Section Paloise

Section Paloise

Full name	Section Paloise
Nickname(s)	La Section Les Sectionnistes
Founded	1902 (1902)
Location	Pau, France
Ground(s)	Stade du Hameau (Capacity: 14,999)
President	Bernard Pontneau
Director of Rugby	Sébastien Piqueronies
Coach(es)	Thomas Domingo Geoffrey Lanne-Petit Thomas Choveau
Captain(s)	Luke Whitelock
Most appearances	Robert Paparemborde
League(s)	Top 14
2023–24	9th
Team kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.section-paloise.com

Section Paloise (French pronunciation: [sɛksjɔ̃ palwaz]), often referred to simply as la Section or Pau, is a professional rugby union club based in Pau, France. They are participants in the Top 14, France's premier rugby division, and also compete in the EPCR Challenge Cup.

Their home matches are played at the Stade du Hameau, following 80 years of hosting games at the Stade de la Croix du Prince (1910-1990). The club boasts an impressive history, having clinched the Bouclier de Brennus three times in 1928, 1946, and 1964 along with securing the European Challenge in 2000.

Section Paloise has also earned victories in the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1939, 1952 and 1997. Additionally, they claimed the French Pro D2 title in 2015.

As a formidable presence in French rugby, the club has become a cherished symbol of Béarn culture and heritage. The official anthem of Section Paloise is "Honhada," a tradition that began in March 2012. The lyrics of this anthem were composed to the tune of the famous Scottish ballad The water is Wide.

Significantly, la Section enjoys sponsorship from the renowned French petroleum company, TotalEnergies. This partnership holds historical significance for Pau, as it traces back to the origins of Elf Aquitaine, stemming from the Lacq gas field. Elf Aquitaine subsequently evolved into Total. To this day, TotalEnergies maintains its presence with offices in Pau, playing a vital role as one of the city's primary employers.

Several recent French rugby internationals, including Imanol Harinordoquy, Damien Traille, Lionel Beauxis and Antoine Hastoy started their professional club careers with Section. The club has also been a welcoming home to rugby legends such as Conrad Smith, Colin Slade and Sam Whitelock. Throughout the years, Section has featured English players like Steffon Armitage, and it currently fields talents such as Dan Robson and Joe Simmonds.

As of January 2025, current French internationals playing for Section include Hugo Auradou, Théo Attissogbé, and Émilien Gailleton.

History

Rugby in Pau and Béarn

After Le Havre and Bordeaux, the city of Pau became the third major provincial French city to embrace Rugby football. The sport's presence in Pau dates back to 1890, evidenced by the Coquelicots de Pau (Poppies of Pau), who played matches against neighboring teams like the Montagnards de Bayonne (Mountaineers of Bayonne) and Pyrénéenne de Tarbes.

Stade Palois was founded in 1899 by former students of the Louis-Barthou high school, inspired by the Anglophilia that was fashionable in Pau during the Belle Époque.

Beginnings and first title (1902–1939)

1913 - Tom Potter in Pau, France

Founded in April 1902, the Section paloise de ligue girondine is an all-round sports club in Pau. Since 1905, it is simply called Section paloise. At that time, rugby or "rugby football" was hugely popular. The club was first established as a Barette (sport) team, yet the club very quickly turned towards this new sport of rugby union. A rugby club had already been formed on 12 November 1899 since the Stade palois had been founded in a café on rue Bayard. The Stade Palois was thus integrated into Section to form the dominant club in bearnese rugby. In 1912, Section Paloise abandoned its blue and black jerseys, in order to definitively adopt green and white as its colours. The club was then led by Welshman Thomas Potter, who took on the role of player-coach until the outbreak of the Great War. The club (all sports combined) paid a heavy price, with around forty deaths on the battlefields.

Section Paloise, winners of the French rugby championship in 1927-1928

Section Paloise, now under the leadership of Gilbert Pierrot, achieved remarkable success during the 1927–28 French Rugby Union Championship, as the team won the title of Côte Basque champion for the second consecutive year. Subsequently, it finished first in its pool of 5 in the French championship. In the following groups of 4, it defeated Stade Français, USA Perpignan and Lyon OU as well as the defending champions Stade Toulousain in the semi-final by 3-0 after extra time (1 try at zero).

The final took place in Toulouse in May 1928, where Section Paloise faced off against US Quillan. A crowd of 30,000 spectators attended this highly anticipated match against the players of patron Jean Bourrel, an industrialist who had made his fortune in the hat industry. Indeed, Bourrel was determined to create the best possible team in Quillan and was willing to spend extravagantly to achieve that goal. For Jean Bourrel, a hat maker by profession, the logic was clear: "I am certain to have more commercial publicity by putting together a team to compete for the French championship than by plastering posters around the region." Thus, in 1926, no one seemed surprised when no fewer than seven players from US Perpignan, the French champions in 1925 and finalists in 1926, suddenly arrived in this town in Aude. Later on, the group was further reinforced with the arrival of five international players the following year, including Louis Destarac from Tarbes.

The final was hard-fought and close, but Section Paloise managed to prevail with a score of 6-4, thereby claiming the club's first-ever Bouclier de Brennus. The local newspaper, Le Patriote des Pyrénées, enthusiastically reported on this victory, describing how the players of Section Paloise, nicknamed the "bérets" (berets), had succeeded in defeating the players of Quillan, nicknamed the "chapeaux" (hats).

Another local newspaper L'Indépendant des Basses-Pyrénées also echoed the feat achieved by the team from Pau, referring to it as a "triumph." Their success generated strong enthusiasm among supporters, and during the final in Toulouse, no less than 25,000 Pau and Béarn supporters were present to cheer on their team, which was wearing white that day. The emblematic captain at the time was Albert Cazenave, who was admirably supported by players such as Georges Caussarieu, David Aguilar, Robert Sarrade, Fernand Taillantou, and the indispensable François Récaborde.

This victory by Section Paloise marked a historic moment in the club's history and was celebrated fervently by the fans.

Before the war, the Section paloise won the Challenge Yves du Manoir in the 1938-1939 edition against RC Toulon by a score of 5-0 after extra time, courtesy of a try by Desperbasque and transformed by the full-back Courtade.

After WWII

In 1946, the club was crowned French champions once again. Section Paloise won the 1945–46 French championship, defeating teams like Toulouse and Agen. Despite a lackluster start to the competition, Section overcame Stade Toulousain in the quarter-finals and USA Perpignan in the semi-finals (6–3 after extra time), earning a spot in the final against local rivals FC Lourdes in Paris.

Despite entering the final on a 12-match winning streak, FC Lourdes were decisively defeated 11–0 at the Parc des Princes in Paris. National newspapers praised Section's cohesive and disciplined team, highlighting their physical and moral conditioning over individual "stars." Key figures of this victorious squad included Theo Cazenave, Pierre Lauga and captain André Rousse.

In 1950, Section Paloise narrowly missed the championship final, losing by a single point to the eventual champions, Castres Olympique. After reaching the French Cup semi-finals in 1951 losing against archrivals Stadoceste Tarbais, the team claimed the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1952.

In 1959, the signing of François Moncla, a Béarn native, French national team player, and former champion with Racing Club de France, marked the beginning of a new era for the club, as he took on the role of captain for a younger generation of players.

The rebuilding phase culminated in 1964, when Section Paloise captured their third French championship by defeating the formidable AS Béziers 13–0 in the final of the 1963–64 French Rugby Union Championship. Stars of the squad included Moncla, Jean Piqué, Nano Capdouze, Jean-Pierre Saux, Marc Etcheverry, and André Abadie. The season had started poorly, with one headline declaring "La Section en perdition" (Section in Perdition) after heavy losses to Agen and their rivals. However, the team turned their season around with victories over Brive, Chalon, rivals Bayonne, and Narbonne, before triumphing over Béziers in the final. Jean Capdouze scored two tries in the 14–0 victory.

Jean Piqué, who lost his wife to leukemia during the playoffs, played the final with a photo of her tucked into his jersey, a poignant moment that underscored the emotional weight of the victory.

The championship sparked days of jubilant celebration in Béarn's capital, with the Boulevard des Pyrénées overflowing as 30,000 fans gathered to honor the team. However, Béziers avenged their defeat the following week in the Challenge Yves du Manoir, preventing Pau from achieving the double.

The following seasons were less remarkable from a sporting perspective, with captain François Moncla retiring at the start of the 1967 season. A significant shift occurred in 1968 when it was decided that the positions of General President and Rugby President could no longer be held by the same individual within the club. This change marked the end of an era, with Albert Cazenave stepping down after 16 years as President and his brother Theo leaving his role as coach.

That same year, a young talent emerged from Laruns in the Ossau Valley, in the heart of Béarn: Robert Paparemborde. Initially starting his career as an inside centre, Paparemborde later transitioned to tighthead prop, where he became a global benchmark in the position. Another future star, Laurent Cabannes, debuted at the age of 17 and would go on to be regarded as one of the world's finest flankers.

On the field, the first team experienced mixed fortunes. They narrowly lost 14–11 to AS Montferrand in the 1970 quarter-finals and reached the semi-finals against Narbonne in 1974 after a surprise 24–21 victory over Agen in the round of 16. However, the team faced relegation, spending the 1977–78 season in Group B before immediately returning to the top tier.

Section Paloise missed their chance to uphold the 18-year rule (winning titles in 1928, 1946, and 1964), as they fell short in 1982, narrowly losing to SU Agen in the Round of 16. They reached the quarter-finals in 1983 but were defeated by Nice.

By the late 1980s, the team had endured two seasons in Group B and reached the finals of the category in both 1989 and 1990 but narrowly missed promotion. During this time, Section faced mounting challenges, struggling with both sporting results and economic difficulties.

Revival in the 1990s

In October 1990, Section Paloise left its historic Stade de la Croix du Prince for the more modern Stade du Hameau. This move alleviated the club's financial difficulties, as the Croix du Prince was sold to the Pau Town Hall. During the early 1990s, the team began to recover, maintaining its place in Group A in 1991 and 1992. In 1993, the club reached the Top 16 but failed to qualify for the quarter-finals, losing out to FC Grenoble—who were controversially denied the title due to a refereeing error—and RC Narbonne, who were playing their fifth quarter-final in six seasons.

In 1994 and 1995, Section Paloise failed to return to the Top 16 and instead participated in the Moga Cup, ultimately losing the final to rivals Aviron Bayonnais in Mont-de-Marsan.

The club began climbing the ranks again, achieving notable results in subsequent seasons. In 1996, Section reached the final of the Challenge Yves du Manoir and the semi-finals of the French championship, though they were defeated by CA Brive on both occasions. These performances secured qualification for the second edition of the 1996–97 Heineken Cup.

In 1997, the club claimed the Challenge Yves du Manoir title and reached the quarter-finals of the 1996–97 French Rugby Union Championship, facing CS Bourgoin-Jallieu in both competitions. A year later, Section reached the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup, losing to the eventual champions at Recreation Ground, Bath. Philippe Bernat-Salles joined Biarriz Olympique in 1998.

European Challenge Cup winners in 2000

In 2000, Section Paloise, coached by Jacques Brunel and Jean-Michel Aguirre, won the 1999–2000 European Challenge Cup by defeating Castres Olympique 34-21 at the Stade des Sept Deniers in Toulouse. Key players during this era included Joël Rey, David Aucagne, Thierry Cléda, Frédéric Torossian, and David Dantiacq.

At the beginning of the 2000s, André Lestorte, then president of Section Paloise, initiated an ambitious project to merge the club with the rivals from Bigorre, Stadoceste Tarbais and FC Lourdes. The aim was to create a more powerful entity, named Section-Pyrénées or Section Paloise - Pays de l'Adour. Inspired by the regional rugby models in New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, Lestorte saw this merger as an opportunity to strengthen regional competitiveness and compete with top clubs from France’s major urban centers. He envisioned a Pyrenean club based between Pau, Tarbes, and Lourdes, with a new stadium to be built in the middle, in line with the growing trend of more professional and elitist rugby.

However, the project faced strong local opposition from both Béarn and Bigorre, with some fearing the loss of their clubs' identities. Despite Lestorte's enthusiasm, internal tensions slowed the advancement of discussions. In 2005, growing opposition, led by former presidents of Section Paloise, criticized his management. Eventually, Lestorte was replaced by Joachim Alvarez, and later by Bernard Pontneau in 2006, who put an end to the merger project. Lestorte left his position amid disapproval, symbolized by acts of vandalism criticizing his project as a threat to local identity.

On the field, Section Paloise eliminated AS Montferrand 28-27 in the quarter-finals of the 1999-00 French Championship but narrowly missed the final, losing 24-22 in extra time to US Colomiers in the semi-finals.

The following year was challenging, with the league reducing from 21 to 16 clubs. Despite reinforcement by international back-row player Lionel Mallier and centre Jean-Charles Cistacq, the club only secured eight wins out of 18 matches and narrowly avoided relegation by defeating FC Grenoble 33-21 after extra time in a play-off match at Béziers. The team performed more strongly in the 2001–02 Heineken Cup, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Stade Français.

Despite staying in the top division, Section Paloise lost several key players during the off-season, including international fullback Nicolas Brusque, who joined Biarritz Olympique, and Lionel Mallier, who moved to USA Perpignan.

European Challenge finalists 2005

Promising youngsters Lionel Beauxis and Fabien Cibray were closely monitored, and the club extended long-term contracts for its rising stars at the Stade du Hameau. From 2003 onwards, Beauxis was integrated into the professional squad alongside Jean-Baptiste Peyras-Loustalet. In 2003 Peyras-Loustalet was named as the IRB International U19 Player of the Year. The club managed a notable playoff qualification in 2003.

At the start of the 2003–04 Top 16 season, Beauxis was fully part of the first-team setup. However, due to his age, he could not debut in the first team until the end of October 2003, much to the frustration of coach Jean-Philippe Cariat. Beauxis made his debut on November 22, 2003, in a friendly against AS Béziers at the Stade de la Méditerranée, replacing his childhood idol, David Aucagne. The following week, Beauxis played his first competitive match in the league at Stade Amédée-Domenech, where he scored 19 points and excelled against his direct opponent, veteran fly-half Alain Penaud.

The team faced significant financial troubles and lost Damien Traille to Biarritz Olympique in 2004. Despite these challenges, Section Paloise often fought to secure its top-flight status, with a strong run in the 2004–05 European Challenge Cup. They reached the final under the captaincy of Jean-Charles Cistacq but were ultimately defeated by the Sale Sharks, led by Sébastien Bruno, a former Section Paloise hooker.

Financial struggles and relegation

However, due to ongoing financial difficulties, Section Paloise was relegated during the 2005–06 Top 16 season under controversial circumstances on the final day of the competition against Castres. In a situation where a try could have saved the club from relegation, Beauxis attempted a drop goal, which he missed. The players, including the senior members, supported Beauxis, as they were unaware of the score of Aviron Bayonnais. Beauxis had simply followed instructions from the sidelines.

Beauxis became a scapegoat, especially for Pierre Bouisset, the general manager who briefly became the coach mid-season. Bouisset publicly stated in a press conference that it was "a youthful mistake." While Cibray remained for another season in Pro D2, Beauxis left the club reluctantly after a difficult period marked by sleepless nights.

Rebuilding and then returning to ambitions

The arrival of a new president, Bernard Pontneau, marked a significant turning point for the club, requiring adjustments to policies and strategies. Efforts to stabilize the club led to internal reorganizations, which temporarily disrupted the coherence of the organization and the sporting ambitions.

Following Section Paloise's relegation to Pro D2, the club faced a period of transition and adjustment. The new governance, led by Bernard Pontneau, took office in November 2006 with the goal of rebuilding and returning the club to the top tier of French rugby. During this stormy period, Bernard Pontneau asserted his vision for the club, emphasizing that he would not attempt to erase past conflicts but rather seek to overcome them. Off the field, key figures such as Joël Rey emerged, bringing their expertise and experience. With the arrival of new players and the commitment of a solid technical staff, including David Aucagne, Section Paloise eventually regained its stability.

The club's ambition to return to the elite of French rugby was reignited in the 2011–12 Pro D2 season. After finishing second in the league and remaining unbeaten at home, Section Paloise secured a place in the promotion playoffs, defeating Stade Rochelais 16-14 in the semi-finals at the Stade du Hameau. However, they lost 29-20 in the final against Stade Montois at Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux.

In the 2012–13 Rugbuy Pro D2 season, the club again qualified for the semi-finals against La Rochelle, and the final of the promotion playoffs for the Top 14. On this occasion, supporters' clubs, partners, and various corporate committees organized the journey, with no fewer than 142 buses making the trip to Stade Chaban-Delmas. However, Section Paloise was again defeated at this stage of the competition, losing 30-10 to CA Brive in front of 33,175 spectators.

Pro D2 Champion 2015

After another disappointment the following season against La Rochelle, losing 35-18 in the semi-finals at Stade Marcel-Deflandre, the club made strong moves in recruitment for the upcoming season, bringing in a new manager, Simon Mannix. The New Zealander, who joined from Munster, settled in Béarn with his video analyst from Munster, Elliot Corcoran, and Irish back-row forward James Coughlan, who would go on to become one of the club’s standout players of the season. Section Paloise confirmed its ambitions by taking the top spot as early as Round 2 and never relinquishing it. They set a record by winning the first 8 league matches.

A key figure in the club’s return to the top flight, Mannix brought a disciplined, New Zealand-style approach to the team. He focused on shorter, more intense training sessions, fostering a strong sense of focus and resilience.

The club secured its promotion on April 11, 2015, clinching the Pro D2 title with a 31-5 victory over US Montauban, four matches before the end of the season, guaranteeing direct promotion to the Top 14. As soon as the season ended, Simon Mannix used his extensive network to bring in high-profile players such as Colin Slade, Carl Hayman and Conrad Smith, widely regarded as one of the best centres in the world.

Mannix was dismissed in 2019 after five seasons, when a string of poor results convinced the board to part ways.

New cycle

Sébastien Piqueronies took over as head coach of Section Paloise in 2021. Prior to this role, Piqueronies had achieved notable success as the manager of the France national under-20 rugby union team. Under his leadership, the French U-20s won back-to-back World Cup titles in 2018 and 2019.

After returning to the Top 14, Section Paloise finished 11th in the 2016 season and 9th in the 2017 season, narrowly missing out on European Rugby Champions Cup qualification. In the following years, the team showed gradual improvement, finishing 8th in 2018 and reaching the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup. In 2019, they finished 11th in the league and 3rd in their Challenge Cup pool.

The 2019–20 season was heavily disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The championship was suspended on 13 March 2020, and after an extraordinary meeting of the LNR’s executive board and club presidents, the decision was made to terminate the season on 30 April 2020. Consequently, no national title was awarded, and there were no promotions or relegations. At the time of suspension, Pau was in 12th place.

In the 2020–21 season, Section Paloise again finished 12th, missing out on European Rugby Champions Cup qualification. The 2021–22 season saw a slight improvement as they finished 10th in the Top 14. In the Challenge Cup, the team was eliminated in the pool stage. During this period, Hugo Auradou emerged as one of the team’s key players.

The 2022–23 season was marked by inconsistency in both the Top 14 and the Challenge Cup. Despite some notable victories, the team struggled to maintain form and finished 12th in the league. In the Challenge Cup, they failed to progress to the knockout stages. A highlight of the season was the emergence of young talent Émilien Gailleton, who made a strong impression on Fabien Galthié, the head coach of the French national team. In his debut Top 14 season, Gailleton scored 14 tries in 24 matches, finishing as the league's top try scorer.

The 2023–24 season began on a high note, with Pau leading the standings during the first half of the campaign, thanks to stellar performances from Joe Simmonds, Jack Maddocks, Théo Attissogbé, and Hugo Auradou. However, the second half of the season presented more challenges, though the club remained in contention for the Top 14 playoffs. Pau ultimately finished 9th at the end of the season.

Club identity

Colours

Section Paloise's iconic colours of green and white have been part of the club's identity since 1912. Prior to that, the team wore blue and black jerseys, a legacy from Stade Palois, but these were soon replaced by the current green and white combination. Jean Plaà, who was the manager at the time, explained the choice of green and white as a symbol of hope and renewal (green representing the club's aspirations) and the snow of the Pyrenees mountains (white symbolizing the Bearn’s natural landscape). These colours have since become entrenched in the club’s tradition, with the players generally wearing white jerseys at home and green jerseys away. In recent years, a black and green away jersey has also been commonly used.

Logo

The coat of arms of Section Paloise represents the Pic du the Midi d'Ossau mountain, surrounded by green and white. Pic du the Midi d'Ossau is a Pyrenean peak, locally nicknamed Jean-Pierre which symbolises the region for many people from Béarn.

A second version of the coat of arms was released in 1998 for the creation of the professional structure, displayed on the jerseys of the first team at the beginning of the 2001-2002 season. This one then keeps the famous peak as emblem but evolves towards a darker bottle green colour. The latest version of the coat of arms dates from the start of the 2012-2013 season. The colour of the coat of arms reverts to the original lighter green and incorporates the new appellation Section paloise Béarn Pyrénées. With this name change, the club symbolises the desire of its directors to further anchor the club as the driving force behind professional rugby in Béarn but more generally in the Pyrenees.

Hymn and songs

Section Paloise's official anthem is the Honhada since March 2012. The song, composed by Didier Fois (Arraya, Hestiv'Oc festival, Ostau Bearnés), was met with a mixed reception in its early days and soon became a must for fans, who sing it at the start of every match. The lyrics of the song were composed on the air of the famous Scottish ballad The water is wide, also covered by Renaud in the Northern Irish Ballad.

Traditional Bearn songs from local band Nadau such as the Encantada and De cap tà l'immortèla as well as the famous Béarn anthem Si Canti are also widely popular among the local faithful. De cap tà l'immortèla had long been considered to be the unofficial anthem Section Paloise as it is so popular with the public.

Mascot

The club's mascot is a bear named Bearnie (pronounced "Bernie"). The bear was chosen because it is one of the symbols of the Pyrenees, and its name is a play on words with Béarn, the region of which Pau has been the capital since 1464.

Honours

• French championship Top 14
  • Champions (3): 1928, 1946, 1964
• European Rugby Challenge Cup
  • Champions (1): 2000
  • Runners-up (1): 2005
• Pro D2
  • Champions (1): 2015
• Challenge Yves du Manoir
  • Champions (2): 1939, 1952
  • Runners-up (5): 1953, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1996
• French Cup
  • Champions (1): 1997
  • Runners-up (1): 1946

Finals results

French championship

Date	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Venue	Spectators
6 May 1928	Section Paloise	6-4	US Quillan	Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse	20.000
24 March 1946	Section Paloise	11-0	FC Lourdes	Parc des Princes, Paris	30.000
24 May 1964	Section Paloise	14-0	AS Béziers	Stade Municipal, Toulouse	27.797

European Rugby Challenge Cup

Date	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Venue	Spectators
27 May 2000	Section Paloise	34-21	Castres Olympique	Stade des Sept Deniers, Toulouse	6.000
21 May 2005	Sale Sharks	27-3	Section Paloise	Kassam Stadium, Oxford	7.230

French Cup

Date	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Spectators
1946	Stade Toulousain	6-3	Section Paloise	23,000
1997	Section Paloise	13-11	CS Bourgoin-Jallieu	15,732

Current standings

2024–25 Top 14 Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts	Qualification
1	Toulouse	13	9	1	3	385	211	+174	48	24	5	3	46	Qualification for Playoff semi-finals and European Rugby Champions Cup
2	Bordeaux Bègles	13	10	0	3	384	264	+120	50	34	3	2	45
3	Toulon	13	8	0	5	327	279	+48	37	30	3	3	38	Qualification for Playoff semi-final qualifiers and European Rugby Champions Cup
4	Bayonne	13	9	0	4	345	306	+39	39	39	1	1	38
5	Clermont	13	7	0	6	331	319	+12	43	34	4	2	34
6	La Rochelle	13	7	0	6	300	293	+7	37	31	3	1	32
7	Montpellier	13	6	0	7	270	241	+29	24	24	1	4	29	Qualification for European Rugby Champions Cup
8	Castres	13	6	0	7	324	363	−39	37	39	1	2	27
9	Racing 92	13	5	1	7	321	335	−14	36	36	0	4	26	Qualification for European Rugby Challenge Cup
10	Pau	13	5	0	8	304	369	−65	35	48	3	1	24
11	Stade Français	13	5	0	8	285	342	−57	32	42	2	1	23
12	Perpignan	13	5	0	8	228	322	−94	21	35	2	1	23
13	Lyon	13	4	2	7	324	362	−38	36	40	1	1	22	Qualification for Relegation play-off
14	Vannes	13	3	0	10	323	445	−122	38	57	0	3	15	Relegation to Pro D2

Updated to match(es) played on 29 December 2024. Source: Top 14

Current squad

For player movements before or during the 2024–25 season, see List of 2024–25 Top 14 transfers § Pau.

The Pau squad for the 2024–25 season is:

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Youri Delhommel Hooker France Dan Jooste Hooker South Africa Lucas Rey Hooker France Romain Ruffenach Hooker France Daniel Bibi Biziwu Prop France Ignacio Calles Prop Argentina Lekso Kaulashvili Prop Georgia Guram Papidze Prop Georgia Hugo Parrou Prop France Rémi Sénéca Prop France Siate Tokolahi Prop Tonga Harry Williams Prop England Jon Zabala Prop Spain Hugo Auradou Lock France Mickaël Capelli Lock France Thomas Jolmès Lock France Joel Kpoku Lock England Tom Franklin Back row New Zealand Jimi Maximin Lock France Rémi Picquette Lock France Lekima Tagitagivalu Lock Fiji Loïc Crédoz Back row France Beka Gorgadze Back row Georgia Thibaut Hamonou Back row France Reece Hewat Back row Australia Luke Whitelock Back row New Zealand Sacha Zegueur Back row France

Player Position Union Thibault Daubagna Scrum-half France Dan Robson Scrum-half England Axel Desperes Fly-half France Joe Simmonds Fly-half England Nathan Decron Centre France Émilien Gailleton Centre France Olivier Klemenczak Centre France Tumua Manu Centre Samoa Eliott Roudil Centre France Thomas Carol Wing France Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang Wing France Clément Laporte Wing France Théo Attissogbé Fullback France Jack Maddocks Fullback Australia Aymeric Luc Fullback France

Espoirs squad

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Joseph Adam Prop France Alexandre Etchebehere Prop France Hugo Parrou Prop France Macarius Pereira Prop Australia Guido Reyes Rendon Prop Spain Ludovic Taufana Prop France Hayam El Bibouji Hooker France Max Meagher Hooker Australia Taimana Ah Scha Lock France Hugo Auradou Lock France Brent Liufau Back row France Victor Templier Lock France

Player Position Union Josselin Bouhier Back row France Clément Paul Back row France Paulo Tauiliili-Pelesasa Back row New Zealand Mehdi Tlili Back row France Gabriel Elissalde Scrum-half France Thomas Souverbie Scrum-half France Axel Desperes Fly-half France Clément Mondinat Fly-half France Thomas Bidabé Centre France Fabien Brau-Boirie Centre France Émilien Gailleton Centre France Quentin Valentino Centre France Grégoire Arfeuil Wing France Toshi Butlin Wing Australia Théo Attissogbé Fullback France

Notable former players

• Karim Bougherara
• Malik Hamadache
• Patricio Albacete
• Lisandro Arbizu
• Santiago Fernandez
• Juan Pablo Orlandi
• Gonzalo Quesada
• Garrick Morgan
• Jesse Mogg
• Ben Mowen
• Matt Philip
• Afusipa Taumoepeau
• Mike Burak
• Al Charron
• Ryan Smith
• Matt Tierney
• Sergio Valdés
• Steffon Armitage
• Joseph Mbu
• Sireli Bobo
• Saula Radidi
• Aminiasi Tuimaba
• Watisoni Votu
• Dominiko Waqaniburotu
• André Abadie
• Jean Michel Agest
• Nicolas Agnesi
• David Aguilar
• Laurent Arbo
• David Aucagne
• Lionel Beauxis
• Philippe Bernat-Salles
• Thomas Bianchin
• Pascal Bomati
• Hugo Bonneval
• Mohamed Boughanmi
• Jean Bouilhou
• Sébastien Bruno
• Nicolas Brusque
• Laurent Cabannes
• Romain Cabannes
• Jean Capdouze
• Philippe Carbonneau
• Paul Cassagne
• Jean-Emmanuel Cassin
• Florian Cazalot
• Jean-Charles Cistacq
• Marc Dal Maso
• David Dantiacq
• Clément Darbo
• Ibrahim Diarra
• Sébastien Descons
• Julien Delannoy
• Thomas Domingo
• Mathieu Dourthe
• Louis Dupichot
• Marc Etcheverry
• Sébastien Fauqué
• Lionel Faure
• Romain Froment
• Jean-Michel Gonzalez
• Pierrick Gunther
• Imanol Harinordoquy
• Antoine Hastoy
• Jean Hatchondo
• Jean-Louis Jordana
• Thierry Lacrampe
• Christophe Laussucq
• Claude Mantoulan
• Henri Marracq
• Lionel Mallier
• François Moncla
• Robert Paparemborde
• Baptiste Pesenti
• Julien Pierre
• Jean Piqué
• Adrien Planté
• Lucas Pointud
• Bastien Pourailly
• Jean Preux
• Jean-Baptiste Peyras-Loustalet
• Joel Rey
• Jean-Pierre Saux
• Atila Septar
• Michel Sorondo
• Jean-Marc Souverbie
• Patrick Tabacco
• Fernand Taillantou
• Benjamin Thiéry
• Julien Tomas
• Frédéric Torossian
• Damien Traille
• Pierre Triep-Capdeville
• Quentin Valançon
• Merab Kvirikashvili
• Mamuka Magrakvelidze
• Paddy Butler
• James Coughlan
• Marco Zanon
• Abdellatif Boutaty
• Jamie Mackintosh
• Elijah Niko
• Peter Saili
• Colin Slade
• Ben Smith
• Conrad Smith
• Benson Stanley
• Tom Taylor
• Luke Whitelock
• Hari Dumitraş
• Iulian Dumitraș
• Alexandru Manta
• Răzvan Mavrodin
• Sorin Socol
• Marius Țincu
• Lourens Adriaanse
• Elton Jantjies
• Viacheslav Grachev
• Jeremy Tomuli
• Euan Murray
• Mohamadou Diarra
• Tonga Leaʻaetoa
• Taniela Moa

Rank	Name	Total caps
1	Robert Paparemborde	52 (52)
2	Damien Traille	34 (86)
3	Imanol Harinordoquy	28 (82)
4	Jean-Pierre Saux	22 (22)
5	Philippe Bernat-Salles	21 (41)
6	François Moncla	18 (31)
7	Jean Piqué	18 (18)
8	Roger Piteu	15 (15)
9	David Aucagne	15 (15)
10	Thierry Cléda	9 (9)
11	Pierre Aristouy	6 (6)
12	Lucien Martin	6 (6)
13	Nano Capdouze	6 (6)
14	Albert Cazenave	5 (5)
15	Gilbert Pierrot	3 (3)
16	Fernand Taillantou	3 (3)
17	Philippe Carbonneau	2 (32)
18	Marc Etcheverry	2 (2)
19	Nicolas Brusque	1 (26)
20	Jean-Louis Jordana	1 (7)
21	Georges Caussarieu	1 (1)
22	Robert Sarrade	1 (1)
23	David Aguilar	1 (1)
24	Robert Labarthète	1 (1)
25	Paul Cassagne	1 (1)
26	Claude Mantoulan	1 (1)
27	Michel Lacome	1 (1)
28	Henri Marracq	1 (1)
29	André Abadie	1 (1)
30	Frédéric Torossian	1 (1)
31	David Dantiacq	1 (1)

Rivalries

The high density of rugby clubs in south-west France has led to numerous rivalries between SectionPaloise and neighbouring clubs. In Béarn, the rivalry has mainly centred around the often muscular clashes against FC Oloron, also known as Fécéo.

However, Stadoceste tarbais has been another great historical rival since the 1910s.

Finally, Section has long-standing sporting rivalries dating back to the 1910s with the other major historical clubs of the Adour region: Aviron Bayonnais, Biarritz Olympique, FC Lourdes, Stade Montois & US Dax.

The basques of Aviron Bayonnais have not been able to win in Pau against Section since 1946.

Legal and economic aspects

Legal and regulatory framework

Prior to 1995, professional rugby was prohibited by rugby's governing bodies, including the International Rugby Board (IRB) and the French Rugby Federation (FFR). As a result, Section Paloise operated as a non-profit association.

However, on 1 July 1998, the creation of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) mandated a legal transformation for all elite French rugby clubs. To comply with this regulation, Section Paloise established the Section Paloise Rugby Pro as a SAOS responsible for managing the professional team and its training academy. In 2001, this entity transitioned into a SASP.

Organizational structure

The management of Section Paloise is divided between its professional and amateur branches, as outlined below:

SASP Governance	Amateur Sector (Association)
President: Bernard Pontneau General Director: Pierre Lahore Deputy Director: Hugues Verrier	President of the Association: Sylvain Guilhem

Board of directors

The Board of Directors oversees the governance of the club’s professional and strategic decisions. As of the latest elections, the board members include:

• Bruno Alvarez
• Lionel Autaa
• Philippe Boy
• Pierre Brossollet
• Christian Cancé
• Jean Couret
• Sébastien Labourdette
• Rémi Laborde
• Pierre Lahillonne
• Christian Loustaudine
• François Jolly
• Bruno Matheu
• Bernard Pontneau
• Alexandre Roussille
• Yves Salesses
• Michel Soubielle
• Laurent Uberti
• Franck Verchere

Financial overview

The budget of Section Paloise has grown significantly since the 2012–2013 season, driven primarily by increased investments from TotalEnergies, a major partner with a strong presence in Pau through its CSTJF research center. Total’s financial backing was instrumental in helping Section Paloise achieve promotion to the Top 14 in the 2014–2015 season, and it has continued to expand its sponsorship from €2.5 million to €4.5 million.

In addition to Total, several other local economic partners provide essential support to the club, including the Pau Béarn Pyrénées Agglomeration Community, Teréga, Cave de Gan Jurançon, Cancé, Crédit Agricole Pyrénées Gascogne, Autaa, Euralis, and key institutional actors like the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Departmental Council and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional government.

See also

• List of rugby union clubs in France
• Rugby union in France

External links

• Media related to Section paloise at Wikimedia Commons
• (in French) Section Paloise Official website