1st round draw, to be played the weekend of 1 November:

Bias v Réalmont
Baroudeurs de Pia v Sauveterre
Mille v Palau
Entraigues v Montpellier
Le Barcares v Toulouse JJ
Salses v Lescure
Apt v Tonneins
Baho v Cavaillon
Albi v Lyon-Villeurbanne
Le Cabardes v Villefranche

I'll be in Toulouse for the France v New Zealand game on the 31st. Any grounds I'll possibly pass on the way back to Girona on the Sunday? If possible I'd quite fancy to catch a game.

Depends which way you're going back, without trying to sound too flippant.

Le Cabardes are just outside Carcassonne, then there are the ones around Perpignan - Baroudeurs, Baho, Le Barcares, Apt. Of those, I'd suggest Baho

Toulouse past Carcassonne, just south of Narbonne then down past Perpignan to Girona.
Found Baho on the map. Thanks

Is TO in the LD this year?

Would doubt it with them playing in the English Leagues

N

They've buggered about with the format given the numbers. This first round sees twenty of the clubs outside the top flight play off.
The next round sees Corbeil, winners of Élite 2 last season, join the ten winners. Three clubs will get byes while the other eight face off.
The following round sees the nine Élite 1 clubs, the four winners and the three receiving byes play off and then it's straight knockout with the semis on neutral ground.
Questions?

Was this format created by the SL, only thing thats missing is pick your opponent

It's out of necessity really given the numbers involved.

Albi are through, 40-24 winners over Lyon.

Other results are beginning to come through.

Le Barcares, Entraigues, Lescure, Apt, Sauveterre and Mille are all through.

Results:
Bias 24-22 Réalmont
Baroudeurs de Pia 11-21 Sauveterre
Mille 22-40 Palau
Entraigues 29-18 Montpellier
Le Barcares 35-31 Toulouse JJ
Salses 24-36 Lescure
Apt 34-26 Tonneins
Baho 104-10 Cavaillon
Albi 40-24 Lyon-Villeurbanne
Le Cabardes 18-20 Villefranche

Baho looking in decent shape again after their run to the quarters last season.
Not sure when the draw is, but I'll keep my ear to the ground in my usual style.

Draw for the second round, November 9

And the draw gives us:

Le Barcares v Baho
Apt v Lescure
Sauveterre v Albi
Bias v Corbeil

Palau, Entraigues and Villefranche get the byes.