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| - The French rugby union federation on Tuesday streamlined its third division, creating a single pool of 14 teams in the hope it offers clubs the chance to get on a proper footing before venturing into the professional leagues. The third division, which will be called la Nationale, was previously the Federale 1 and comprised an unwieldly 48 teams divided into four pools of 12. The new Nationale represented a "real anteroom for the professional divisions... a springboard towards the elite", the federation said in reference to the Top 14 and the second division ProD2. The Nationale is scheduled to start on September 12-13 and run until April 24-25, with play-offs for promotion into the ProD2 in May culminating in a final on May 29-30. Albi, Dax, Massy, Nice, Tarbes, Suresnes, Blagnac, Aubenas, Narbonne, Bourgoin, Dijon, Chambery, Bourg-en-Bresse and Cognac will make up the new division between Federale 1 and the ProD2. mca/lp/mw
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