French Rugby team during the 2000s: Beauxis, Brusque, Harinordoquy, Traille and Bernat-Salles. Rebuilding and then returning to ambitions (since 2006) Section Paloise returned to the elite of French rugby in 2011-2012, after a season that saw it finish second in the championship, and undefeated at home, lost in the final against Stade Montois (29-20). In 2012-2013, the club again reached the Pro D2 final to gain promotion to the Top 14. They most recently earned promotion by winning the championship of the second-level Rugby Pro D2 in 2015, nine years after having been relegated from the top flight. On this occasion, the clubs of supporters, partners and other works councils organised a trip that will bring together no less than 142 buses to the Stade Chaban-Delmas. However, at this stage of the competition, the Section still lost to CA Brive by a score of 30-10 in front of 33,175 spectators. After another disappointment the following season against La Rochelle, defeated 35-18 at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre in the semi-finals, the club made a good recruitment for the coming season with the arrival of manager Simon Mannix. Section obtained direct access to the Top 14 that year. As soon as the season ended, Simon Mannix used his address book to bring in players like Colin Slade, Carl Hayman and Conrad Smith, considered at that time to be of the best centres in the world. Smith is now high-performance director at the club. Mannix was dismissed in 2019 after five seasons, when a string of poor results convinced the board to part ways. The first team is now coached by Thomas Domingo, Geoffrey Lanne-Petit and Paul Tito, after joint head coaches Nicolas Godignon and Frédéric Manca took a step back at the end of 2020. Club Identity Colours The colours of Section Paloise have been green and white since 1912. Previously, the players wore blue and black jerseys (a legacy of Stade palois) which were soon abandoned for these new colours. Jean Plaà (manager at the time) justified this choice as green represents the club's hopes and white the snow of the Pyrenees in Bearn. It has since become customary for the club's teams to wear a white jersey at home and a green jersey away from home. In recent years, a black and green jersey has been regularly used for playing away. Logo The coat of arms of Section Paloise represents the