SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne
Sporting Union Agen Lot-et-Garonne is a French rugby union club based in Agen in the department of Lot-et-Garonne. They currently play in the top flight of French professional rugby, Top 14; they were most recently promoted after winning the 2010 title in the second-level Pro D2. Agen also currently compete in the Amlin Challenge Cup.
They were founded in 1908. Their home stadium is called Stade Armandie (capacity 12,000). They wear blue and white in domestic competitions. For the season 2006-07 they wore orange for European cup matches.
History
The club was established in 1900. They made their first championship final in the 1930 season, where they met US Quillan, and defeated them 4 points to nil in Bordeaux, and thus capturing their first championship title. The club experienced some success in the coming years in the Challenge Yves du Manoir competition as well; winning it in the 1932 season and then becoming runners-up to Lyon OU in the 1933 season.
Agen would have another successful run in the 1940s, beginning with the 1943 season when they defeated Stade Bordelais 11 to 4 to win the Coupe de France. That season they also made it to the championship final; though they were defeated by Aviron Bayonnais 3 points to nil at Parc des Princes in Paris.
In 1945 they again won the title of the French championship, defeating FC Lourdes 7 points to 3 in the final in Paris. The championship was one of two titles that season, as Agen also won the Coupe de France, defeating Montferrand 14 to 13. Agen featured in one more championship that decade, losing to Toulouse 10 points to 3.
Agen were relatively quiet during the 1950s, though they again rose to prominence during the 1960s. In 1962 they again became of the champions of France after defeating Béziers 14 points to 11 in the season final. The following season they won the Challenge Yves du Manoir, defeating Brive 11 points to nil in the final. Agen became the French champions on two more occasions during the 1960s, defeating Brive in 1965 and then Dax in 1966.
The club had another successful run during the 1970s, starting with an unsuccessful Challenge Yves du Manoir final, losing to Toulon 25 points to 22. They were unsuccessful again in 1975 in the Challenge Yves du Manoir, losing to Béziers 16 points to 12 in the final. However they would then meet Béziers in the championship final of the 1976 season, and defeat them 13 to 10 to win their first championship since 1966.
Agen went through period of success in the 1980s after winning the championship in 1982, defeating Aviron Bayonnais 18 points to 9 in the final. The following season they won the Challenge Yves du Manoir as well after defeating Toulon 29 points to 7. In 1984 they again contested the championship final, though they eventually lost it to Béziers. They unsuccessfully contested it again in 1986, losing to Toulouse 16 to 6. They were also runners-up in the 1987 Challenge Yves du Manoir, losing to Grenoble. However in 1988 they again won the championship, defeating Stadoceste Tarbais 9 to 3 in the final.
They contested the final again in the 1990 season, losing to Racing Club de France 22 points to 12. In 1992 they won the Challenge Yves du Manoir, defeating RC Narbonne 23 to 18. In 1998 they played in their first European cup final, the European Challenge Cup, losing to fellow French team US Colomiers 43 to 5 in the final. On June 8, 2002 they lost to Biarritz Olympique in the championship final.
In recent years, one of their biggest stars has been Fijian winger Rupeni Caucaunibuca. He led the team in tries in 2005 and 2006, and led Pro D2 in that category during Agen's most recent promotion season in 2010. However, he would be dismissed from the team in September 2010 after failing to report to the team for preseason workouts (several weeks later, he would reemerge at Toulouse).
Honours
- French championship:
- Champions: 1930, 1945, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1976, 1982, 1988
- Runners-up: 1943, 1947, 1984, 1986, 1990, 2002
- Challenge Yves du Manoir:
- Champions: 1932, 1963, 1983, 1992
- Runners-up: 1933, 1970, 1975, 1987
- Coupe de France:
- European Challenge Cup:
- Challenge Armand Vaquerin:
- Pro D2:
Finals results
Finals results
| Date |
Winner |
Runner-up |
Score |
Venue |
Attendance |
| 18 May 1930 |
SU Agen |
US Quillan |
4-0 (aet) |
Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |
28.000 |
| 21 March 1943 |
Aviron Bayonnais |
SU Agen |
3-0 |
Parc des Princes, Paris |
28.000 |
| 7 April 1945 |
SU Agen |
FC Lourdes |
7-3 |
Parc des Princes, Paris |
30.000 |
| 13 April 1947 |
Stade Toulousain |
SU Agen |
10-3 |
Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse |
25.000 |
| 27 May 1962 |
SU Agen |
AS Béziers |
14-11 |
Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |
37.705 |
| 23 May 1965 |
SU Agen |
CA Brive |
15-8 |
Stade de Gerland, Lyon |
28.758 |
| 22 May 1966 |
SU Agen |
US Dax |
9-8 |
Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |
28.803 |
| 23 May 1976 |
SU Agen |
AS Béziers |
13-10 (aet) |
Parc des Princes, Paris |
40.300 |
| 29 May 1982 |
SU Agen |
Aviron Bayonnais |
18-9 |
Parc des Princes, Paris |
41.165 |
| 26 May 1984 |
AS Béziers |
SU Agen |
21-21 (aet) |
Parc des Princes, Paris |
44.076 |
| 24 May 1986 |
Stade Toulousain |
SU Agen |
16-6 |
Parc des Princes, Paris |
45.145 |
| 28 May 1988 |
SU Agen |
Stadoceste Tarbais |
9-3 |
Parc des Princes, Paris |
48.000 |
| 26 May 1990 |
Racing Club de France |
SU Agen |
22-12 (aet) |
Parc des Princes, Paris |
45.069 |
| 8 June 2002 |
Biarritz Olympique |
SU Agen |
25-22 (aet) |
Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
78.457 |
Challenge Yves du Manoir
Coupe de France
European Shield
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-IRB nationality.
In for 2010–11
Out for 2010–11
In for 2011-12
Out for 2011-12
Famous players
External links
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