It’s now official, hooker Jawad Djoudi has signed with Rugby Nice Côte d’Azur. A high-quality reinforcement for the Azurian pack and the RNCA staff, who can now rely on an experienced player. Djoudi, 34 years old, trained at Racing Métro, has a solid career behind him at the highest level, having played successively for Gloucester, Bourgoin, Brive, and Toulon last season. With three loose-head props (Guarese, Canizares, Kalilekofe), three tight-head props (R.Sua, Faurois, Hill), and now 2 hookers (MacKie, Djoudi), the Nice front row is well-stocked. This proves that the RNCA knows they will need a dominant pack to hope to play leading roles in the very tough French Federal championship, especially in this fierce pool 2 which includes Montauban and Béziers.
Other signings by the club: props Julien Faurois (Graulhet), Ronny Sua (Albi), and Foli Kakilekofe (Grasse), second-row players David Penalva (Auch) and Afereti Sua (Albi), back row forwards Eric Espagno (Auch), Karim Dahbi (Monteux), and Romain Catoni (prospect Aix-en-Provence), scrum-half Jonathan Guerre (prospect Bourgoin), centers Bevon Armitage (Doncaster, English D2) and Olivier Galli (prospect Racing), winger Florian Garino (prospect Toulon), and fullback Arnaud Mathet (Lyon).
The group (in bold, the players who have spent at least 4 years at the club… the regulations require at least 5 of these players to be included on the match sheet)
Props: Guillaume Guarese, Damien Canizares, Ronny Sua, Julien Faurois, Grant Hill, Foli Kakilekofe
Hookers: Stuart MacKie, Jawad Djoudi
Second rows: Antoine Derrstroff, Salim Boukanoucha, David Penalva, Afereti Sua, Rami Laadila
Back rows: Dean Moxham, Alexandre Mezencev, Bastien Sainte-Croix, Eric Espagno, Gregory Herrera, Karim Dahbi, Benjamin Cazaux, Julien Orméa, Romain Catoni
Scrum-halves: Damien Delmonte, Jonathan Guerre, Benjamin Musso
Fly-halves: Mark MacHugh, Josselin Lapierre
Centers: Jérémy Benstaali, Thomas Mège, David Kacharava, Olivier Galli, Bevon Armitage
Wingers: Youssouf Dramé, Julien Roman, Paddy Warwick, Florian Garino
Fullbacks: Adrien Malavard, Arnaud Mathet
Departures
Florian Traversa and Gregory Chambon (La Seyne), Pier-Nicol Feldis and Victor Langlade (Grasse), Jérémy Malavard (Racing-Metro), François Ducourtieux (CARF), Julien Caminati (Brive), Billy Ngawini (Prato, ITA), Lomé Fa’atau (Parma, ITA), Rudi Keil (Natal Sharks), Manu Rouillier (retired), Ross Beattie
Pool 2
Nice, Grasse, La Seyne, Chateaurenard, Aubenas, Romans, Béziers, Blagnac, Lavaur, Graulhet, Montauban, Valence d’Agen.
The schedule
September 12: Nice – Graulhet (return on January 9)
September 19: La Seyne – Nice (return on January 16)
September 26: Nice – Béziers (return on January 23)
October 3: Romans – Nice (return on January 30)
October 17: Nice – Chateaurenard (return on February 13)
October 24: Nice – Lavaur (return on February 20)
November 7: Valence d’Agen – Nice (return on February 27)
November 21: Nice – Montauban (return on March 6)
November 28: Blagnac – Nice (return on March 13)
December 5: Nice – Aubenas (return on March 27)
December 12: Grasse – Nice (return on April 10)
