They sealed their maiden campaign in EPCR’s top tier competition by finishing eighth in the TOP 14 to take the last qualifying place.

Previously, Bayonne have been regulars in the EPCR Challenge Cup – apart from 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2021-22, when they were in France’s Pro D2.

The furthest they have reached in the Challenge Cup was the quarter-finals in 2005-06, only their second season in it, when they lost 48-5 at London Irish.

However, they were unfortunate not to make the knockout stages in 2009/10 and 2012/13, when they won four out of their six pool games.

They now boast a multi-national squad comprising Argentinian, Australian, South African, English, Samoan, Georgian, Tongan and Fijian internationals as well as French, whom little-known head coach Grégory Patat has moulded together into an effective unit.

Their biggest names are probably veteran France half-backs Camille Lopez and Maxime Machenaud, Argentinian hooker Facundo Bosch, South African back-row forward Uzair Cassiem, English wing Marland Yarde and Australian back Luke Morahan.

Aviron Bayonnais will make EPCR history next season, when they appear in the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time.