Stade Rochelais

Stade Rochelais, commonly known as La Rochelle, play in the Top 14, which is the top division for rugby union teams in France. In recent years, the team has been a powerhouse, winning the European Rugby Champions Cup in both 2022 and 2023. However, the side has never won the Top 14 title. 

The history of the La Rochelle rugby team can be traced all the way back to 1898. In the early 1900s, the team won three regional Atlantic championships and qualified for the French Championship. Here they reached the quarter-finals twice and the semi-finals once.

However, the inter-war years were much leaner for La Rochelle and German occupation in World War Two meant the team was unable to play. Following the conclusion of the Second World War, the club formed a school for training players and coaches. This helped them ascend through the ranks quickly. 

When the professional era of rugby arrived, La Rochelle established themselves at the elite level. Since 2014-15, they have competed at the top level of French rugby every season. In the 2016-17 season, the side even topped the Top 14 table at the end of the round-robin stage. Since then, they’ve also reached the final of the competition twice (2021 and 2023), but they were beaten by Toulouse on both occasions.

However, during this historic period for La Rochelle, the team has won silverware. This is because, despite losing out on the Top 14 title in the early 2020s, La Rochelle did win the European Rugby Champions Cup in both 2022 and 2023.

Think La Rochelle can finally claim the crown in the Top 14? Follow their progress in the competition right here with RugbyPass.