 Stadoceste Tarbais, which had just been promoted to the 4th division (Fédérale 2), made CA Lannemezan an offer to join forces in order to build a strong viable club and reach Top 14 in the near future.Tarbes and Lannemezan are 35 km apart.The plan was backed by the local government of Hautes-Pyrénées, which would only support one top level club in the area.