Championnat Fédéral Nationale
| Current season, competition or edition: 2025–26 Championnat Fédéral Nationale season | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2020 |
| No. of teams | 14 |
| Country | France |
| Most recent champions | US Carcassonne (1st title) (2024–25) |
| Most titles |
|
| Level on pyramid | Level 3 |
| Promotion to | Pro D2 |
| Relegation to | Nationale 2 |
| Official website | Nationale |
The Championnat Fédéral Nationale, also known simply as the Nationale, is the third tier of rugby union club competition division in France. Introduced in 2020, it is operated by the French Rugby Federation (FFR).[1][2]
Season structure
There is relegation and promotion between both the Pro D2 and Nationale 2, the fourth-level competition. Nationale conducts a play-off system similar to the one currently used in Pro D2, with the top six teams qualifying for the play-offs and the top two teams receiving byes into the semi-finals. The winner of the final earns automatic promotion to the next season's Pro D2 if they are eligible financially to do so, and the runner up conducts an access match with the 2nd bottom side from the Pro D2. The bottom two are automatically relegated to Nationale 2. The bottom two clubs of the Pro D2 and the top two of Nationale 2 then enter Nationale for the next season.
There are 26 rounds in the regular season, with each team playing each other team home and away. The two halves of the season are played in the same order, with the away team in the first half of the season at home in the second half. The semi-finals and final take place in May, with the semi-finals being held over two-legs and the final taking place at a predetermined site. At present, 14 clubs compete in the competition.[3][4]
Current teams
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Champions
| Season | Winner | Score | Finalist | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | US Bressane | 26–16 | RC Narbonne | Stade Pierre Rajon, Bourgoin-Jallieu |
| 2021–22 | RC Massy | 38–10 | Soyaux Angoulême XV | Stade Ernest-Argelès, Blagnac |
| 2022–23 | Valence Romans DR | 26–19 | US Dax | Stade Maurice Trélut, Tarbes |
| 2023–24 | Stade Niçois | 39–30 | RC Narbonne | Chambéry Savoie Stadium, Chambéry |
| 2024–25 | US Carcassonne | 24–23 | SO Chambéry | Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié, Narbonne |
| 2025–26 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
See also
References
- ^ "Nationale : Tremplin vers l'élite" (Press release) (in French). French Rugby Federation. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- ^ "National : les quatorze clubs connus" (Press release) (in French). L'Équipe. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- ^ "Nationale : Le calendrier des oppositions" (Press release) (in French). French Rugby Federation. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- ^ "REGLEMENT DU CHAMPIONNAT DE FRANCE DE 1ERE DIVISION FEDERALE" (PDF) (Press release) (in French). French Rugby Federation. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
External links
- Nationale at the French Rugby Federation (in French)