
Fulgence Ouedraogo Flanker France France
Akapusi Qera Flanker Fiji Fiji
Kélian Galletier Number 8 France France
Pierre Spies Number 8 South Africa South Africa
Player Position Union
Tomás O'Leary [lower-alpha 3] Scrum-half Ireland Ireland
Benoît Paillaugue Scrum-half France France
Nic White Scrum-half Australia Australia
Cameron Wright Scrum-half South Africa South Africa
Ben Botica Fly-half New Zealand New Zealand
Demetri Catrakilis Fly-half South Africa South Africa
Alexandre Dumoulin Centre France France
Julien Malzieu Centre France France
Yvan Reilhac Centre France France
François Steyn Centre South Africa South Africa
Nemani Nadolo Wing Fiji Fiji
Timoci Nagusa Wing Fiji Fiji
Marvin O'Connor Wing France France
Joe Tomane Wing Australia Australia
Benjamin Fall Fullback France France
Vincent Martin Fullback France France
Joffrey Michel Fullback France France
Jesse Mogg Fullback Australia Australia

Academy squad

In addition, the following players have espoir contracts with Montpellier:

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union
Cody Thomas Prop South Africa South Africa
Seveci Nakailagi Wing Fiji Fiji
Duhan van der Merwe Wing South Africa South Africa
Henry Immelman Fullback South Africa South Africa
  1. ↑ Mamukashvili signed as a medical joker for the injured Bismarck du Plessis.[3]
  2. ↑ Bazadze signed as a medical joker until November 2016 for the injured Antoine Guillamon.[4]
  3. ↑ O'Leary signed as a medical joker for the injured Benoît Paillaugue.[5]

Notable former players

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/33095.php
  2. ↑ "Effectif | MHR". Montpellier Hérault Rugby (in French). Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "Joker Médical: Shalva Mamukashvili est arrivé" (Press release) (in French). Montpellier Hérault Rugby. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "GAGI BAZADZE | Ligue Nationale de Rugby". Ligue Nationale de Rugby (in French). Archived from the original on 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Joker Médical : Tomás O'Leary est arrivé" (Press release) (in French). Montpellier Hérault Rugby. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
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