Aviron Bayonnais (Rugby Union)

Aviron Bayonnais
Full name	Aviron Bayonnais
Founded	1904
Stadion	Stade Jean-Dauger
Places	17,000
president	Philippe Tayeb
Trainer	Yannick Bru
Homepage	www.abrugby.fr
league	Top 14
2018/19	Master (Pro D2)
home	Away

Aviron Bayonnais is a rugby union team from the French city of Bayonne in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department . It is by far the most important of the 16 departments of the Aviron Bayonnais sports club ("Aviron" actually means "rowing"). The team, deeply rooted in the Basque population, plays in the top 14 French league and is a three-time champion. The home games are played at the Stade Jean-Dauger . The mascot is a Pottok pony .

history

Dissatisfied with the lack of attention in the local sailing club, some rowers founded their own club in September 1904. Since they could not row in cold weather, they began playing rugby at Stade Bayonnais in the winter of 1905. The rowers were in the majority in this team and in 1907 successfully demanded the merger with Aviron Bayonnais; Rugby then became the main division of the club.

In just six years, the team made it into the top league and reached the championship final for the first time in 1913, which they won over the top. During the First World War , the championship was replaced by the Coupe de l'Espérance ; in the last edition in 1919 Aviron Bayonnais lost the final. Seven players in the championship team from 1913 had died in the war. The team was able to cope with this setback quickly and advanced in both 1922 and 1923 to the finals, but lost both times to Stade Toulousain .

The team had another successful phase in the mid-1930s. After the second championship title in 1934, he won the prestigious Challenge Yves du Manoir two years later . After the championship from 1940 to 1942 was canceled because of the Second World War , Aviron Bayonnais was French champion for the third and so far last time in 1943. The final in 1944, however, was lost. It was almost forty years before the team was back at the top. In 1980 she won the Challenge for the second time and in 1982 she reached the final of the championship, which she lost. Since then, Aviron Bayonnais has mostly been in the lower half of the table.

successes

Master: 1913, 1934, 1943
Championship finalist: 1922, 1923, 1944, 1982
Winner Challenge Yves du Manoir : 1936, 1980
Coupe de l'Espérance finalist : 1919

Aviron Bayonnais championship finals

date	master	2nd finalist	Result	place	spectator
April 20, 1913	Aviron Bayonnais	SCUF	31: 8	Stade Yves-du-Manoir , Colombes	20,000
April 23, 1922	Stade Toulousain	Aviron Bayonnais	6-0	Route du Médoc, Le Bouscat	20,000
May 13, 1923	Stade Toulousain	Aviron Bayonnais	3-0	Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes	15,000
May 13, 1934	Aviron Bayonnais	Biarritz Olympique	13: 8	Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse	18,000
March 21, 1943	Aviron Bayonnais	SU Agen	3-0	Parc des Princes , Paris	28,000
March 26, 1944	USA Perpignan	Aviron Bayonnais	20: 5	Parc des Princes, Paris	35,000
May 29, 1982	SU Agen	Aviron Bayonnais	18: 9	Parc des Princes, Paris	41,165