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Montpellier Hérault Rugby

French rugby union club

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Montpellier HR

Full name	Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Nickname(s)	Les Cistes (The Rockroses) Les Bleu et Blanc (The Bleu and Whites)
Founded	1986; 38 years ago (1986)
Location	Montpellier, France
Ground(s)	GGL Stadium (Capacity: 15,697)
Chairman	Mohed Altrad
Coach(es)	Patrice Collazo
Captain(s)	Alexandre Bécognée Yacouba Camara Arthur Vincent
Most appearances	Fulgence Ouedraogo (340)
Top scorer	Benoît Paillaugue (1,368)
Most tries	Timoci Nagusa (92)
League(s)	Top 14
2023–24	13th
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.montpellier-rugby.com

Montpellier Hérault Rugby (MHR) (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃pɛlje eʁo ʁyɡbi klœb, -pəl-]; Occitan: Montpelhièr Erau Rugbi Club) is a French professional rugby union club, based in Montpellier, Occitanie and named after the Hérault river. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé (capacity 5,000) but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir, later known as Altrad Stadium, and since renamed the GGL Stadium, in 2007. They wear white and blue.

History[edit]

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 nine games during a twenty-six-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. That same summer the club's new stadium, the Stade Yves-du-Manoir (now GGL Stadium), opened. 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.

From 2011 the club has been chaired and funded by Mohed Altrad.^[1]

Honours[edit]

• French championship Top 14
  • Champions (1): 2022
  • Runners-up (2): 2011, 2018
• European Rugby Challenge Cup
  • Champions (2): 2016, 2021
• European Shield
  • Champions (1): 2004
• Pro D2
  • Champions: 2003

Finals results[edit]

French championship[edit]

European Rugby Challenge Cup[edit]

Date	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Venue	Spectators
13 May 2016	Montpellier Hérault RC	26-19	Harlequins	Grand Stade de Lyon, Lyon	28,556 [2]
21 May 2021	Montpellier Hérault RC	18-17	Leicester	Twickenham, London	10,000

European Shield[edit]

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

Current standings[edit]

Current squad[edit]

The Montpellier squad for the 2023–24 season is:^{[3] [4]}

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Vano Karkadze Hooker Georgia Christopher Tolofua Hooker France Nika Abuladze Prop Georgia Baptiste Erdocio Prop France Enzo Forletta Prop France Mohamed Haouas Prop France Wilfrid Hounkpatin Prop France Luka Japaridze Prop Georgia Billy Vunipola Prop England Harry Williams Prop England Bastien Chalureau Lock France Tyler Duguid Lock Canada Nico Janse van Rensburg Lock South Africa Florian Verhaeghe Lock France Paul Willemse Lock France Alexandre Bécognée Back row France Yacouba Camara Back row France Masivesi Dakuwaqa Back row Fiji Nicolas Martins Back row Portugal Lenni Nouchi Back row France Sam Simmonds Back row England Marco Tauleigne Back row France

Player Position Union Alexis Bernadet Scrum-half France Léo Coly Scrum-half France Cobus Reinach Scrum-half South Africa Domingo Miotti Fly-half Argentina Thomas Vincent Fly-half France Auguste Cadot Centre France Thomas Darmon Centre France Christa Powell Centre Fiji Jan Serfontein Centre South Africa Arthur Vincent Centre France George Bridge Wing New Zealand Pierre Lucas Wing France Gabriel N'Gandebe Wing France Madosh Tambwe Wing DR Congo Anthony Bouthier Fullback France Stuart Hogg Fullback Scotland Josh Moorby Fullback Australia Julien Tisseron Fullback France

Espoirs squad[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Luka Akrab Hooker France Adrien Sonzogni Hooker France Jules Veyrier Hooker France Adam Bouare Prop France Luka Kotorashvili Prop Georgia Tom Petit Prop France PJ Potasi Prop New Zealand Charlie Moss Lock Scotland Aurelien Barreau Back row France Romain Delemarle Back row France Maxim Ermakov Back row Russia Cantin Foguet Back row France Edgard Lubin Back row France

Player Position Union Romain Delemarle Fly-half France Giovanni Sante Fly-half Italy Lucas Berti Centre Chile Jules Ducros Centre France Titoan Rouvelet Centre France Ridhau Bey Wing South Africa Julien Burguillos Wing France Jack Kellner Fullback France

Notable former players[edit]

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See also[edit]

• List of rugby union clubs in France
• Rugby union in France

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• (in French) Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club official website