OGC Nice experienced a challenging weekend during the fifth stage of the Sport-Boules M1 League, held at home. The Azurean team did not find the momentum they hoped for and exited the competition without a win, halfway through a still long championship.
The fifth stage of the Sport-Boules M1 League was held on Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 4, in Nice. This round marked the halfway point of the championship and represented an important moment for OGC Nice, who were in eighth place before the weekend with 32 points. The start of the season had opened up encouraging prospects, notably with a semi-final appearance during the Mâcon stage. The subsequent results were more mixed, with progress hampered by several less favorable outcomes. The Nice event could serve as a springboard, especially since last year’s Maralpine stage had turned in favor of the Niçois, supported by a large crowd.
However, the competition took a different direction. The Azureans suffered three losses during the group stage, a first for the season. On Friday evening, the opener ended in a 6 to 10 defeat against La Motte-Servolex, after a contested game that swung in favor of the Savoyards. On Saturday morning, the match against Côte-Saint-André led to another loss, 7 to 8, despite an encouraging start. The third match was even more difficult, with a 2 to 13 defeat against Décines, which condemned the team to last place in the group.
This home stage left OGC Nice at a standstill, now tenth in the overall standings, still with 32 points. The competitive level of this 2026 edition was confirmed, without allowing the Azureans to close the gap with the leading teams in a weekend where disappointment prevailed. The Nice group was composed of Didier Abrate, Emmanuel Bilon, Jérémy Micoud, Bastien Paradis, Romain Garcia, Frédéric Ascensi, and Luc Ayral.
The next stage of the championship will take place in Lyon, on April 24 and 25, for the sixth stage of a season that promises to be challenging.
