2020–21 Top 14 season
The 2020–21 Top 14 competition is the 122nd French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). After play was suspended following the 17th matchday of the 2019–20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France, the season was officially cancelled without any winner or promotion/relegation on 6 May 2020.[1] Of the 2020–21 season, some last round matches were rescheduled for 16/17 January 2021, with the playoffs and final taking place in June 2021.
| 2020–21 Top 14 | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  France |
| Date | 4 September 2020 – 25 June 2021 |
| Champions | Toulouse (21st title) |
| Runners-up | La Rochelle |
| Relegated | Agen Bayonne |
| Official website | |
| www | |
Teams
Locations of the 2020–21 Top 14 teams
| Club | City (department) | Stadium | Capacity | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agen | Agen (Lot-et-Garonne) | Stade Armandie | 13,863 | 13th |
| Bayonne | Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) | Stade Jean Dauger | 16,934 | 11th |
| Bordeaux Bègles | Bordeaux (Gironde) | Stade Chaban-Delmas[a 1] | 33,500 | 1st |
| Brive | Brive-la-Gaillarde (Corrèze) | Stade Amédée-Domenech | 13,979 | 10th |
| Castres | Castres (Tarn) | Stade Pierre-Fabre | 12,500 | 9th |
| Clermont | Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme) | Stade Marcel-Michelin | 19,022 | 6th |
| La Rochelle | La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) | Stade Marcel-Deflandre | 16,000 | 5th |
| Lyon | Lyon (Métropole de Lyon) | Matmut Stadium de Gerland | 25,000 | 2nd |
| Montpellier | Montpellier (Hérault) | Altrad Stadium | 15,697 | 8th |
| Pau | Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) | Stade du Hameau | 18,324 | 12th |
| Racing | Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine) | Paris La Défense Arena | 30,681 | 3rd |
| Stade Français | Paris, 16th arrondissement | Stade Jean-Bouin | 20,000 | 14th |
| Toulon | Toulon (Var) | Stade Mayol[a 2] | 18,200 | 4th |
| Toulouse | Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) | Stade Ernest-Wallon[a 3] | 18,754 | 7th |
Number of teams by region
| Teams | Region or country | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 |  Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Agen, Bayonne, Bordeaux Bègles, Brive, La Rochelle, Pau |
| 3 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Occitanie | Castres, Montpellier, Toulouse |
| 2 |  Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | Clermont, Lyon |
 Île-de-France | Racing, Stade Français | |
| 1 |  Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | Toulon |
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
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toulouse (C) | 26 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 767 | 557 | +210 | 8 | 3 | 81 | Semi-final play-off place Qualified for the 2021–22 European Rugby Champions Cup |
| 2 | La Rochelle (RU) | 26 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 726 | 452 | +274 | 6 | 4 | 78 | |
| 3 | Racing (SF) | 26 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 757 | 577 | +180 | 6 | 4 | 78 | Quarter-final play-off place Qualified for the Champions Cup |
| 4 | Bordeaux Bègles (SF) | 26 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 740 | 546 | +194 | 7 | 3 | 72 | |
| 5 | Clermont (QF) | 26 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 830 | 619 | +211 | 6 | 3 | 71 | |
| 6 | Stade Français (QF) | 26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 701 | 622 | +79 | 6 | 4 | 70 | |
| 7 | Castres | 26 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 625 | 676 | −51 | 3 | 4 | 69 | Qualified for the Champions Cup |
| 8 | Toulon | 26 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 641 | 605 | +36 | 7 | 3 | 66 | |
| 9 | Lyon | 26 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 678 | 568 | +110 | 3 | 4 | 65 | |
| 10 | Montpellier[lower-alpha 1] | 26 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 579 | 615 | −36 | 6 | 8 | 54 | Qualified for the Champions Cup |
| 11 | Brive | 26 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 585 | 711 | −126 | 2 | 5 | 51 | |
| 12 | Pau | 26 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 688 | 752 | −64 | 2 | 6 | 46 | |
| 13 | Bayonne (R) | 26 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 565 | 796 | −231 | 1 | 5 | 46 | Play-off with the runners-up of the 2020–21 Rugby Pro D2 season for a place in the 2021–22 Top 14 season |
| 14 | Agen (R) | 26 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 315 | 1101 | −786 | 0 | 2 | 2 | Relegated to Rugby Pro D2 |
Source:
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
- Competition points earned in head-to-head matches
- Points difference in head-to-head matches
- Try differential in head-to-head matches
- Points difference in all matches
- Try differential in all matches
- Points scored in all matches
- Tries scored in all matches
- Fewer matches forfeited
- Classification in the previous Top 14 season
(C) Champion; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Montpellier received a berth for winning the 2020–21 European Rugby Challenge Cup.
Relegation
Starting from the 2017–18 season forward, only the 14th placed team will be automatically relegated to Pro D2. The 13th placed team will face the runner-up of the Pro D2 play-off, with the winner of that play-off taking up the final place in Top 14 for the following season.[4]
Fixtures and results
Round 1
| 4 September 2020 20:45 |
| (1 BP) Montpellier | 23–26 | Pau |
| Report |
| Altrad Stadium, Montpellier Referee: Tual Trainini |
Round 1 rescheduled match
| 21 November 2020 15:15 |
| Stade Français | 26–16 | Bordeaux Bègles |
| Report |
| Stade Jean-Bouin Referee: Pierre Brousset |
Round 2
| 11 September 2020 20:45 |
| (1 BP) Racing | 41–17 | Montpellier |
| Report |
| Paris La Défense Arena Referee: Thomas Charabas |
| 12 September 2020 18:15 |
| Bayonne | 21–19 | Clermont (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Stade Jean Dauger Referee: Vincent Blasco Baqué |
Round 3
Round 3 rescheduled match
Round 4
Round 4 rescheduled match
Round 5
| 17 October 2020 15:30 |
| Pau | 29–24 | Bordeaux Bègles (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Stade du Hameau Referee: Vincent Blasco Baqué |
| 17 October 2020 15:30 |
| (1 BP) La Rochelle | 62–3 | Castres |
| Report |
| Stade Marcel-Deflandre Referee: Mathieu Raynal |
Round 5 rescheduled match
Round 6
| 25 October 2020 21:05 |
| La Rochelle | 20–6 | Bordeaux Bègles |
| Report |
| Stade Marcel-Deflandre Referee: Ludovic Cayre |
Round 7
Round 7 rescheduled match
| 6 January 2021 18:45 |
| Lyon | 24–20 | Montpellier (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Matmut Stadium de Gerland Referee: Vincent Blasco Baqué |
Round 8
| 7 November 2020 18:15 |
| (1 BP) Bordeaux Bègles | 43–19 | Bayonne |
| Report |
| Stade Chaban-Delmas Referee: Pierre Brousset |
Round 8 rescheduled match
| 6 February 2021 21:00 |
| (1 BP) Montpellier | 31–6 | Stade Français |
| Report |
| Altrad Stadium Referee: Laurent Cardona |
Round 9
| 13 November 2020 20:45 |
| (1 BP) Castres | 29–30 | Bordeaux Bègles |
| Report |
| Stade Pierre-Fabre Referee: Julien Castaignede |
| 15 November 2020 21:05 |
| (1 BP) Stade Français | 35–13 | La Rochelle |
| Report |
| Stade Jean-Bouin Referee: Pierre Baptiste Nuchy |
Round 9 rescheduled match
Round 10
| 27 November 2020 20:45 |
| Castres | 14–40 | Clermont (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Stade Pierre-Fabre Referee: Vincent Blasco Baqué |
| 28 November 2020 18:15 |
| (1 BP) Montpellier | 22–23 | Bordeaux Bègles |
| Report |
| Altrad Stadium Referee: Maxime Chalon |
| 29 November 2020 21:05 |
| Lyon | 20–19 | Stade Français (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Matmut Stadium de Gerland Referee: Thomas Charabas |
Round 11
| 5 December 2020 15:15 |
| (1 BP) Bordeaux Bègles | 12–17 | Racing |
| Report |
| Stade Chaban-Delmas Referee: Ludovic Cayre |
| 5 December 2020 18:15 |
| Lyon | 22–18 | La Rochelle (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Matmut Stadium de Gerland Referee: Jonathan Dufort |
Round 12
| 27 December 2020 16:00 |
| (1 BP) Racing | 45–10 | Agen |
| Report |
| Paris La Défense Arena Referee: Vincent Blasco Baqué |
Round 12 rescheduled match
Round 13
| 3 January 2021 18:00 |
| (1 BP) Stade Français | 51–21 | Brive |
| Report |
| Stade Jean-Bouin Referee: Pierre Baptiste Nuchy |
Round 13 rescheduled match
Relegation playoff
The team finishing in 13th place faces the runner-up of the Pro D2, with the winner of this match playing in the 2021–22 Top 14 and the loser in the 2021–22 Pro D2.
Playoffs
| Semi-final Qualifiers | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Toulouse | 24 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Bordeaux Bègles | 25 | 4 | Bordeaux Bègles | 21 | |||||||||
| 5 | Clermont | 16 | 1 | Toulouse | 18 | |||||||||
| 2 | La Rochelle | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | La Rochelle | 19 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Racing 92 | 38 | 3 | Racing 92 | 6 | |||||||||
| 6 | Stade Français | 21 | ||||||||||||
Semi-final Qualifiers
| 11 June 2021 20:45 |
| Racing (3) | 38–21 | Stade Français (6) |
| Try: Fickou 5' c Thomas 10' c Machenaud 18' c Zebo 29' c Kolingar 42' c Con: Machenaud (5/5) 6', 11', 19', 30', 43' Pen: Le Garrec (1/1) 50' | Report | Try: Naivalu 47' c Macalou 62' c Nayacalevu 66' c Con: Segonds (3/3) 48', 63', 67' |
| Paris La Défense Arena, Nanterre Referee: Thomas Charabas |
| 12 June 2021 20:45 |
| Bordeaux Bègles (4) | 25–16 | Clermont (5) |
| Try: Maynadier 37' c Con: Jalibert (1/1) 38' Pen: Jalibert (6/6) 24', 35', 50', 59', 66', 77' | Report | Try: Penaud 7' c Con: Parra (1/1) 8' Pen: Parra (3/3) 44', 54', 63' |
| Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux Referee: Pascal Gaüzère |
Semi-finals
| 18 June 2021 20:45 |
| La Rochelle (2) | 19–6 | Racing 92 (3) |
| Try: Retière 29' c Con: West (1/1) 31' Pen: West (4/4) 12', 21', 27', 53' | Report | Pen: Machenaud (2/2) 8', 14' |
| Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq Referee: Mathieu Raynal |
| 19 June 2021 20:45 |
| Toulouse (1) | 24–21 | Bordeaux Bègles (4) |
| Try: Ntamack 5' m Ramos 67' c Con: Ramos (1/2) 69' Pen: Ramos (4/4) 11', 18', 35', 59' | Report | Try: Lam 12' c Cordero 54' m Con: Jalibert (1/2) 13' Pen: Jalibert (3/3) 44', 61', 76' |
| Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq Referee: Tual Trainini |
Final
| 25 June 2021 20:45 |
| Toulouse (1) | 18–8 | La Rochelle (2) |
| Pen: Ramos (4/4) 3', 34', 64', 73' Drop: Ramos (1/1) 9' Kolbe (1/1) 40' | Report | Try: Priso 77' m Pen: West (1/3) 43' |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 14,000 Referee: Mathieu Raynal |
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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.
Top points scorers
|
Top try scorers
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See also
Notes
- In recent years, Bordeaux Bègles has taken occasional home matches to Matmut Atlantique.
- In recent years, Toulon has taken occasional home matches to Stade Vélodrome in Marseille and Allianz Riviera in Nice.
- Toulouse often takes high-demand home matches to the city's largest sporting venue, Stadium de Toulouse.
References
- "Top 14 - Pro D2 : les présidents d'accord pour ne pas attribuer de titre". L'Equipe. 6 May 2020.
- "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.
- "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.
- Mortimer, Gavin (18 August 2016). "French rugby enjoys a popularity boom as it looks to the future". Rugby World. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- "Classement marqueurs Top 14 2020–21". L'Équipe. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
- "RUGBY TOP 14 : STATISTIQUES DÉTAILLÉES SAISON 2020-2021". Ligue Nationale Rugby. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
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