The third stage of the Sport-Boules M1 League took place on Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Saint-Vulbas. OGC Nice played four matches there. The Azure team leaves with two victories and six additional points in the general standings. Nice now occupies seventh place with 26 points, before the fourth stage scheduled for Chazelles-sur-Lyon.
Saint-Vulbas (Ain) hosted the third stage of the Sport-Boules M1 League on Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7, 2026. Sixteen teams participated in this competition organized over ten stages. Each meeting allows teams to earn points for the general standings and move closer to the final victory.
OGC Nice was among the expected teams in this championship. The Nice team comes off two seasons marked by a podium presence, with a second-place finish in 2024 and a third-place finish in 2025. Before this third meeting of the season, Nice occupied seventh place with 20 points, fourteen units behind leader CRO Lyon.
The squad fielded in Saint-Vulbas included Emmanuel Bilon, Jérémy Micoud, Bastien Paradis and Luc Ayral. The schedule immediately proposed a duel against the Lyonnais leaders.
Friday evening, the match between Nice and CRO Lyon lived up to expectations. The Nice players put up strong opposition but fell short, losing 5 to 7. This defeat did not prevent the Azure team from remaining in contention for qualification in a strong group.
Saturday morning, Nice bounced back against Lagnieu. The Nice players won the match 10 to 7. At the same time, CRO Lyon’s victory against Saint-Vulbas secured first place in the group for the Lyonnais.
The third pool match pitted Nice against the local players. Saint-Vulbas won 8 to 4. This result placed OGC Nice in third place in the group with one victory in three matches.
The Nice players then played a ranking match against Saint-Quentin-Fallavier. This final match resulted in a clear Nice victory, with a score of 13 to 4. This second success of the weekend allows the Azure team to add six points to the general standings.
The stage final pitted Plaine de l’Ain against Métropole de Lyon. Plaine de l’Ain won 11 to 5 in this match.
A long schedule still ahead in the season
After this third stage, OGC Nice holds seventh place in the general standings. The total now reaches 26 points. The championship remains wide open with several stages still to come.
The next event will take place on March 20 and 21 in Chazelles-sur-Lyon. This fourth stage will be another test for the Nice team in a competition where every point counts to stay in contention for the final standings.
The season also features an anticipated meeting in Nice. On April 3 and 4, the Sport-Boules M1 League will hold a stage in the capital of the Azure Coast. The agreement for this organization was signed on Friday, March 27, 2026 at the Gé Gallaratto bowls ground.
The sporting event will also continue on Sunday with the third edition of the Grand Prix of the City of Nice.
Alain Popot indicated that this signature marked the starting point for an organization project around this Nice stage. This meeting will allow the Sport-Boules M1 League to return to Nice and once again place the city in the national calendar of the sport.
The 2026 Sport-Boules M1 League season continues with several stages still on the program. The upcoming matches will tell whether OGC Nice manages to move closer to the top places before the meeting organized at home in early April.
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