SU Agen

SU Agen
Full nameSporting Union Agen Lot-et-Garonne
Founded1908; 116 years ago (1908)
LocationAgen, France
Ground(s)Stade Armandie (Capacity: 10,512 seats)
PresidentAlain Tingaud
Coach(es)Christophe Laussucq
Rémi Vaquin
Captain(s)Antoine Erbani
League(s)Pro D2
2022–236th (playoff quarter-finalists)
1st kit
2nd kit
Official website
www.agen-rugby.com

Sporting Union Agen Lot-et-Garonne (French pronunciation: [spɔʁtɪŋ ynjɔ̃ aʒɛ̃ lɔt e ɡaʁɔn]), commonly referred to as SU Agen, Agen (French pronunciation: [aʒɛ̃]) or SUALG, is a French professional rugby union club based in Agen, Lot-et-Garonne that competes in the Pro D2, France's second division of rugby.

Founded in 1908, Agen is one of the historic clubs in French rugby, having won the French Championship eight times. Its home ground is the 10,512-seat Stade Armandie and traditional club colours are navy blue and white.

The club is renowned for its youth system and its academy structure.

History

The club was established in 1900. They made their first championship final in the 1930 season, where they met US Quillan, and defeated them 4 points to nil in Bordeaux, and thus capturing their first championship title. The club experienced some success in the coming years in the Challenge Yves du Manoir competition as well; winning it in the 1932 season and then becoming runners-up to Lyon OU in the 1933 season.

Agen would have another successful run in the 1940s, beginning with the 1943 season when they defeated Stade Bordelais 11 to 4 to win the Coupe de France. That season they also made it to the championship final; though they were defeated by Aviron Bayonnais 3 points to nil at Parc des Princes in Paris.

In 1945 they again won the title of the French championship, defeating FC Lourdes 7 points to 3 in the final in Paris. The championship was one of two titles that season, as Agen also won the Coupe de France, defeating Montferrand 14 to 13. Agen featured in one more championship that decade, losing to Toulouse 10 points to 3.

Agen were relatively quiet during the 1950s, though they again rose to prominence during the 1960s. In 1962 they again became of the champions of France after defeating Béziers 14 points to 11 in the season final. The following season they won the Challenge Yves du Manoir, defeating Brive 11 points to nil in the final. Agen became the French champions on two more occasions during the 1960s, defeating Brive in 1965 and then Dax in 1966.

The club had another successful run during the 1970s, starting with an unsuccessful Challenge Yves du Manoir final, losing to Toulon 25 points to 22. They were unsuccessful again in 1975 in the Challenge Yves du Manoir, losing to Béziers 16 points to 12 in the final. However they would then meet Béziers in the championship final of the 1976 season, and defeat them 13 to 10 to win their first championship since 1966.

Agen went through period of success in the 1980s after winning the championship in 1982, defeating Aviron Bayonnais 18 points to 9 in the final. The following season they won the Challenge Yves du Manoir as well after defeating Toulon 29 points to 7. In 1984 they again contested the championship final, though they eventually lost it to Béziers. They unsuccessfully contested it again in 1986, losing to Toulouse 16 to 6. They were also runners-up in the 1987 Challenge Yves du Manoir, losing to Grenoble. However, in 1988 they again won the championship, defeating Stadoceste Tarbais 9 to 3 in the final.

They contested the final again in the 1990 season, losing to Racing Club de France 22 points to 12. In 1992 they won the Challenge Yves du Manoir, defeating RC Narbonne 23 to 18.

Professional era

In 1998 they played in their first European cup final, the European Challenge Cup, losing to fellow French team US Colomiers 43 to 5 in the final. On June 8, 2002 they lost to Biarritz Olympique in the championship final.

In recent years, one of their biggest stars has been Fijian winger Rupeni Caucaunibuca. He led the team in tries in 2005 and 2006, and led Pro D2 in that category during Agen's most recent promotion season in 2010. However, he would be dismissed from the team in September 2010 after failing to report to the team for preseason workouts (several weeks later, he would reemerge at Toulouse).

Honours

Finals results

Finals results

Date Winner Runner-up Score Venue Attendance
18 May 1930 SU Agen US Quillan 4-0 (aet) Parc Lescure, Bordeaux 28.000
21 March 1943 Aviron Bayonnais SU Agen 3-0 Parc des Princes, Paris 28.000
7 April 1945 SU Agen FC Lourdes 7-3 Parc des Princes, Paris 30.000
13 April 1947 Stade Toulousain SU Agen 10-3 Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse 25.000
27 May 1962 SU Agen AS Béziers 14-11 Stadium Municipal, Toulouse 37.705
23 May 1965 SU Agen CA Brive 15-8 Stade de Gerland, Lyon 28.758
22 May 1966 SU Agen US Dax 9-8 Stadium Municipal, Toulouse 28.803
23 May 1976 SU Agen AS Béziers 13-10 (aet) Parc des Princes, Paris 40.300
29 May 1982 SU Agen Aviron Bayonnais 18-9 Parc des Princes, Paris 41.165
26 May 1984 AS Béziers SU Agen 21-21 (aet) Parc des Princes, Paris 44.076
24 May 1986 Stade Toulousain SU Agen 16-6 Parc des Princes, Paris 45.145
28 May 1988 SU Agen Stadoceste Tarbais 9-3 Parc des Princes, Paris 48.000
26 May 1990 Racing Club de France SU Agen 22-12 (aet) Parc des Princes, Paris 45.069
8 June 2002 Biarritz Olympique SU Agen 25-22 (aet) Stade de France, Saint-Denis 78.457

Challenge Yves du Manoir

Year Winner Score Runner-up
1932 SU Agen round robin Lyon OU
1933 Lyon OU round robin SU Agen
1963 SU Agen 11-0 CA Brive
1970 RC Toulon 25-22 SU Agen
1975 AS Béziers 16-12 SU Agen
1983 SU Agen 29-7 Toulon
1987 FC Grenoble 26-7 SU Agen
1992 SU Agen 23-18 RC Narbonne

Coupe de France

Year Winner Score Runner-up
1943 SU Agen 11-4 Stade Bordelais
1945 SU Agen 14-13 AS Montferrand

European Shield

Date Winner Runner-up Score Venue Attendance
1998 US Colomiers SU Agen 43-5 Stade des Sept Deniers, Toulouse 12.500

Pro D2 promotion playoffs

Date Winner Runner-up Score Venue Attendance
2014 La Rochelle SU Agen 31–22 Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux 33,262
2015 SU Agen Stade Montois 16–15 Stade Ernest-Wallon, Toulouse
2017 SU Agen US Montauban 41-20 Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux

Current standings

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD B Pts
1 Oyonnax (C, P) 30 23 1 6 904 457 +447 17 111 Semi-final promotion playoff place
2 Grenoble 30 19 3 8 672 588 +84 8 87[a]
3 Mont-de-Marsan 30 19 0 11 764 649 +115 10 86 Quarter-final promotion playoff place
4 Nevers 30 17 3 10 718 551 +167 11 85
5 Vannes 30 17 1 12 718 633 +85 11 81
6 Agen 30 15 1 14 653 583 +70 15 77
7 Colomiers 30 15 0 15 674 678 −4 10 70
8 Provence 30 13 4 13 652 638 +14 9 69
9 Béziers 30 13 1 16 700 716 −16 11 65
10 Aurillac 30 15 0 15 586 706 −120 5 65
11 Biarritz 30 12 2 16 690 699 −9 8 60
12 Rouen 30 12 2 16 594 767 −173 6 58
13 Montauban 30 12 1 17 678 784 −106 6 54[a]
14 Soyaux Angoulême 30 11 0 19 569 697 −128 8 52
15 Carcassonne (R) 30 10 1 19 553 677 −124 10 52 Relegation to Nationale
16 Massy (R) 30 7 0 23 499 801 −302 5 33
Source: Pro D2
Rules for classification: When two teams have the same points total, position is determined by head-to-head results before points difference.
(C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Grenoble were penalised three competition points, and Montauban were penalised two, for financial and administrative issues that made the clubs "non-compliant with the regulatory provisions and decisions of the CCCP".[1][2]

Current squad

The Agen squad for the 2021–22 season is:[3]

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

Player Position Union
Gaël Doms Hooker France France
Clément Martinez Hooker France France
Loris Zarantonello Hooker France France
Martin Augeix-Dejean Prop France France
Alex Burin Prop France France
Walter Desmaison Prop France France
Maxime Duprat Prop France France
Tapu Falatéa Prop France France
Florent Guion Prop France France
Hans Lombard-Buret Prop France France
Dave Ryan Prop Ireland Ireland
Malino Vanaï Prop France France
William Demotte Lock France France
Grigor Kerdikoshvili Lock Georgia (country) Georgia
Gauthier Maravat Lock France France
Toby Salmon Lock England England
Corentin Vernet Lock France France
Matthieu Bonnet Back row France France
Martin Devergie Back row France France
Arnaud Duputs Back row France France
Vincent Farré Back row France France
Camille Gérondeau Back row France France
Loïc Hocquet Back row France France
Jesse Jegerlehner Back row France France
Fotu Lokotui Back row Tonga Tonga
Samuel Nollet Back row France France
Laurence Pearce Back row England England
Player Position Union
Dorian Bellot Scrum-half France France
Paul Graou Scrum-half France France
Théo Idjellidaine Scrum-half France France
Emile Dayral Fly-half France France
Danré Gerber Fly-half South Africa South Africa
Christian Lacombe Fly-half France France
Raphaël Lagarde Fly-half France France
Thomas Vincent Fly-half France France
Clément Garrigues Centre France France
Tyren Kroos Centre Netherlands Netherlands
Kolinio Ramoka Centre Fiji Fiji
Harry Sloan Centre England England
Iban Etcheverry Wing France France
Louis Gauban Wing France France
Jefferson Joseph Wing France France
Alexandre Odinga Wing France France
Tevita Railevu Wing Fiji Fiji
Timilaï Rokoduru Wing Fiji Fiji
Jean-Marcelin Buttin Fullback France France
Mathieu Lamoulie Fullback France France
Théo Louvet Fullback France France
Loris Tolot Fullback France France

Notable former players

See also

References

  1. ^ "Le FCG sanctionné de trois points de retrait au classement par la Ligue !". Le Dauphiné libéré (in French). 21 November 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2023. Un retrait de cinq points dont deux points avec sursis au classement du championnat professionnel de Pro D2 de la saison en cours [...] Cette sanction a été prononcée au motif du « non-respect des dispositions réglementaires et décisions de la CCCP ».
  2. ^ "Pro D2 : l'US Montauban sanctionnée de cinq points de retrait pour la prochaine saison !" [Pro D2: US Montauban sanctioned with five withdrawal points for the next season!]. La Dépêche (in French). 20 May 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  3. ^ "EFFECTIF VERSION 19/20". Sporting Union Agenais (in French). Retrieved 7 September 2019.

External links