French domestic rugby union club competition
2007–08 Top 14 season Countries France Champions Toulouse (17th title)Runners-up Clermont Relegated Auch ,Albi Matches played 185 Attendance 2,188,767 Highest attendance 79,779 Lowest attendance 3,159 Top point scorer Brock James (Clermont )Top try scorer Napolioni Nalaga (Clermont )
The2007–08Top 14 Competition was a French domesticrugby union club competition, operated by theLigue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Because France hosted the2007 Rugby World Cup , the competition did not begin at its normal time of August, but instead started on the last weekend in October 2007, one week after the Rugby World Cup final. The league compensated for the late start by playing on several weekends that it normally skips, namely the weekends of the2008 Six Nations Championship and the semifinals and final of the2007–08 Heineken Cup . The season ended on June 28, 2008, withToulouse defeating regular-season league leaderClermont 26–20 in the final and thereby lifting theBouclier de Brennus .
This year's edition of the Top 14 welcomedAuch andDax , who earnedpromotion fromRugby Pro D2 .[ 1] Agen andNarbonne were relegated from the Top 14.
As in previous seasons, the top four clubs at the end of the home-and-away season advanced to a single-elimination playoff. The semifinals were held at neutral sites, with the final atStade de France . Going into the season, the top six clubs were guaranteed of berths in the 2008-09Heineken Cup . Since Toulouse advanced to the2007–08 Heineken Cup final againstIrish clubMunster , thereby assuring a higher finish for a French team in that competition than for any team fromEngland orItaly , the seventh-place club also earned a berth in the 2008-09 Heineken Cup. The bottom two teams were provisionally relegated to Pro D2, with the possibility of one or both of the bottom teams to be reprieved if a team above them failed a postseason financial audit. This happened in 2007-08, asAlbi failed the audit, ultimately giving a reprieve to second-from bottom Dax.
This season, LNR trialled a modification to thebonus point system in both the Top 14 and Pro D2. The system to be used this season was:[ 2]
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 7 points (or less).This system was explicitly intended to prevent a losing team from earning two bonus points, as is possible under the standard system.[ 2]
Club City (department) Stadium Capacity Previous season Albi Albi (Tarn )Stadium Municipal d'Albi 12,000 10th Auch Auch (Gers )Stade Jacques Fouroux 7,000 Promoted fromPro D2 (champions) Bayonne Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques )Stade Jean Dauger 16,934 8th Biarritz Biarritz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques )Parc des Sports Aguiléra 15,000 Semi-finals (4th in league) Bourgoin Bourgoin-Jallieu (Isère )Stade Pierre Rajon 9,441 6th Brive Brive-la-Gaillarde (Corrèze )Stade Amédée-Domenech 15,000 9th Castres Castres (Tarn )Stade Pierre-Fabre 11,500 11th Clermont Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme )Stade Marcel-Michelin 16,574[ a 1] Runners up (3rd in league) Dax Dax (Landes )Stade Maurice Boyau 16,170 Promoted fromPro D2 (runners up) Montauban Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne )Stade Sapiac 11,500 7th Montpellier Montpellier (Hérault )Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ a 2] 15,789 12th Perpignan Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales )Stade Aimé Giral 16,593 5th Stade Français Paris ,16th arrondissement Stade Jean-Bouin [ a 3] 12,000 Champions (1st in league) Toulouse Toulouse (Haute-Garonne )Stade Ernest-Wallon [ a 4] 19,500 Semi-finals (2nd in league)
Locations of the 2007–08 Top 14 teams
Number of teams by regions [ edit ] ^ Montauban received a Heineken Cup berth because Toulouse advanced farther in the2007–08 Heineken Cup than any team fromEngland orItaly . ^ Due to financial irregularities, SC Albi were relegated to the Pro D2 for 2008-09. This saved Dax from relegation and gave them what had been Albi's place in theChallenge Cup .[ 3] Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
Stade Français 23–17 Clermont (1 BP)
Stade de France [ 5]
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Bourgoin 10–8 Montauban (1 BP)
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 8]
Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
Montpellier 19–12 Perpignan (1 BP)
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ 10]
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 8]
(1 BP) Toulouse 28–9 Stade Français
Stadium Municipal [ 11]
Albi 21–16 Perpignan (1 BP)
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
Montauban 15–12 Castres (1 BP)
Stade Sapiac [ 15]
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
(1 BP) Stade Français 46–6 Bayonne
Stade Jean-Bouin [ 17]
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
(1 BP) Montauban 43–14 Brive
Stade Sapiac [ 15]
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ 10]
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
Stade Français 22–19 Dax (1 BP)
Stade Jean-Bouin [ 17]
(1 BP) Bayonne 10–14 Biarritz
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
Auch 19–13 Montauban (1 BP)
Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
(1 BP) Brive 6–9 Montpellier
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 8]
Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
Stade Ernest-Wallon [ 19]
(1 BP) Bourgoin 14–20 Clermont
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
Clermont 21–17 Toulouse (1 BP)
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
(1 BP) Bayonne 35–8 Perpignan
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
Montpellier 19–14 Albi (1 BP)
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ 10]
Montauban 24–16 Stade Français
Stade Sapiac [ 15]
Biarritz 10–8 Montauban (1 BP)
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
Bourgoin 15–10 Bayonne (1 BP)
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
Perpignan 23–19 Brive (1 BP)
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
Stade Français 33–6 Montpellier
Stade Jean-Bouin [ 17]
(1 BP) Toulouse 44–23 Castres
Stade Ernest-Wallon [ 19]
Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 8]
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Bourgoin 16–31 Stade Français
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
Castres 15–14 Clermont (1 BP)
Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
Stade Sapiac [ 15]
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ 10]
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 8]
Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
(1 BP) Toulouse 35–13 Montpellier
Stade Ernest-Wallon [ 19]
(1 BP) Albi 18–23 Stade Français
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
Clermont 12–9 Biarritz (1 BP)
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
Stade Jean-Bouin [ 17]
Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Bourgoin 23–17 Montpellier (1 BP)
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
(1 BP) Castres 37–17 Bayonne
Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
Perpignan 18–17 Clermont (1 BP)
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
(1 BP) Montauban 12–16 Toulouse
Stade Sapiac [ 15]
(1 BP) Montpellier 14–18 Biarritz
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ 10]
(1 BP) Toulouse 41–15 Perpignan
Stade Ernest-Wallon [ 19]
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
Bayonne 25–18 Montauban (1 BP)
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
Stade Français 15–12 Auch (1 BP)
Stade Jean-Bouin [ 17]
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 8]
Castres 16–47 Stade Français (1 BP)
Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
(1 BP) Clermont 40–13 Montauban
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
Montpellier 18–13 Dax (1 BP)
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ 10]
Perpignan 28–23 Auch (1 BP)
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
Stade Ernest-Wallon [ 19]
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
Stade Sapiac [ 15]
Biarritz 9–6 Stade Français (1 BP)
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
(1 BP) Clermont 27–3 Bayonne
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
Bourgoin 30–23 Toulouse (1 BP)
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
Castres 26–19 Biarritz (1 BP)
Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
Albi 15–25 Montauban (1 BP)
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 8]
Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
Montpellier 29–24 Auch (1 BP)
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ 10]
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
Stade Français 12–23 Perpignan
Stade Jean-Bouin [ 17]
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
Montauban 16–11 Bourgoin (1 BP)
Stade Sapiac [ 15]
Stade Ernest-Wallon [ 19]
(1 BP) Perpignan 27–6 Montpellier
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
(1 BP) Clermont 50–12 Stade Français
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
Montpellier 17–56 Clermont (1 BP)
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ 10]
(1 BP) Stade Français 29–0 Toulouse
Stade de France [ 5]
Toulouse 12–6 Biarritz (1 BP)
Stadium Municipal [ 11]
Bayonne 14–36 Stade Français (1 BP)
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
(1 BP) Castres 12–17 Montpellier
Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
Brive 14–7 Montauban (1 BP)
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 8]
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
(1 BP) Bourgoin 9–10 Perpignan
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
(1 BP) Dax 9–13 Stade Français
Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
Perpignan 20–18 Castres (1 BP)
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
(1 BP) Biarritz 20–0 Bayonne
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Stade Sapiac [ 15]
Montpellier 20–14 Brive (1 BP)
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ 10]
(1 BP) Clermont 36–7 Bourgoin
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
(1 BP) Bourgoin 12–14 Castres
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
Stadium Municipal [ 20]
(1 BP) Albi 25–12 Montpellier
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 8]
(1 BP) Perpignan 38–13 Bayonne
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
Stade Français 25–18 Montauban (1 BP)
Stade Jean-Bouin [ 17]
(1 BP) Montpellier 9–12 Stade Français
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ 10]
Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
Montauban 19–13 Biarritz (1 BP)
Stade Sapiac [ 15]
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 8]
Game postponed due to Toulouse playing inHeineken Cup semi-finals on the same date. Game to be rescheduled for 7 May 2008. (1 BP) Clermont 28–35 Castres (1 BP)
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
Stade Ernest-Wallon [ 19]
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
Bayonne 19–16 Montpellier (1 BP)
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
Stade Français 34–20 Bourgoin
Stade Jean-Bouin [ 17]
[ edit ] Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
Rescheduled from 26 April 2008. (1 BP) Biarritz 11–16 Clermont
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
Stade Jean-Bouin [ 17]
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
Montauban 28–22 Perpignan (1 BP)
Stade Sapiac [ 21]
Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
Montpellier 17–15 Toulouse (1 BP)
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ 10]
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 22]
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
Montpellier 12–6 Bourgoin (1 BP)
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ a 5]
(1 BP) Toulouse 28–6 Montauban
Stade Ernest-Wallon [ 24]
Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Auch 9–6 Stade Français (1 BP)
Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
Montauban 15–12 Bayonne (1 BP)
Stade Sapiac [ 15]
(1 BP) Perpignan P - P Toulouse
Game postponed due to Toulouse playing inHeineken Cup final on the same date. Game to be rescheduled for 3 June 2008. Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
Brive 15–12 Toulouse (1 BP)
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 8]
(1 BP) Stade Français 44–15 Castres
Stade Jean-Bouin [ 17]
Stadium Municipal d'Albi [ 12]
(1 BP) Biarritz 30–10 Bourgoin
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Dax 16–36 Montpellier (1 BP)
Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
Montauban 18–16 Clermont (1 BP)
Stade Sapiac [ 15]
[ edit ] (1 BP) Perpignan 50–6 Toulouse
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
Rescheduled from 24 May 2008. Montpellier 12–8 Montauban (1 BP)
Stade Yves-du-Manoir [ 10]
Stade Français 22–18 Biarritz (1 BP)
Stade de France [ 5]
Stade Jean Dauger [ 16]
Stade Amédée-Domenech [ 8]
Stade Pierre-Fabre [ 9]
(1 BP) Toulouse 57–17 Bourgoin
Stade Ernest-Wallon [ 19]
Stade Maurice Boyau [ 4]
Stade Jacques Fouroux [ 13]
(1 BP) Biarritz 30–34 Castres
Parc des Sports Aguiléra [ 6]
Bourgoin 22–19 Brive (1 BP)
Stade Pierre Rajon [ 7]
Stade Marcel-Michelin [ 14]
Montauban 24–17 Albi (1 BP)
Stade Sapiac [ 15]
Perpignan 23–19 Stade Français (1 BP)
Stade Aimé Giral [ 18]
Toulouse 35–28 Bayonne (1 BP)
Stade Ernest-Wallon [ 25]
Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. The league has seen a major increase in attendance in recent years. In 2006-07, per-game attendance averaged 10,549,[ 28] in 2005–06 [ 29] 2004–05 ,[ 30] [ 29] [ 28]
The final average attendance for the 2007-08 regular season was 11,106, another increase from the previous season. The LNR also reported that league-wide season ticket sales were up by 11% from 2006-07.[ 31] [ 32]
Attendances do not include the semi-finals or final as these are at neutral venues. Club Home Total Average Highest Lowest % Capacity Albi 13 93,351 7,181 10,000 5,865 55% Auch 13 62,337 4,795 6,681 3,159 69% Bayonne 13 161,135 12,395 14,025 9,645 73% Biarritz 13 115,573 8,890 13,044 6,000 59% Bourgoin 13 82,464 6,343 8,000 4,832 67% Brive 13 136,768 10,521 14,868 7,899 70% Castres 13 102,095 7,853 10,000 6,560 68% Clermont 13 189,327 14,564 16,574 12,827 88% Dax 13 94,656 7,281 15,000 4,500 45% Montauban 13 90,816 6,986 9,054 5,553 61% Montpellier 13 144,520 11,117 15,789 8,895 70% Perpignan 13 153,181 11,783 14,517 7,889 71% Stade Français 13 323,069 24,851 79,779 7,443 79% Toulouse 13 272,011 20,924 36,000 14,066 88%
^ Capacity of Stade Marcel-Michelin up to 16,574 from 16,334 the previous season. ^ Montpellier moved into a new stadium this season having previously based atStade Sabathé . ^ Stade Français would also play three home games at the 81,338 capacityStade de France . ^ Toulouse would also play three home games at the 35,575 capacityStadium Municipal . ^ Surprisingly there is no information available online for Montpellier's home attendance against Bourgoin on 17 May 2008, despite all other home games being accounted for. However, using figures acquired from the Sur la touche website, who state Montpellier's seasonal average attendance at 11,118, this game had a crowd of around 9,000.[ 23]
Governing body National teams
Other notable teams Competitions
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France
Brock James (Clermont)
Napolioni Nalaga (Clermont)
Occitanie
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Île-de-France
