Oyonnax

Oyonnax Rugby is a rugby union team that competes in the second division of French rugby, the Pro D2. 

The club was established in 1909 and was originally named Club Sportif Oyonnaxien. They were renamed Union Sportive Oyonaxienne in 1940, when three local sides merged. Since 2018, they’ve simply been known as Oyonnax Rugby. 

The Oyonnax rugby team played in France’s regional divisions until 1967. After that, they joined the First Division, which contained 64 clubs at the time. 

Between then and 2003, the club fluctuated between France’s top three divisions. However, since then, the side has played in either the Pro D2 (second tier) or the Top 14 (top tier). 

Although the team has spent longer in the Pro D2 than the Top 14, the Oyonnax rugby team has experienced plenty of success in the top flight. For example, after only just surviving the 2013-14 season, the side finished sixth in the Top 14 the following year. 

Oyonnax Rugby has also represented France in European competitions, participating in the European Rugby Challenge Cup on several occasions. After their Top 14 success during the 2014-15 season, where they made it to the quarter finals, they qualified for the European Rugby Champions Cup the following year. 

With mixed results over the decades, we’re excited to see what the next few years will bring for this exciting French team.