2017–18 Top 14 season


The 2017–18 Top 14 competition was the 119th French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby. Two new teams from the [2016–17 Rugby 2017–18 Rugby Pro D2 season|Pro D2 season|2016–17 Pro D2 season] were promoted to Top 14 in place of the two relegated teams, Grenoble and Bayonne. It marks the second time in a row that both promoted teams had returned on their first opportunity after relegation.

Teams

ClubCity StadiumCapacity
AgenAgen Stade Armandie14,000
Bordeaux BèglesBordeaux Stade Chaban-Delmas
Matmut Atlantique
34,694
42,115
BriveBrive-la-Gaillarde Stade Amédée-Domenech13,979
CastresCastres Stade Pierre-Fabre12,500
ClermontClermont-Ferrand Stade Marcel-Michelin19,022
La RochelleLa Rochelle Stade Marcel-Deflandre16,000
LyonLyon Matmut Stadium de Gerland25,000
MontpellierMontpellier Altrad Stadium15,697
OyonnaxOyonnax Stade Charles-Mathon11,400
PauPau Stade du Hameau18,324
Racing 92Nanterre Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
U Arena
14,000
30,681
Stade FrançaisParis, 16th arrondissementStade Jean-Bouin20,000
ToulonToulon Stade Mayol18,200
ToulouseToulouse Stade Ernest-Wallon19,500

Competition format

The top six teams at the end of the regular season enter a knockout stage to decide the Champions of France. This consists of three rounds: the teams finishing third to sixth in the table play quarter-finals. The winners then face the top two teams in the semi-finals, with the winners meeting in the final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
The LNR uses a slightly different bonus points system from that used in most other rugby competitions. It trialled a new system in 2007–08 explicitly designed to prevent a losing team from earning more than one bonus point in a match, a system that also made it impossible for either team to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. LNR chose to continue with this system for subsequent seasons.
France's bonus point system operates as follows:4 points for a win.2 points for a draw.1 bonus point for winning while scoring at least 3 more tries than the opponent. This replaces the standard bonus point for scoring 4 tries regardless of the match result.1 bonus point for losing by 5 points. The margin had been 7 points until being changed prior to the 2014–15 season.

Relegation

Starting from the 2017–18 season forward, only the 14th placed team will be automatically relegated to Pro D2. The 13th placed team will face the runner-up of the Pro D2 play-off, with the winner of that play-off taking up the final place in Top 14 for the following season.

Fixtures and results

Round 1

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Round 2

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Round 3

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Round 4

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Round 5

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Round 6

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Round 7

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Round 8

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Round 9

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Round 10

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Round 11

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Round 12

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Round 13

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Round 14

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Round 15

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Round 16

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Round 17

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Round 18

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Round 19

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Round 20

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Round 21

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Round 22

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Round 23

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Round 24

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Round 25

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Relegation playoff

The team finishing in 13th place faces the runner-up of the Pro D2, with the winner of this match playing in Top 14 in 2018–19 and the loser in Pro D2.
''Grenoble won and were promoted to Top 14, while Oyonnax were relegated to Pro D2.''

Playoffs

Semi-final Qualifiers

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Semi-finals

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Leading scorers

Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.

Top points scorers

RankPlayerClubPoints
1nowrap|

Top try scorers

RankPlayerClubTries
1

Attendances

  • Attendances do not include the semi-finals or final as these are at neutral venues.
ClubHome
Games
TotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity
Agen13102,3457,87312,5176,10456%
Bordeaux Bègles13285,43221,95636,25318,25160%
Brive13134,57410,35212,4129,44774%
Castres13130,03610,00312,2588,69180%
Clermont13222,10117,08518,80113,95090%
La Rochelle13206,75115,90416,00015,00099%
Lyon13184,04114,15719,20510,06957%
Montpellier13144,58911,12215,0348,92871%
Oyonnax13114,7758,82911,4007,34577%
Pau13184,10514,16218,30010,00077%
Racing 9213172,58113,27529,3475,83062%
Stade Francais13139,17510,70615,3505,67854%
Toulon14250,11617,86542,00013,50086%
Toulouse14217,83515,56018,83810,81680%