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. Three new regional divisions, managed exclusively by the leagues, replaced the Honneur, Promotion d'Honneur, and Séries competitions.

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 1Pool 2Pool 3Pool 4 Antony Métro 92 Bièvre Saint-Geoirs RC AS MonacoAvenir Castanéen Rugby Bourges XV CS Villefranche Beaujolais Avignon Le Pontet RugbyBalma ORC COM Bagneux CS Lons RO GrasseCoq Léguevinois CO Creusot Bourgogne FC Saint-Claude RC AubagneES Gimont Paris UC RC Rillieux RC Les AnglesFC Villefranche RC Auxerre RC Andrézieux-Bouthéon RCM PalavasJO Prades RC Vincennes RCP Saint-Jeannais SO MillauLombez Samatan Club RC Clermont Cournon RC des Vallons-de-la-Tour Saint-Marcellin SportsSalanque Côte Radieuse RC Riom Saint-Priest Rugby Servian Boujan RugbySC Rieumes Rugby Tango Chalonnais Saint-Savin Sportif Stade PiscénoisSC Leucate US Ris-Orangis SO Voiron SU CavaillonnaisUS Thuir US Nantua HBR XV de la Dombes UMS MontélimarUS QuillanPool 5Pool 6Pool 7Pool 8 AS Pont-Long ASV Lavaur AS MérignacC' Chartres Rugby Boucau Tarnos Stade EV Malemort BO CA LormontCSM Gennevilliers Emak Hor Rugby RC Arpajon Veinazès FC YonnaisÉvreux AC Entente Aramits Asasp Stade Rodez Aveyron RC SablaisLe Havre AC Hasparren AC Rugby Causse Vézère Rion Morcenx CRMLSGP Rugby Inthalatz Rugby Larressore SC Decazeville RC VilleneuvePlaisir RC Oursbelille Bordères RC Sor Agout XV SC SurgèresRC Roubaix Stade Navarrais Stade Beaumontois Stade BordelaisRC Versailles US Coarraze Nay Stade Belvesois US BazasRC Pays de Meaux US Morlaàs UA Vergt US CastillonSC Le Rheu US Mouguerre USC Alban US MugronSCUF Rugby USEP Ger Séron Bédeille US Caussade US CasteljalouxStade Caennais RC

Past champions Season ChampionNational 21996–97US Tours1997–98Céret Sportif1998–99Union Sportive Bressane1999–00CS Lons Jura2000–01Blagnac RugbyFédérale 22001–02AC Bobigny 93 Rugby2002–03Cahors Rugby2003–04Paris Université Club2004–05CSM Gennevilliers2005–06US Nafarroa2006–07Avenir Valencien2007–08US Carcassonne2008–09Avenir Castanéen2009–10Blagnac Rugby2010–11RC Stade Phocéen2011–12CS Vienne2012–13SO Chambéry2013–14SA XV Charente2014–15RC Strasbourg2015–16Saint-Jean-de-Luz OR2016–17RC Hyères Carqueiranne La Crau2017–18AS Bédarrides Châteauneuf-du-Pape2018–19US Issoire2019–20FRF announced the cancellation of amateur competitions due to the lockdown period following the COVID-19 pandemic.2020–212021–22RO Agathois2022–23AS Layrac2023–24US Montmélian2024–25Cahors Rugby2025–26TBD

References

External links Rugby Fédéral