Stade Rochelais (), 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.
History Originally formed in 1898, Stade Rochelais won three regional Atlantic championships in the early part of the 20th century, qualifying them for the French Championship, where they reached the quarter-finals twice and the semi-finals once. The popularity of rugby league in the area lessened the number of available players, and in 1935 Stade Rochelais merged with neighbours Union Sportive Rochelaise.
Occupation of La Rochelle by troops from Nazi Germany, accompanied by a banning of rugby league by the Vichy Government, forced the city's rugby league club La Rochelle-Etudiants XIII to also be merged into Stade Rochelais in 1941. This was overseen by club president Marcel Deflandre, who was later executed for his role as part of the French Resistance - the club's stadium is named Stade Marcel-Deflandre in his honour.
The club formed a school for training players and coaches in the 1950s, resulting in them reaching the French Championship quarter-finals three times in the 1960s. They were relegated in 1985, returning in 1997. They were again relegated in 2002, though they won the Challenge Yves du Manoir that same year. They retained the Challenge title the following year but were not promoted again until 2010. They spent one season in Top 16 before being relegated again.
Les Maritimes came third in the 2013–14 Rugby Pro D2 season and were promoting after beating Agen in the play-off final.
In May 2022, they won both their first ever trophy and first ever Champions Cup defeating Leinster 24–21 at the Stade Vélodrome.
In May 2023, they retained the Champions Cup again defeating Leinster this time 27–26 at the Aviva Stadium.
Honours European Rugby Champions Cup Champions (2): 2022, 2023 Runners-up (1): 2021 French championship Top 14 Runners-up (2): 2021, 2023 European Rugby Challenge Cup Runners-up (1): 2019 League Cup Champions (2): 2002, 2003
Finals results
French Championship
Date Winners Score Runners-up Venue Spectators25 June 2021Stade Toulousain18–8Stade RochelaisStade de France, Saint-Denis14,00017 June 2023Stade Toulousain29–26Stade RochelaisStade de France, Saint-Denis79,804
European Rugby Champions Cup
Date Winners Score Runners-up Venue Spectators22 May 2021 Stade Toulousain 22–17 Stade RochelaisTwickenham Stadium, London10,00028 May 2022 Stade Rochelais24–21 LeinsterOrange Vélodrome, Marseille59,68220 May 2023 Stade Rochelais 27–26 Leinster Aviva Stadium, Dublin51,711
European Rugby Challenge Cup
Date Winners Score Runners-up Venue Spectators10 May 2019 ASM Clermont 36–16 Stade RochelaisSt James' Park, Newcastle28,438
Current standings
Current squad
The La Rochelle squad for the 2025–26 season is:
Props
Hookers
Locks
Back row
Scrum-halves
Fly-halves
Centres
Wings
Fullbacks
Espoirs squad
Props
Hookers
Locks
Back row
Scrum-halves
Fly-halves
Centres
Wings
Fullbacks
Notable former players
Facundo Bosch Ramiro Herrera Germán Llanes Federico Todeschini Zack Holmes Brock James Ryan Lamb Lopeti Timani Julien Berger Jason Marshall Lesley Vainikolo Sireli Bobo Eneriko Buliruarua Norman Ligairi Kini Murimurivalu Jone Qovu Seru Rabeni Alipate Ratini Savenaca Rawaca Albert Vulivuli Marc Andreu Julien Audy Alexi Balès Jean-Pascal Barraque Steeve Barry Pierre Bérard Mohamed Boughanmi Benoît Bourrust Damien Cler Thomas Combezou Manoël Dall'igna Benjamin Dambielle Vincent Debaty Yacine Dekkiche William Demotte Geoffrey Doumayrou Luc Ducalcon Arnaud Élissalde Jean-Baptiste Élissalde Jean-Pierre Élissalde Sébastien Fauqué Lionel Faure Romain Frou Loann Goujon Jean-Philippe Grandclaude Gabriel Lacroix Damien Lagrange Grégory Lamboley Benjamin Lapeyre Benoit Lecouls Henri Magois Gérald Merceron Jean Pambrun Vincent Pelo Julien Pierre Jules Plisson Dany Priso Vincent Rattez Arthur Retière David Roumieu Christophe Samson Laurent Simutoga Jérémy Sinzelle Rémi Talès Jean-Teiva Jacquelain Gagi Bazadze Guram Papidze Robert Mohr Gonzalo Canale Pietro Ceccarelli Leandro Cedaro Jason Eaton Hamish Gard Romana Graham David Raikuna Rene Ranger Victor Vito Ihaia West Petrișor Toderașc Alofa Alofa Piula Faʻasalele Tamato Leupolu Ricky Januarie Paul Jordaan
Arnaud, then his son Jean-Pierre and his grandson Jean-Baptiste all played for La Rochelle as scrum-halves.
Coaches Well known former coaches include Arnaud Élissalde Jean-Pierre Élissalde Patrice Collazo Xavier Garbajosa Ronan O'Gara
The club only had five head coaches from 1992 onwards, including Ronan O'Gara since 2019.
Leadership and management Vincent Merling, president as of 2017, had guided the club for 25 years. He was the driving force behind the "Grow Together" campaign launched in 2015 that persuaded 500 local businesses to support/sponsor the club.
See also List of rugby union clubs in France Rugby union in France
References
External links