The antechamber of Division 1 kicks off this weekend. Opening day Division 2 in a context quite different from 2022.
13 teams instead of 16, one pool of 7 and another of 6. Montigny, Montpellier and the PUC, three major Division 1 clubs, couldn’t field a team in division 2 this year for various reasons (results, financial, recruitment…).
The French Division 2 champions, having not exercised their choice to promote, Clermont Ferrand finds themselves in Pool B. The vice-champions of France, Valenciennes, are in the other pool. The Bréal club has been relegated, and the Guerche de Bretagne club has been promoted to Division 2.
Starting March 26, 14 matchdays of the championship will unfold, leading to the Playoffs and Playdowns in September. The final in late September will be a best-of-five series.
The opening day will be subdued, with only three games scheduled. The following weekend will see double that number.
The 2022 Valenciennes Vipers team
In 2024, two Division 1 teams will automatically be relegated to Division 2. The PUC, potentially on the list of Division 1 relegation candidates, could find themselves back in D2, which they lost, but that’s just speculation. So, in 2024, we should have eight teams in Division 1 again and 16 in Division 2, thanks to this change in the number of teams in Division 1.
For now, the Division 2 championship is underway. Valenciennes last year put a lot of effort into trying to promote, and it seems that 2023 is their chance to compete for the championship and promotion to Division 1. This would force a third Division 1 club to drop down. Clermont Ferrand and Béziers, who won the last two championships in 2022 and 2021 respectively, might also be in contention to promote after refusing it in their time.
The championship is wide open, as other teams could very well emerge. Notably, Ronchin and Thiais had strong seasons in 2022. Other clubs more accustomed to Division 1 could also aim for the title without seeking promotion, such as La Rochelle, Rouen, or Sénart.
Two clubs broadcast their home games last year: Meyzieu and Valenciennes. We don’t have information if 2023 will see more broadcasts.
Open championship: Play ball
