Racing Métro 92
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Racing 92 () is a French
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
club based in suburban Paris that was formed in 2001 with the collaboration of the
Racing Club de France Racing Club de France, also known as RCF, is a French Sports club, omnisport club that was founded on 20 April 1882 under the name Racing Club. Racing Club changed its name to Racing Club de France (RCF) on 21 November 1885. The club is located a ...
and
US Métro The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. They were called Racing Métro 92 between 2001 and 2015, when they changed the name to Racing 92. "92" is the number of
Hauts-de-Seine Hauts-de-Seine (; ) is a Departments of France, département in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region, Northern France. It covers Paris's western inner Banlieue, suburbs. It is bordered by Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne to the e ...
, a
département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...
of
Île-de-France , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 = +01:00 , timezone1_DST = CEST , utc_offset1_DST = +02:00 , blank_name_sec1 = Gross regional product , blank_info_sec1 = Ranked 1st , bla ...
, bordering Paris to the west, where they play, and whose council gives financial backing to the club. They currently play in the
Top 14 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the French National Rugby League, also known by its French initialism o ...
, having been promoted as 2008–09 champions of
Rugby Pro D2 Rugby Pro D2, also known as Pro D2 is the second tier of rugby union club competition division in France. It is operated by Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) which also runs the division directly above, the first division Top 14. Rugby Pro D2 was in ...
. After starting the 2017–18 season at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir stadium at
Colombes Colombes () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. In 2019, Colombes was the 53rd largest city in France. Name The name Colombes comes from Latin ''columna'' (Old French ''colombe'') ...
, where the France national team played for several decades, Racing played their first match at the new U Arena, since renamed
Paris La Défense Arena Paris La Défense Arena (originally known as the U Arena) is a multi-use domed stadium in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris. Opened in October 2017, it was developed by the rugby union club Racing 92, and replaced Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoi ...
, in
Nanterre Nanterre (, ) is the prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department in the western suburbs of Paris. It is located some northwest of the centre of Paris. In 2018, the commune had a population of 96,807. The eastern part of Nanterre, bordering t ...
on 22 December 2017.


History

Racing Club was established in 1882 (it became Racing Club de France in 1885) as an athletics club, one of the first in France. New sections were regularly added thereafter (17 as of 2006, accounting for some 20,000 members). A rugby section was founded in 1890, which became an immediate protagonist of the early French championship to which, until 1898, only Parisian teams were invited. On 20 March
1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...
the
USFSA U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee "USOPC" under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act an ...
organised the first ever French rugby championship, a one off game between Racing and
Stade Français Stade Français Paris Rugby () is a French professional rugby union club based in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The club plays in the Top 14 domestic league in France and is one of the most successful French clubs of the modern era. The ...
. The game was refereed by
Pierre de Coubertin Charles Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (; born Pierre de Frédy; ...
and saw Racing win 4–3. Racing were awarded the
Bouclier de Brennus The Bouclier de Brennus, or Brennus Shield in English, is a trophy awarded to the winners of the French rugby union domestic league. The shield was not named, as it is often believed, after the famous Gallic warrior Brennus but rather artist Ch ...
, which is still awarded to the winners of the
French championship The French rugby league championship (french: Le Championnat de France de Rugby à XIII) has been the major rugby league tournament for semi-professional and professional clubs in France since the sport was introduced to the country in the 1930s. ...
today. Both clubs would contest the championship game the following season as well, though in 1893 it would be Stade Français who would win the event, defeating the Racing Club 7–3. Stade went on to dominate the following years and the Racing Club would make their next final appearance in the 1898 season, where they met Stade yet again. However the title was awarded after a round-robin with six clubs. Stade Français won with 10 points, Racing came in second with 6. Racing contested the 1900 season final against the Stade Bordelais club, as provincial clubs had been allowed to compete in 1899. Racing easily won the match, defeating Stade Bordelais 37–7. The two clubs would meet again in the 1902 championship game, where Racing would again win, 6–0. A decade passed until Racing Club made another championship final, which would be on 31 March 1912, where they would play
Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
in
Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
. They lost the match 8–6. Due to World War I the French championship was replaced with a competition called the
Coupe de l'Espérance The Coupe de l'Espérance was a rugby union competition that was played in France to replace the national championship during World War I, as many players were sent to the front. The teams used mostly young boys who had not been drafted yet. The cu ...
. The Racing Club won the competition in 1918, defeating
FC Grenoble The Football Club de Grenoble Rugby (FCG) is a French rugby union club based in Grenoble and founded in 1892. FCG was champion of France in 1954 and runner-up in 1918 and in 1993 during a controversial final, being deprived of the title of champ ...
22 points to 9. Normal competition resumed for the 1920 season. That season the Racing Club made their first final since 1912, though they lost 8 to 3 to Stadoceste Tarbais, a club from the Pyrénées. After the 1920 season, the Racing Club would not win any championships for a number of years. In 1931 they created the
Challenge Yves du Manoir The Challenge Yves du Manoir was a rugby union club competition that was played in France between 1931 and 2003 under different names. It is named after former player Yves du Manoir. History The Challenge Yves du Manoir was officially created on ...
competition. In the 1950s the club had some success, making their first championship final in 30 years, losing to
Castres Olympique Castres Olympique () is a French rugby union club located in the Occitanian city of Castres and is currently competing in the top level of the French league system. Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906. They play at the Sta ...
, 11 points to 8, becoming runners-up in the Challenge Yves du Manoir and winning the Challenge Rutherford in the 1952 season. After losing the 1957 final to
FC Lourdes FC Lourdais is a French rugby union club from Lourdes currently competing in the French league system. Formed in 1911, they have won the French league eight times and the French cup six times. They play in the Stade Antoine-Beguere and traditiona ...
, the club then won the championship in the 1959 season, defeating
Mont-de-Marsan Mont-de-Marsan (; Occitan: ''Lo Mont de Marçan'') is a commune and capital of the Landes department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Population Military installations The French Air and Space Force operates the ''Constantin Rozan ...
8 points to 3. The Racing Club would next play in the championship final in the 1987 season, where they met
Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
at
Parc des Princes Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
in Paris. Toulon won the match 15 points to 12. Three seasons later the Racing Club defeated
Agen The communes of France, commune of Agen (, ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne Departments of France, department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux. ...
22 to 12 in Paris, capturing their first title since the 1959 season. But in the wake of the 1990 title, Racing Club had a hard time adapting to the professional era and started to decline, until they were relegated to Division 2 at the end of the 1995–96 season. They jumped back to the top tier in 1998 but went down again in 2000 and played in Division 2 for most of the next decade. In 2001 the rugby section split off from the general sports club to merge with the rugby section of
US Métro The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, the Paris public transport sports club, to form the current professional concern, known as Racing Métro 92. Both Racing Club de France and US Métro retained their other amateur general sports sections. Racing 92's president is Jacky Lorenzetti, who heads a giant real estate company called Foncia. When Lorenzetti took over in 2006, the board set goals of bringing Racing into the
Top 14 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the French National Rugby League, also known by its French initialism o ...
within the next two years and into the
Heineken Cup The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...
by 2011. They missed their Top 14 goal by one year, not entering the top flight until 2009, but achieved their Heineken Cup goal by qualifying for the 2010–11 edition. After 2003 the Challenge Yves du Manoir has been taken over by Racing Club as a youth competition for under 15s clubs. Racing Club de France provided 76 players to the national team, including 12 captains. It is second only to
Stade Toulousain Stade Toulousain () ( oc, Estadi Tolosenc), also referred to as Toulouse, is a professional rugby union club based in Toulouse, France. They compete in the Top 14, France's top division of rugby, and the European Rugby Champions Cup. Toulou ...
(almost 100) in that category. Three ''Racingmen'' played in France's first international match against the
All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...
on 1 January 1906. Laurent Cabannes, a France flanker, also played for Harlequins. At the end of the 2014–15 season, the team's name was shortened from Racing Métro 92 to simply Racing 92.


Identity


Aristocratic exclusivity

In France, early organised sport was a matter for rich people. Racing Club became the epitome of the exclusive athletics club, located in the heart of the
Bois de Boulogne The Bois de Boulogne (, "Boulogne woodland") is a large public park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine. The land was ceded to the city of Paris by t ...
in the affluent western district of Paris. As the club's name, Racing, indicates, it was modelled after fashionable English sports organisations, whose ideal of ''
mens sana in corpore sano ''Mens sana in corpore sano'' () is a Latin phrase, usually translated as "a healthy mind in a healthy body". The phrase is widely used in sporting and educational contexts to express that physical exercise is an important or essential part of men ...
'' (''a healthy mind in a healthy body'') appealed very much to its members. Many of them were actually aristocrats, and four nobles took part in the first championship final. Although fewer aristocrats belong to the club now, it is still very complicated to join it, and the identity and image is one of exclusivity. Racing Club has also always defended the amateur spirit of the game and of sports in general. The creation of the
Challenge Yves du Manoir The Challenge Yves du Manoir was a rugby union club competition that was played in France between 1931 and 2003 under different names. It is named after former player Yves du Manoir. History The Challenge Yves du Manoir was officially created on ...
responded to this ideal in a period (late 1920s–early 1930s) where French rugby was marred by violence and undergoing creeping professionalism.
Yves du Manoir Yves Frantz Loys Marie Le Pelley du Manoir, known as Yves du Manoir (August 11, 1904 - January 2, 1928) was a French rugby player. Du Manoir was born at Vaucresson, into an aristocratic family; his father and mother were Viscount and Viscountes ...
symbolised the romantic side of rugby, its carefree dimension, ''le jeu pour le jeu'' (''playing for the fun of playing'').


Modern eccentricity

In a very different vein, much later, in the 1980s, a talented generation of players revived the club's spirit. They carried it back to the top of French rugby thanks to their performances on the pitch, but they also wanted to bring the fun back into the game, to take rugby out of its Parisian anonymity. They did so through a combination of serious football, humour and self-mockery. Their famous antics were invented by the club's backs (including France flyhalf Franck Mesnel and France wing Jean-Baptiste Lafond) who once played a game in
Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...
with
berets A beret ( or ; ; eu, txapela, ) is a soft, round, flat-crowned cap, usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, wool felt, or acrylic fibre. Mass production of berets began in 19th century France in the long nineteenth century, ...
on their heads as a tribute to the tradition of attacking play of the Basque club
Aviron Bayonnais Aviron Bayonnais ( eu, Baionako Arrauna), commonly called Bayonne, is a French rugby union club from Bayonne (''Baiona'', in Basque) in Pyrénées-Atlantiques which, for the 2016-17 season, competed in the top tier of the French league system, ...
(11 Jan 1987). As members of a gang which they called ''le show bizz'', they played other matches with black make-up on (10 April 1988 at
Stade Toulousain Stade Toulousain () ( oc, Estadi Tolosenc), also referred to as Toulouse, is a professional rugby union club based in Toulouse, France. They compete in the Top 14, France's top division of rugby, and the European Rugby Champions Cup. Toulou ...
), hair dyed yellow, bald caps (26 Feb 1989 against
Béziers Béziers (; oc, Besièrs) is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Hérault Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Every August Béziers hos ...
), wigs and even dressed up as
pelote Basque pelota (Basque language, Basque: '':eu:pilota, pilota'', Spanish Language, Spanish: '':es:pelota vasca, pelota vasca'', French Language, French: '':fr:pelote basque, pelote basque'') is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ...
players (white shirts, black jackets and berets, again) in March 1990 at
Biarritz Olympique Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque (; ), usually known simply as Biarritz, is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine which competes in the Pro D2, the second division of French rugby. Biarritz p ...
. In April 1989, they wore long red and white striped shorts to celebrate the
sans-culotte The (, 'without breeches') were the common people of the lower classes in late 18th-century France, a great many of whom became radical and militant partisans of the French Revolution in response to their poor quality of life under the . T ...
who took the
Bastille The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was sto ...
on 14 July 1789. They wore long white trousers to look like players of old in the French championship semi-final on 26 April 1987—and won. Their best prank was in the next game though: they played the 1987 final against
Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
with a pink bow tie (2 May). Just before kick-off, Lafond presented French president
François Mitterrand François Marie Adrien Maurice Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was President of France, serving under that position from 1981 to 1995, the longest time in office in the history of France. As First Secretary of the Socialist Party, he ...
, who always attended the national final, with one of those bow ties. They lost that match but went on to play the 1990 final with the same bow ties. At half-time, they had a drink of champagne on the pitch to recover from the efforts of the first half—and won what proved to be the club's last top-flight title for a quarter-century. They were also famous for their love of nightlife, which attracted a lot of criticism, especially because so many of them had international duties with France. All this contributed to the image of Racing Club as an eccentric institution, but these players have also been seen as trail blazers for
Stade Français Stade Français Paris Rugby () is a French professional rugby union club based in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The club plays in the Top 14 domestic league in France and is one of the most successful French clubs of the modern era. The ...
's president Max Guazzini, who a few years later, took up the provocative (such as the use of the pink colour) and imaginative spirit to boost his club's image and shake off the conservative traditionalism of French rugby. As the club hit the front pages, five players capitalised on the success and went on to start a sportswear clothing business called Eden Park (after the famous Auckland stadium) in late 1987. Their development was boosted when the French Federation chose them as official suppliers of France's formal wear in 1998. The company has 270 outlets throughout the world. One of them is in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
as Eden Park developed a partnership with Harlequins. Others are to be found in
Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
,
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
,
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
, Dublin and
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
. In 2003, Eden Park became the official supplier of the
Welsh Rugby Union The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; cy, Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the Sports governing body, governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby. The WRU is responsible for the running ...
's formal wear for the World Cup in Australia. Eden Park is also directly involved in the Racing 92 club since one of its founders, Eric Blanc—who happens to be Franck Mesnel's brother-in-law, is the club's vice-president. This particular period ended in the early 1990s when those players left the club. Racing then spent several years in the second division, but retained plenty of ambition. In 2007–08, Racing finished second on the ladder to equally ambitious
Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
, but fell short of promotion with an extra-time loss to
Mont-de-Marsan Mont-de-Marsan (; Occitan: ''Lo Mont de Marçan'') is a commune and capital of the Landes department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Population Military installations The French Air and Space Force operates the ''Constantin Rozan ...
in the Pro D2 promotion playoff final. The following year saw Racing's ambitions realised with a romp to the Pro D2 crown, clinching promotion with four rounds to spare. In their return to the top flight in 2009–10, Racing finished sixth on the regular-season table, two spots ahead of their Parisian rivals, securing the final spot in the newly expanded playoffs—despite actually being outscored by their opponents on the season. This finish also gave Racing a place in the 2010–11 Heineken Cup. Their season ended with a 21–17 first-round loss at eventual champions Clermont. The 2010–11 season saw Racing emphatically, though only temporarily, reestablish themselves as the top club in Paris, finishing second on the regular-season table to Stade Français' 11th. Lorenzetti's model for success has been to combine young French talent with big-name imports. More significantly, while he largely bankrolled the team during the first years of his tenure as president, he is committed to making the club self-supporting. To that end, he financed the construction of a new 32,000-seat stadium for the club in the Paris suburb of
Nanterre Nanterre (, ) is the prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department in the western suburbs of Paris. It is located some northwest of the centre of Paris. In 2018, the commune had a population of 96,807. The eastern part of Nanterre, bordering t ...
, near La Défense. The new ground, known at its October 2017 opening as U Arena and renamed Paris La Défense Arena in June 2018, has been Racing's home since December 2017. It is also designed to host major concerts, potentially providing Racing with substantial non-match revenue. Racing made headlines in December 2014, announcing that it had signed
All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...
fly-half
Dan Carter Daniel William Carter (born 5 March 1982) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. Carter played for Crusaders (Super Rugby) in New Zealand and played for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks. He is the highest point scorer in ...
, the all-time leading points scorer in international rugby, to a three-year deal effective after the
2015 Rugby World Cup The 2015 Rugby World Cup was the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship. The tournament was hosted by England from 18 September to 31 October. Of the 20 countries competing in the World Cup in 2011, there was onl ...
. The contract reportedly made Carter the first player in rugby history to make £1 million (€1.3 million at late-2014 exchange rates) a season, with reports of his annual salary as high as £1.3 million (€1.7 million). When the signing was announced, Lorenzetti said, "Carter will be the best-paid player at Racing but also the least expensive because of the economic benefits." Carter filled the void at fly-half left by the return of
Johnny Sexton Jonathan Jeremiah Sexton (born 11 July 1985) is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Leinster Rugby and Ireland, and he also captains both teams. He represented the British & Irish Lions in both 2013 and 2017 and has scored o ...
to
Leinster Rugby Leinster Rugby ( ga, Rugbaí Laighean) is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland and the most successful Irish team domestically. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby ...
at the end of the 2014–15 season. Still more recently, Racing became the first Top 14 side to establish a satellite club in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, signing a partnership agreement in 2016 with
Austin Huns The Austin Huns Rugby Football Club is a Men's Rugby Club American rugby union team based in Austin, Texas. In June 2017 they became U.S. Division 1 National Champions beating New York Athletic Club RFC 27-23 in the final match. History The Aus ...
, a club from
Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
that planned to turn fully professional. The partnership includes youth player development, player exchanges, Racing 92 exhibitions in Austin, and marketing.


Honours

* French Top 14 **Champions (6): 1892, 1900, 1902, 1959,
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
,
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
**''Runners-up (6)'': 1893, 1912, 1920, 1950, 1957, 1987 *
European Rugby Champions Cup The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...
**''Runners-up (3)'': 2015–16, 2017–18, 2019-20 *
Challenge Yves du Manoir The Challenge Yves du Manoir was a rugby union club competition that was played in France between 1931 and 2003 under different names. It is named after former player Yves du Manoir. History The Challenge Yves du Manoir was officially created on ...
**''Runners-up (1)'': 1952 **''Champion under 15 (1)'': 2005 *
Coupe de l'Espérance The Coupe de l'Espérance was a rugby union competition that was played in France to replace the national championship during World War I, as many players were sent to the front. The teams used mostly young boys who had not been drafted yet. The cu ...
**''Champions (1)'': 1918 * Division One Group A2/Rugby Pro D2 **''Champions (2)'': 1998,
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
*Challenge Rutherford **''Runners-up (1)'': 1952


Finals results


European Rugby Champions Cup


French championship


Challenge Yves du Manoir


Coupe de l'Espérance


Pro D2 promotion playoffs


Current standings


Current squad

The Racing 92 squad for the 2022–23 season is:


Espoirs squad

The Racing 92 Espoirs squad is:


Staff

* President: Jacky Lorenzetti * Forwards Coach:
Laurent Travers Laurent may refer to: *Laurent (name), a French masculine given name and a surname **Saint Laurence (aka: Saint ''Laurent''), the martyr Laurent **Pierre Alphonse Laurent, mathematician **Joseph Jean Pierre Laurent, amateur astronomer, discoverer ...
* Backs Coach: Mike Prendergast * Assistant Coach:
Casey Laulala Casey Daniel Eti Laulala (born 3 May 1982) is a Samoan-born New Zealand former rugby union player. Career Born and raised in Samoa, Laulala started boarding at Wesley College when he was 15. Laulala made his test debut for New Zealand during ...
* Assistant Coach:
Chris Masoe Chris Masoe (born 15 May 1979 in Savaii, Western Samoa) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer, who last played for Racing Metro 92 in the Top 14 and a current professional boxer. He is the brother of boxer Maselino Masoe. He was born ...
* Assistant Coach: Patricio Noriega


Notable current and past players

*
Patricio Albacete Patricio Albacete (born 9 December 1981 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine rugby union player. He currently plays for Stade Toulousain in the top level of French rugby, the Top 14 competition. He has also represented the national Argentina team, ...
*
Emiliano Boffelli Emiliano Boffelli (born 16 January 1995) is an Argentine rugby union player who plays as a utility back for Edinburgh Rugby in the United Rugby Championship. He previously played for the in the international Super Rugby competition and als ...
*
Manuel Carizza Manuel Nicolás Carizza (born 23 August 1984 in Rosario) is an Argentine rugby union footballer who usually plays as a lock. He currently plays for French Top 14 side . He started his career with Argentine club Jockey Club de Rosario until he ...
* Álvaro Galindo * Juan Martin Hernandez * Juan José Imhoff * Juan Pablo Orlandi * Agustin Pichot *
Kurtley Beale Kurtley James Beale (born 6 January 1989) is an Australian professional rugby union representative player who has made over 90 national representative appearances in a ten-year playing career at the world-class level. He is of Aboriginal desce ...
*
Nic Berry Nic Berry (born 13 March 1984 in Brisbane) is an Australian rugby union referee. He took up refereeing after retiring from playing in 2012 due to a series of concussions. After taking up the whistle, he has become one of the few former Super R ...
*
Olly Barkley Oliver John Barkley (born 28 November 1981) is a former English people, English rugby union player who played for Bath Rugby, Bath, Gloucester Rugby, Gloucester, Racing Metro 92, Racing Metro, FC Grenoble, Grenoble, Scarlets and London Welsh at ...
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Dan Scarbrough Dan Scarbrough (born 16 February 1978) is a former rugby union international, at 7's and 15's, who played on the wing or full back for Leeds Tykes, Saracens, Racing Métro and England. He was National Division One leading try scorer with Wak ...
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Sireli Bobo Isireli Bobo (born 28 January 1976), is a Fijian rugby union footballer. Early career Early in his career, he played for Grupo Dramático e Sportivo Cascais, a Portuguese team. He was in the Nawaqavesi 7s and was subsequently picked to play at ...
* Sakiusa Matadigo * Josh Matavesi *
Leone Nakarawa Lieutenant Leone Nakarawa (born 2 April 1988) is a Fijian rugby union, rugby union footballer and Olympic gold medalist. He plays as a Lock (rugby union), Second-Row forward for RC Toulonnais, Toulon and represents the Fiji national rugby union ...
* Jone Qovu *
Simon Raiwalui Simon Raiwalui (born 8 September 1974) is a Fijian former rugby union player. He served as the General Manager for his former French club, Racing Métro 92. He currently co-manages Stade Français. He has represented Fiji national rugby union team ...
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Ben Volavola Ben Volavola (born 13 January 1991) is an Australian-born Fijian international rugby union footballer who plays for Racing 92. He has previously played for Super Rugby clubs such as the , , and most recently the . Volavola can play as either a ...
* Albert VuliVuli *
Wladimir Aïtoff Wladimir is a masculine given name. It is an alternative spelling of the name Vladimir. Notable people with the name include: * Wladimir Brunet de Presle (1809–1875), French historian * Wladimir de Schoenefeld (1816–1875), German-French botan ...
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Georges André Georges André (26 July 1876 – 19 March 1945) was a French curler who won bronze at the Winter Olympics 1924. In the four-man bobsleigh Bobsleigh or bobsled is a team winter sport that involves making timed runs down narrow, twisting, ...
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Marc Andreu Marc Andreu (born 27 December 1985 in Fréjus, Var (department), Var) is a French rugby union player. Andreu, who is a Rugby union positions#14. & 11. Wing, wing, plays his club rugby for Stade Rochelais, La Rochelle having previously been at Raci ...
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Alexandre Audebert Alexandre Audebert (born 4 August 1977) is a rugby union player for Clermont in the Top 14. He made his debut for France on 28 May 2000 against Romania in Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Roman ...
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David Auradou David Auradou (born 13 November 1973 in Harfleur, Seine-Maritime) is a French former rugby union footballer. He last played for Paris club Stade Français, where he was the captain, in the ''élite'' Top 14. His usual position was at lock. Care ...
* Louis Béguet * Laurent Benezech * Eddy Ben Arous *
Léon Binoche Léon Binoche (16 August 1878 – 28 August 1962) was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics. He was a member of the French rugby union team, which won the gold medal. His great-niece is the actress Juliette Bi ...
* Mathieu Blin * Eric Bonneval * François Borde * René Boudreaux * Adolphe Bousquet *
Guillaume Boussès Guillaume Boussès (born October 12, 1981)
Scrum.com is a French
Julien Brugnaut Julien Brugnaut (born 17 November 1981) is a French former rugby union prop. He was called up to the France squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship. It was in this tournament that he made his France debut against Scotland Scotland ( ...
* Marcel Burgun * Laurent Cabannes *
Fernand Cazenave Fernand Cazenave (26 November 1924, in Orthez – 11 January 2005, in Mont-de-Marsan) was a French former rugby union international and national coach. Cazenave played six times for France as a winger in the 1950s. He made his debut against England ...
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Sébastien Chabal Sébastien Chabal (born 8 December 1977) is a French former rugby union player. He played number eight and lock for Bourgoin (1998–2004), Sale Sharks (2004–2009), Racing Métro 92 Paris (2009 – February 2012), and for the French national ...
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Denis Charvet Denis Charvet (born 12 May 1962 in Cahors) is a former French rugby union player. He played as a centre. Denis Charvet played for Stade Toulousain and Racing Club de France. He earned his first national cap on March 1, 1986 against Wales at Ca ...
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Camille Chat Camille Chat (born 18 December 1995) Aka The Neck is a French professional rugby union player. His position is hooker, and he currently plays for Racing 92 in the Top 14. He was named in the French squad for the 2016 Six Nations Championship. H ...
* Henry Chavancy * André Chilo * Antonie Claassen *
Jean Collas Jean Collas (3 July 1874 in Paris – 30 December 1928 in Asnières-sur-Seine, France) was a French rugby union player and tug of war competitor, who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques ...
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Patrice Collazo Patrice Collazo (born 27 April 1974) is a French rugby union footballer and is currently the Head coach of Top 14 side CA Brive. He played as a prop. Collazo has Galician ancestry. Whilst at Gloucester he started in the 2002 Zurich Championshi ...
* René Crabos *
Michel Crauste Michel Crauste (6 July 1934 – 2 May 2019) was a French international rugby union player. He played as a flanker and number eight for Racing Club de France and FC Lourdes. Crauste was born in Saint-Laurent-de-Gosse, France. He earned his fir ...
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Benjamin Dambielle Benjamin Dambielle (born 15 July 1985) is a French former professional rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of t ...
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Paul Decamps Paul Decamps (14 January 1884 – 27 June 1915) was a rugby union player, who represented France. He died in the First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global confl ...
* Jean-Frédéric Dubois * Luc Ducalcon * Brice Dulin * Alexandre Dumoulin * Nicolas Durand *
Yves du Manoir Yves Frantz Loys Marie Le Pelley du Manoir, known as Yves du Manoir (August 11, 1904 - January 2, 1928) was a French rugby player. Du Manoir was born at Vaucresson, into an aristocratic family; his father and mother were Viscount and Viscountes ...
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Fabrice Estebanez Fabrice Estebanez (born 26 December 1981) is a French professional rugby league and rugby union footballer. He has played at club level for CA Brive before joining Racing Metro 92, as a utility back and is able to play as a centre or fly-half. B ...
*
Benjamin Fall Benjamin Fall (born 3 March 1989) is a French rugby player who currently plays for Montpellier in the Top 14 club competition. He plays as a wing. He was part of the 2008 IRB Junior World Championship playing for France playing 4 games and scor ...
* Jérôme Fillol *
Jean-Pierre Genet Jean-Pierre Genet (24 October 1940, in Brest – 15 March 2005, in Loctudy) was a professional road bicycle racer from Brest, France from 1964 to 1976. During this time he stayed with one cycling team, the Mercier team of Raymond Poulidor. ...
* Charles Gondouin *
Pierre Guillemin Pierre Guillemin (14 June 1886 – 18 August 1915) was a French rugby union player, who represented , Paris and Racing Club de France (RCF). He was first selected to play for France in the Home Nations Championship of 1908, playing in the gam ...
* Adolphe Jauréguy * Adolphe Klingelhoefer *
Virgile Lacombe Virgile Lacombe (born 7 July 1984 in Brou-sur-Chantereine, France) was a French rugby union footballer who usually played in the hooker position. He became a coach with Stade Toulousain after retiring. Career He started his career at Nîmes, but ...
* Jean-Baptiste Lafond *
Fabrice Landreau Fabrice Landreau (born August 1, 1968 in Angoulême), is a French rugby union player. Playing career Club Fabrice Landreau began playing Rugby at SC Angoulême, and then move to FC Grenoble. After several injuries, he moved to Neath RFC, and on ...
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Gaston Lane Gaston Lane (31 January 1883 – 23 September 1914) was a French rugby union player. He was 1 m 68 cm tall and weighed 68 kg. He played right wing three quarter (later centre) for Racing Métro 92, Racing club de France and for the Fran ...
* Wenceslas Lauret * Hubert Lefèbvre *
Bernard Le Roux Bernard Le Roux (; born 4 June 1989) is a South African-born French rugby union player, who recently played as flanker for French Top 14 side Racing 92. As indicated by his family name, Bernard Le Roux has French roots, his Le Roux ancestor or ...
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Thomas Lombard Thomas Lombard (born July 5, 1975 in Le Chesnay), is a French rugby union player. Thomas Lombard began playing Rugby Union with Racing but he moved to Stade Français with whom he won four top 14s. After a new title in 2004, he left Paris to play ...
* Maxime Machenaud * Gérald Martinez *
Arnaud Marquesuzaa Arnaud Richard Marquesuzaa (14 June 1934 – 29 February 2020) was a French rugby union player who played centre and flanker. He won the Top 14 Championship three times: with Racing 92 in 1959, FC Lourdes in 1960, and US Montauban US Montau ...
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Franck Mesnel Franck Mesnel (born 30 June 1961, Neuilly-sur-Seine) is a former French rugby union footballer. He played as a fly-half and as a centre. He is the founder of the French rugby and leisure clothing brand Eden Park. The company was founded in 1987 ...
* François Moncla * Lionel Nallet * Benjamin Noirot *
Yannick Nyanga Yannick Nyanga (born 19 December 1983 in Kinshasa, Zaire) is a former professional rugby union player who played as a flanker for Racing 92 and France, and is also known for his long tenure at Toulouse. He was a part of the victorious French t ...
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Robert Paparemborde Robert Paparemborde (5 July 1948 – 19 April 2001), was a French rugby union player. He was capped 55 times, 5 as captain, for the French national side. He was regarded as one of the greatest prop-forwards and was a member of the French team ...
* Alexandre Pharamond * Étienne Piquiral * Adrien Planté * Alain Porthault * Frantz Reichel *
Jean-Pierre Rives Jean-Pierre Rives (born 31 December 1952) is a French former rugby union player and visual artist. "A cult figure in France", according to the '' BBC'', he came to epitomise the team's spirit and "ultra-committed, guts-and-glory style of play".
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André Roosevelt Cornelius Louis André Roosevelt (April 24, 1879 – July 21, 1962) was a French-born American filmmaker and resort hotel manager of American origin. He was born in Paris to Cornelius Roosevelt (1847–1902), a cousin of U.S. President Theo ...
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Émile Sarrade France was the host of the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. France was one of many nations that had competed in the 1896 Summer Olympics in Greece and had returned to compete at the 1900 Games. Gold medals were not given out and silver medals wer ...
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Julien Saubade Julien Saubade (born 5 November 1983 in Bayonne) is a French rugby union footballer, currently playing for the Paris rugby club Racing Métro in the top level of French club rugby, the Top 14. His usual position is on the wing. Saubade was ori ...
* Alfred Sauvy * Laurent Sempéré * Dimitri Szarzewski *
Rémi Tales The Remi were an ancient Belgic tribe. Remi may also refer to: People * Georges Prosper Remi (1907–1983), a Belgian comic book writer and artist, best known for his comic ''The Adventures of Tintin'', better known as "Hergé" * Jose Vega San ...
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Jacques Tati Jacques Tati (; born Jacques Tatischeff, ; 9 October 1907 – 5 November 1982) was a French mime, film-maker, actor and screenwriter. In an ''Entertainment Weekly'' poll of the Greatest Movie Directors, he was voted the 46th greatest of all time ...
* Teddy Thomas *
Franck Tournaire Franck Tournaire (born 4 December 1972 in Narbonne) is a former French international professional rugby union player now playing amateur rugby for US Carcassonne. As a prop, Tournaire played for Narbonne, Toulouse, Leicester, Perpignan and Narb ...
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François Trinh-Duc François Trinh-Duc (; born 11 November 1986) is a French rugby union player for Union Bordeaux Bègles in France's top division of rugby union, the Top 14. Trinh-Duc's regular position is at fly-half or inside centre. Biography Trinh-Duc was b ...
* Mikaele Tuugahala * Virimi Vakatawa * Ludovic Valbon * Michel Vannier *
Jonathan Wisniewski Jonathan Wisniewski (born 16 July 1985) is a former French rugby union player who played as a fly-half. He is of Polish descent and is a grandnephew of Maryan Wisniewski. Club career Wisniewski started playing rugby at a youth level for Gaillac ...
* Giorgi Chkhaidze * Vasil Kakovin * David Khinchagishvili * Mamuka Magrakvelidze * Mirco Bergamasco *
Martin Castrogiovanni Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...
* Santiago Dellapè * Carlo Festuccia *
Andrea Lo Cicero Andrea Lo Cicero Vaina (; born Catania, 7 May 1976) is an Italian rugby union footballer, who retired from playing in 2013. Born in Catania, Sicily, Lo Cicero began his professional career in the town of his birth with Amatori Catania. Later he ...
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Andrea Masi Andrea Masi (born 30 March 1981) is a retired Italian rugby union footballer. His usual position was in the centres but he has also played at fly-half and at full-back. His last club before retirement was the English Premiership club Wasps. In ...
* Michael Carroll *
Donnacha Ryan Donnacha Ryan (born 11 December 1983) is an Irish former rugby union player and current coach. Ryan spent most of his career representing his native province Munster, spending 13 seasons at the club, before moving to French club Racing 92 in 2 ...
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Johnny Sexton Jonathan Jeremiah Sexton (born 11 July 1985) is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Leinster Rugby and Ireland, and he also captains both teams. He represented the British & Irish Lions in both 2013 and 2017 and has scored o ...
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Simon Zebo Simon Zebo (born 16 March 1990) is an Irish rugby union player for United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup side Munster. He is equally adept as a wing or fullback, having played in both positions often for Ireland, Munster and Racing 92 ...
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Dominic Bird Dominic Bird (born 9 April 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a lock and has represented the All Blacks. He has also played for Canterbury and Wellington in the Mitre 10 Cup, the Crusaders and Chiefs in Super Rugby. He has a ...
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Dan Carter Daniel William Carter (born 5 March 1982) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. Carter played for Crusaders (Super Rugby) in New Zealand and played for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks. He is the highest point scorer in ...
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Casey Laulala Casey Daniel Eti Laulala (born 3 May 1982) is a Samoan-born New Zealand former rugby union player. Career Born and raised in Samoa, Laulala started boarding at Wesley College when he was 15. Laulala made his test debut for New Zealand during ...
* Johnny Leo'o *
Chris Masoe Chris Masoe (born 15 May 1979 in Savaii, Western Samoa) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer, who last played for Racing Metro 92 in the Top 14 and a current professional boxer. He is the brother of boxer Maselino Masoe. He was born ...
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Andrew Mehrtens Andrew Philip Mehrtens (born 28 April 1973) is a New Zealand former rugby union player. He was regarded as a top first five-eighth, having played first for Canterbury in 1993, before being selected for the All Blacks (New Zealand's national te ...
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Joe Rokocoko Josevata Taliga "Joe" Rokocoko (pronounced , born 6 June 1983) is a New Zealand former professional rugby union player, who played as a wing. Born in Fiji, Rokocoko grew up in New Zealand and played for the Blues and Auckland. He later played f ...
* Brent Ward * Carlos de Candamo *
Jacques Cronjé Jacques Cronjé (born 4 August 1982)
ESPN Scrum.com is a South African
Johan Goosen * Juandré Kruger * Pat Lambie *
Brian Mujati Brian Mujati (born 28 September 1984 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) is a Zimbabwean-born South African rugby union player. He plays as a prop. He started off his career with the Lions in the Super 14 competition, then he joined the Stormers for the star ...
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François Steyn François Philippus Lodewyk Steyn (born 14 May 1987) is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national team and Cheetahs (rugby union) in Pro 14. He usually plays at inside centre, fullback ...
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François van der Merwe François van der Merwe is a South African professional rugby union player. He plays at lock for Lyon Olympique in the Top 14. He is older brother of Flip van der Merwe Phillip Rudolph van der Merwe (born 3 June 1985 in Potchefstroom) is ...
* Gabriel Brezoianu *
Tudor Constantin Tudor most commonly refers to: * House of Tudor, English royal house of Welsh origins ** Tudor period, a historical era in England coinciding with the rule of the Tudor dynasty Tudor may also refer to: Architecture * Tudor architecture, the fin ...
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Răzvan Mavrodin Răzvan Mavrodin (born 29 September 1973 in Bucharest) is a Romanian former rugby union player and a current coach. He played as a hooker. Career Mavrodin played in France for Racing Club (1999/00), USA Perpignan (2000/01), Tarbes Pyrénées Ru ...
* Adrian Motoc * Cristian Petre *
Alin Petrache Adrian Alin Petrache (born October 29, 1976 in Bucharest) is a Romanian rugby union administrator and former player. He is currently the president of CSM București sports club and also president of the Romanian Rugby Federation. He was also the ...
* Eugeniu Ștefan *
Lucian Sirbu Lucian of Samosata, '; la, Lucianus Samosatensis ( 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer who is best known for his characteristic tongue-in-cheek style, with which he frequently ridiculed superstitio ...
* Ionuț Tofan * Dumitru Volvoreanu * Sefulu Gaugau *
Census Johnston Census Johnston (born 6 May 1981) is a former Samoan rugby union player. He has represented Samoa several times, and was in the Pacific Islanders' (combined Fiji, Samoa, Tonga) team which toured Europe in November 2006 and earned 6 Caps with En ...
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Finn Russell Finn Alastair Russell (born 23 September 1992) is a Scottish professional rugby union player who primarily plays fly-half for Racing 92 in the Top 14. He has also represented Scotland at international level, having made his test debut against t ...
* Ben Tameifuna * Soane Tonga'uiha * Mani Vakaloa *
Dan Lydiate Dan Lydiate (born 18 December 1987) is a Wales international rugby union player. A flanker, Lydiate was raised in Llandrindod Wells and is a product of the Newport Gwent Dragons academy. Early life The younger of two boys born to English dock ...
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Jamie Roberts Jamie Huw Roberts (born 8 November 1986) is a former Wales, Welsh rugby union player, who most recently played for the New South Wales Waratahs, Waratahs. His usual position is Rugby union positions#Centre, centre. Beginning in 2005, Roberts ...
* Mike Phillips * Luke Charteris


Chairmen


See also

*
List of rugby union clubs in France Contents : A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z By League __NOTOC__ The oldest rugby club in France is Le Havre AC, founded in 1872 making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in F ...
* Rugby union in France


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Racing 92 Paris
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
Rugby clubs established in 1890 Rugby clubs established in 2001 Rugby union clubs in Paris 1890 establishments in France 2001 establishments in France Sport in Hauts-de-Seine