Last Sunday marked the first home game for the Nice rugby players, and after two defeats away (against Castanet and La Seyne), the team from the Côte d’Azur couldn’t do better than a draw with their opponents of the day, Châteaurenard. A meager outcome on the field, but it’s behind the scenes where questions persist, and one can hardly say that the future looks bright for the Nice rugby world.
After the off-season events that led to the departure of some key figures from the club, including its president and part of the technical staff, things remain unclear at Arboras.
Certainly, the arrival of a new president, who has not yet been elected because the board meeting scheduled for last week was postponed, and a new technical staff, whose sporting abilities are well established by their track record, might have suggested a change. However, it is clear today that this renewal is far from certain. The main evidence being the total absence of the promised one million euros from the club’s coffers, as outlined in the projected budget presented by the new management team led by Philippe Deffins, with active support from the city of Nice and deputy sports delegate, Gilles Veissière.
We do not wish to prematurely judge or condemn this carefully orchestrated initiative, but aside from the financial aspect, without which a club cannot continue to live, there must also be a genuine development plan both in sporting and economic terms.
And again, not much to report apart from pre-season objectives aiming for Pro D2 and Top 14, while there’s already talk of survival and play-downs given the latest results on a field facing a situation it cannot control, at times penalizing it with salaries and bonuses still owed to some players to this day.
But other issues are also brewing, with arrears in social contributions (Urssaf, Assedic, pension fund…) adding up to current dues and the club’s and association’s ongoing management costs.
How long can the club hold on without the “providential” financial contribution?
In rugby, as elsewhere, a club cannot advance or even maintain its level without a solid project, and nothing has been concretely proposed by the new management team to date.
The list of questions remains unfortunately long, and it would be beneficial to know more about the true plans of these new “leaders” to put into perspective what might be found in a quick Google search, which initially does not inspire confidence.
The ashes of the late RRC Nice are still warm, and a certain part of the Nice rugby world seems ready to don their undertaker’s attire once again.
