The top six teams at the end of the regular season (after all the teams played one another twice, once at home, once away) enter a knockout stage to decide the Champions of France. This consists of three rounds: the teams finishing third to sixth in the table play quarter-finals (hosted by the third and fourth placed teams). The winners then face the top two teams in the semi-finals, with the winners meeting in the final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
The LNR uses a slightly different bonus points system from that used in most other rugby competitions. It trialled a new system in 2007–08 explicitly designed to prevent a losing team from earning more than one bonus point in a match,[2] a system that also made it impossible for either team to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. LNR chose to continue with this system for subsequent seasons.[3]
France's bonus point system operates as follows:[3]
4 points for a win.
2 points for a draw.
1 bonus point for winning while scoring at least 3 more tries than the opponent. This replaces the standard bonus point for scoring 4 tries regardless of the match result.
1 bonus point for losing by 5 points (or fewer). The margin had been 7 points until being changed prior to the 2014–15 season.
Normally, the teams that finish in 13th and 14th places in the table are relegated to Pro D2 at the end of the season. In certain circumstances, "financial reasons" may cause a higher placed team to be demoted instead. This last happened at the end of the 2009–10 season when 12th place Montauban were relegated thereby reprieving 13th place Bayonne.
Postponed due to Racing playing a European Rugby Champions Cup fixture against Munster. The original fixture had been cancelled due to the death of Munster head coach Anthony Foley meaning the game was moved to a weekend. Racing's game against Bayonne would be rescheduled for 11 February 2017.
Postponed due to player strikes and turmoil surrounding the announced merger between franciliens teams Stade Français and Racing 92. Game would be rescheduled to 19 April 2017.[25]
Postponed due to player strikes and turmoil surrounding the announced merger between franciliens teams Stade Français and Racing 92. Game would be rescheduled to 22 April 2017.[25]
Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.
^Brive's stadium capacity was reduced down to 13,979, compared with 16,000 from the previous season.
^Grenoble's traditional home is Stade Lesdiguières; however, beginning in 2012–13, they moved high-demand home matches to the larger Stade des Alpes.[1] Starting in 2014–15, they became the primary tenants of Stade des Alpes.
^Montpellier's stadium capacity was expanded up to 15,697 from 14,700 the previous season.
^Pau's stadium capacity was expanded up to 18,000 from 13,800 the previous season.
^Toulon's stadium capacity was expanded up to 15,820 from 15,400 the previous season. This capacity was exceeded in Toulon's fixture against Bayonne on 11 March 2017 when 16,049 attended so it is not clear if the stadium increased in size during the season or if temporary seats were installed for this game alone.
^Toulouse often takes high-demand home matches to the city's largest sporting venue, Stadium Municipal.
^Montpellier's attendance figure includes home semi-final qualifier.
^Toulon's attendance figure includes home semi-final qualifier.
^ ab"Article 330, Section 3.2. Points "terrain""(PDF). Règlements de la Ligue Nationale de Rugby 2008/2009, Chapitre 2 : Règlement sportif du Championnat de France Professionnel (in French). LNR. Archived from the original(PDF) on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
