Full name | Stade Rochelais | |||
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Nickname(s) | Les Maritimes (The Seaborn Men) Les Jaune et Noir (The Yellow and Blacks) Les Bagnards (The Convicts) | |||
Founded | 1898 | |||
Location | La Rochelle, France | |||
Ground(s) | Stade Marcel-Deflandre (Capacity: 16,700) | |||
Chairman | Vincent Merling | |||
Coach(es) | Ronan O'Gara | |||
Captain(s) | Grégory Alldritt Uini Atonio | |||
League(s) | Top 14 | |||
2023–24 | 5th | |||
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Official website | ||||
www |
Stade Rochelais (French pronunciation: [stad ʁɔʃlɛ]), commonly called La Rochelle, is a French professional rugby union club based in La Rochelle, France that competes in the Top 14. Founded in 1898 and wearing yellow and black, the club's first-team plays its home matches at Stade Marcel-Deflandre.
Alongside other French club Brive, La Rochelle is one of only two clubs that won the European Rugby Champions Cup (twice in its case; beating Leinster in both 2022 and 2023 finals) without succeeding in winning its domestic championship losing on both occasions against Toulouse in the final: the first time in 2021 and the second in 2023. Owned by several shareholders, including club president and coffee magnate Vincent Merling, the club is renowned for the fervour of its supporters and its continual sold-out home matches.