View source for Provence Rugby

{{Short description|French rugby union club, based in Aix-en-Provence}}
{{Infobox rugby team
| teamname    = Provence
| image       = Logo Provence Rugby 2015.png
| imagesize   = 200px
| fullname    = Provence Rugby
| nickname    = {{Nowrap|''Les Noirs'' (The Blacks)}} {{Nowrap|''Le PARC''}}
| location    = [[Aix-en-Provence]], [[France]]
| countryflag = France
| founded     = {{Start date and age|1970}}
| ground      = [[Stade Maurice David]]
| capacity    = 8,767
| president   = Denis Philipon
| coach       = [[Mauricio Reggiardo]]
| captain     = [[Arthur Coville]]
| league      = {{French rugby union updater|Provence}}
| season      = {{French rugby union updater|Provence2}}
| position    = {{French rugby union updater|Provence3}}
| pattern_la1 = |pattern_b1 = |pattern_ra1 = |pattern_sh1 = |pattern_so1 = 
| leftarm1    = 000000 |body1 = 000000 |rightarm1 = 000000 |shorts1 = 000000 |socks1 = 000000
| pattern_la2 = |pattern_b2 = |pattern_ra2 = |pattern_sh2 = |pattern_so2 = 
| leftarm2    = 800080 |body2 = 800080 |rightarm2 = 800080 |shorts2 = |socks2 = 800080
| url         = http://www.provencerugby.com
}}
'''Provence Rugby''' ({{langx|oc|'''Provença Rugbi'''}}) is a French [[rugby union]] club currently playing in [[Pro D2]], the second tier of France's league system. They were promoted back to the second level for the 2018–19 season after two seasons in [[Fédérale 1]].

Based in [[Aix-en-Provence]] in the [[Bouches-du-Rhône]] just north of [[Marseille]], the club was founded in 1970. They currently play at Stade Maurice David and wear black. The club was known as '''Aix Rugby Club''' from 1970 to 2001, and '''Pays d'Aix Rugby Club (PARC)''' from 2001 to 2015.

At the end of 2004/5 they were promoted to [[Rugby Pro D2|Pro D2]] but were relegated back to [[Fédérale 1]] at the end of the season. They returned to Pro D2 as runners-up to [[CA Lannemezan|Lannemezan]] in 2009. In the [[2009–10 Rugby Pro D2 season|2009–10 season]], they finished next-to-last on the league table, in a relegation spot. However, they were reprieved when [[Top 14]] club [[US Montauban|Montauban]] filed for bankruptcy and were relegated directly to Fédérale 1. They did, however, suffdler relegation after the 2012-13 season, not returning until 2015–16.

By that time, they had changed their name to the current Provence Rugby, officially announcing the name change on 22 June 2015.<ref name="LE PARC devient Provence Rugby">{{cite press release | url=http://www.parcrugby.com/site/actualites.php?idNews=1667 | title=LE PARC devient Provence Rugby | publisher=Provence Rugby | date=22 June 2015 | access-date=24 February 2016 | language=fr | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905201023/http://www.parcrugby.com/site/actualites.php?idNews=1667 | archive-date=5 September 2015}}</ref>

Provence finished last in the 2015–16 Pro D2 season. Initially, they were spared relegation when four clubs were relegated to Fédérale 1 due to financial mismanagement, but three of these eventually won appeals and remained in Pro D2,<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.lnr.fr/rugby-pro-d2/actualites-rugby-pro-d2/biarritz-et-narbonne-maintenus-en-pro-d2 |title=Biarritz et Narbonne Maintenus en PRO D2 |trans-title=Biarritz and Narbonne Remain in Pro D2 |language=fr |publisher=[[National Rugby League (France)|Ligue Nationale de Rugby]] |date=7 July 2016 |access-date=8 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.lnr.fr/rugby-pro-d2/actualites-rugby-pro-d2/bourgoin-reste-en-pro-d2 |title=Bourgoin Reste en PRO D2 |trans-title=Bourgoin Remains in Pro D2 |language=fr |publisher=[[National Rugby League (France)|Ligue Nationale de Rugby]] |date=11 July 2016 |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> consigning Provence to the drop.

In the 2023-24 Pro D2 season Provence Rugby finished the regular season in first place. This was the first time in the clubs history that they made the finals of the Pro D2. 

==Honours==
[[File:PARC logo.png|thumb|right|One of several logos used by the club in the early 21st century.]]

* '''[[Fédérale 1]]:'''
** Champions: 2004, 2015, 2018
** Runners-up: 2009
* '''Deuxième Division:'''
** Champions: 1986

==Current standings==
{{#lst:2024–25 Rugby Pro D2 season|table}}

==Current squad==
{{for|player movements before or during the [[2024–25 Rugby Pro D2 season|2024–25 season]]|List of 2024–25 Rugby Pro D2 transfers#Provence}}

The Provence squad for the [[2024–25 Rugby Pro D2 season|2024–25 season]]:<ref name="Effectif">{{cite web | url=http://www.provencerugby.com/equipe-pro/equipe/ | title=Effectif | work=Provence Rugby | access-date=21 April 2021 | language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Aix squad for season 2024/2025 |url=https://all.rugby/club/provence-rugby/squad |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=all.rugby |language=en}}</ref>

{{rugby squad start}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=HK | name=[[:fr:Ian Boubila|Ian Boubila]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=HK | name=[[Loïck Jammes]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=HK | name=[[Joseph Laget]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=USA | pos=HK | name='''[[Kapeli Pifeleti]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=HK | name=[[:fr:Thomas Sauveterre|Thomas Sauveterre]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=PR | name='''[[Tomas Francis]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=PR | name=[[:fr:Paul Mallez|Paul Mallez]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=GER | pos=PR | name='''[[Julius Nostadt]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ARG | pos=PR | name='''[[Enrique Pieretto]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=PR | name=[[:fr:Quentin Samaran|Quentin Samaran]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=PR | name=[[Hayden Thompson-Stringer]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ARG | pos=PR | name=[[Nicolás Toth]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=PR | name=[[Thomas Vernet]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ARG | pos=PR | name=[[Federico Wegrzyn]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=PR | name=[[Eliott Yansi]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=LK | name=[[Jerome Dufour]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=AUS | pos=LK | name='''[[Izack Rodda]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=SAM | pos=LK | name='''[[Josh Tyrell]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=LK | name=[[:fr:Yannick Youyoutte|Yannick Youyoutte]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=Colombia | pos=LK | name=[[:fr:Andrés Zafra|Andrés Zafra]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=BR | name=[[Charly Gambini]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=AUS | pos=BR | name='''[[Ned Hanigan]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=BR | name='''[[Teimana Harrison]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=GEO | pos=BR | name='''[[Tornike Jalagonia]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=BR | name=[[Guillaume Piazzoli]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=BR | name=[[Malohi Suta]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=Tunisia | pos=BR | name='''[[Bilel Taieb]]'''}}
{{rugby squad mid}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=SH | name=[[Joris Cazenave]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=SH | name=[[Arthur Coville]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=SH | name=[[:fr:Kévin Viallard|Kévin Viallard]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=NZL | pos=FH | name=[[Jimmy Gopperth]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=FH | name='''[[Jules Plisson]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=FH | name=[[:fr:Jules Soulan|Jules Soulan]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FIJ | pos=CE | name=[[Eto Bainivalu]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=NZL | pos=CE | name=[[Inga Finau]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=CE | name='''[[George North]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ROM | pos=CE | name='''[[Atila Septar]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=WG | name=[[Nadir Bouhedjeur]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=WG | name=[[:fr:Léo Drouet|Léo Drouet]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=WG | name=[[:fr:Adrien Lapègue|Adrien Lapègue]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=NZL | pos=WG | name=[[Sione Tui]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=FB | name=[[:fr:Mathias Colombet|Mathias Colombet]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=FB | name=[[:fr:Thomas Salles|Thomas Salles]]}}
{{rugby squad end}}

===Espoirs squad===

{{rugby squad start}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=HK | name=[[Joris Cavaglieri]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=PR | name=[[Remi Bouaffou]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=GEO | pos=PR | name=[[Davit Gvelesiani]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=PR | name=[[Wesley Masima]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=PR | name=[[Soakimi Pise]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=PR | name=[[Soane Suve]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=RSA | pos=LK | name=[[Daniel Botha (rugby union, born 2003)|Daniel Botha]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=LK | name=[[Cyprien Kileztky]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=AUS | pos=LK | name=[[Isaac Rumble]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=BR | name=[[Anicet Batbedat]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=BR | name=[[Baptiste Belhadj]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=BR | name=[[Alessio Contigliani]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=BR | name=[[Luca Mazeres]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=BR | name=[[Lucas Tempier]]}}
{{rugby squad mid}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=SH | name=[[Lucas Fesquet]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=SH | name=[[Tom Noble]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=SH | name=[[Sacha Usclat]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=FH | name=[[Vasco Rocard]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=CE | name=[[Matteo Ceccarelli]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=CE | name=[[Valentin Ibanez]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=CE | name=[[Baptiste Lenoir]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=CE | name=[[Hugo Navizet]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=CE | name=[[Emilien Trezieres]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FIJ | pos=CE | name=[[Jeremy Tuima]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=WG | name=[[Paul Cellio]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FRA | pos=FB | name=[[Romain Hernandez]]}}
{{rugby squad end}}

== Notable former players ==
{{famous|date=June 2012}}
* [[Jean-Luc Aqua]]
* [[Guillaume Delmotte]]
* [[Norman Jordaan]]
* [[Yannick Ricardo]] (Portugal international)
* [[George Kutarashvili]] (Georgia international)
* [[Legi Matiu]] (France international)
* [[Mihai Lazăr]] (Romania international)
* [[Ovidiu Tonița]] (Romania international)
* [[Chris Wyatt (rugby union)|Chris Wyatt]] (Wales international)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.provencerugby.com Provence Rugby] - Official site {{in lang|fr}}

{{Pro D2}}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Rugby union clubs in France]]
[[Category:Sport in Bouches-du-Rhône]]
[[Category:Rugby clubs established in 1970]]
[[Category:1970 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Aix-en-Provence]]

{{France-rugbyunion-team-stub}}