Colomiers

Union sportive Colomiers Rugby or US Colomiers is a French rugby union club currently competing in Pro D2, the second level of the French rugby pyramid. They had been relegated from Pro D2 after finishing last in the 2006-07 season, but earned promotion from Fédérale 1 at the first opportunity in 2007-08, and survived a relegation scare in 2008–09, finishing 14th, in the last safe position. The club was relegated from Pro D2 in the 2010–11 season. The club, based in Colomiers in the Haute-Garonne département of Occitania, was founded in 1915 and plays at the Stade Michel Bendichou (capacity 11,000). The players wear blue and white. Colomiers have been runners-up in the French championship and Heineken Cup, as well as winners of the European Challenge Cup. US Colomiers were established in 1915. Colomiers had various European success in the late 1990s. In 1998 they won the European Challenge Cup, the competition below the Heineken Cup, defeating fellow French club SU Agen in the final. The following season they competed in the Heineken Cup. They made it all the way to the final, which took place at Lansdowne Road, Dublin. The capacity crowd saw Irish side Ulster win 21 points to 6. Colomiers also competed in the 1999-00 and 2000-01 Heineken Cups, but did not make the finals stages of the tournament. The club made its first domestic championship final when they met Stade Français in 2000. The Paris club won the game 28 points to 23 at Stade de France. In 2005 they were crowned Fédérale 1 champions and were promoted back up to Rugby Pro D2, but went back down to Fédérale 1 after two seasons in the second flight. They again claimed the Fédérale 1 title in 2008 to return to Pro D2.