| Current Season: | 2024–25 Rugby Pro D2 season |
| Pixels: | 170px |
| Sport: | Rugby union |
| Administrator: | LNR |
| Teams: | 16 |
| Levels: | Level 2 |
| Promotion: | Top 14 |
| Relegation: | Nationale |
| Champ Season: | 2023–24 |
| Most Champs: | Lyon (3 titles) |
| Website: | Pro D2 |
Pro D2 is the second tier of rugby union club competition division in France. It is operated by Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) which also runs the division directly above, the first division Top 14. Rugby Pro D2 was introduced in 2000. It is the world's best supported second tier rugby union league.
There are 30 rounds in the regular season, with each team playing each other home and away.
There is relegation and promotion between both the Top 14 and Nationale, the third-level competition. The top two clubs at the end of the season qualify automatically for home semi-finals, with the clubs placed 3rd through to 6th playing in an elimination round to advance to the semi-finals. The two winners of the semi-final play each other in the final, with the winner gaining promotion to the Top 14, and the losing finalist then going on to play the 13th placed team in the Top 14 in a promotion-relegation match. The bottom placed (16th) team is automatically relegated to the Nationale division, and the 15th placed team plays the losing finalist from the Nationale division in a promotion-relegation match.
All promotions are contingent on passing a postseason financial audit required for all clubs. Also, if a club above the bottom two places fails the audit, it may be relegated in the place of a club that would otherwise have been relegated. This was especially an issue in the 2015–16 season, when four clubs faced at least the prospect of relegation for financial reasons. During the season, Tarbes were dropped to Fédérale 1 effective with the 2016–17 season, and Biarritz, Bourgoin and Narbonne were also dropped at the end of the season, pending appeals.[1] Ultimately, Biarritz, Bourgoin, and Narbonne all won their appeals and remained in Pro D2.[2] [3]
In August 2016, LNR released a strategic plan outlining its vision for French rugby through the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The plan includes significant changes to the top levels of the league system, with Pro D2 seeing especially dramatic changes starting with the 2017–18 season.[4]
See main article: 2024–25 Rugby Pro D2 season.
| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity | Previous season | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agen | Stade Armandie | align=center | 14,400 | 13th | |
| Aurillac | Stade Jean Alric | align=center | 9,000 | 9th | |
| Biarritz | Parc des Sports Aguiléra | align=center | 15,000 | 14th | |
| Béziers | Stade Raoul-Barrière | align=center | 18,555 | 3rd | |
| Brive | Stade Amédée-Domenech | align=center | 13,979 | 6th | |
| Colomiers | Stade Michel Bendichou | align=center | 11,430 | 10th | |
| Dax | Stade Maurice Boyau | align=center | 7,262 | 5th | |
| Grenoble | Stade des Alpes | align=center | 20,068 | 4th | |
| Mont-de-Marsan | Stade Guy Boniface | align=center | 16,800 | 8th | |
| Montauban | Stade Sapiac | align=center | 12,600 | 15th | |
| Nevers | Stade du Pré Fleuri | align=center | 7,500 | 7th | |
| Nice | align=center | 3,000 | Promoted from 2023–24 Championnat Fédéral Nationale (1st) | ||
| Oyonnax | Stade Charles-Mathon | align=center | 11,500 | Relegated from 2023–24 Top 14 (14th) | |
| Provence |