France restructures third and fourth tiers of club rugby from 2027 in sweeping reforms

The Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR) has approved sweeping structural changes to the Nationale, Nationale 2, and Fédérale divisions, with the reforms set to take effect from the 2027/28 season.

The most eye-catching change concerns the fourth tier of French rugby, where Nationale 2 will merge with Fédérale 1. The current format — two groups of 12 clubs — will be replaced by four groups, bringing the total number of competing teams to 48. French journalist Tanguy Scigala, who followed the approval process closely for Rugbyscope, described it as potentially one of the biggest changes in French rugby in a decade.

At the third tier, the Nationale will expand from 14 to 16 clubs to increase competitiveness. The decision comes despite financial difficulties that forced Blagnac, Tarbes, Hyères-Carqueiranne, and Niort to withdraw from Nationale campaigns over the past three years. The Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) and the FFR say they remain confident in the competition’s future, particularly its role in developing fully professional clubs capable of competing in Pro D2.

Reducing the financial burden on amateur clubs is central to the rationale behind the Nationale 2 merger. The FFR had already introduced measures in recent years to cut travel costs for clubs at that level, and the new regionalised format is intended to reinforce that approach while also intensifying local and regional rivalries.

“The reform addresses some of the economic realities faced by amateur clubs, particularly regarding travel and organisational costs,” Scigala said. “One of the key questions will be the competitive balance, as some clubs currently competing in Nationale 2 are already structured at a higher level than many Fédérale 1 clubs. It will be interesting to see whether the new structure creates a more competitive environment or whether those clubs continue to dominate once the reform is implemented.”

In the same meeting, all parties agreed that the Fédérale branding will be retired entirely, replaced by a new designation intended to bring greater uniformity to FFR-organised competitions.

The reforms arrive as the upper tiers of French rugby enjoy a period of financial growth, with the Top 14 and Pro D2 both benefiting from rising ticket revenues and television rights income. The FFR, LNR, and clubs are counting on that growth to filter down and support lower-division teams.

Meanwhile, Nissa Rugby — one of two clubs promoted to Pro D2 this season alongside Narbonne — will head into the second tier with significant squad turnover, with former Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu among 10 players confirmed to be leaving the club this summer.