He is distinguished from his uncle, Renaud de Pons, Seneschal of Gascony, in contemporary documents by the epithets senior (the elder) and junior (the younger).

[1] In 1206, Renaud was one of those who swore on John's behalf to uphold the two-year truce concluded with Philip II, King of France, extending the peace that had ended the Anglo-French war in 1204.

[1] On 6 April 1212, Renaud pledged to pay an indemnity of 20,000 sous of Poitiers for damage his men had done to the property of the abbey of Saint-Jean-d'Angély during a military campaign.

He was at the time, "willingly entering the land of Spain to meet the Saracens for the defence of the Christian faith" (Sarracenis Hispaniae terram intrantibus volens occurrere pro defensione fidei christianae).

[1] Following the declaration of war against France by Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1213 Philip II called up his barons.

Renaud was one of them, but like most Poitevins he ignored the summons and remained loyal to John, who landed at La Rochelle with an army to assist Otto in February 1214.

[1] After the death of King John in October 1216, Hubert de Burgh, seneschal of Poitou, had Cognac seized, sparking a war with Renaud II.

This mission was apparently successful, for in the resulting war in the Saintonge, Henry III came to France with an army and even stayed for eight days at Pons.