The fate of Nissa Rugby in Pro D2 could be decided in the coming days. The Nice club now knows the date of its hearing before the appeals commission of the French Rugby Federation. A decisive step following the refusal of commitment pronounced by the National Rugby League.
Nissa Rugby is moving towards a determining deadline. The leaders of the Nice club are summoned before the appeals commission of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) on Friday, August 7, 2026 at 9:30 AM. The hearing will take place via videoconference.
This meeting comes after the decision of the disciplinary council of the National Rugby League (LNR), issued on July 25. The body had refused the club’s commitment in Pro D2 for the 2026-2027 season. The sanction also includes a relegation, a deduction of five points in the championship in which the team will compete, and a fine of 40,000 euros.
The Nice leaders officially appealed this decision on July 31. Now, the objective remains to convince the appeals commission and to provide the required financial guarantees.
Financial guarantees still awaited
During the emergency meeting organized on July 24, Nissa Rugby had been unable to present the 4.5 million euros in guarantees demanded to secure the budget for the 2026-2027 season.
The outgoing president Jean-Baptiste Aldigé had announced a guarantee of 2.5 million euros with his partners. The balance was to be provided by the city of Nice.
On Sunday, the mayor of Nice, Éric Ciotti, expressed optimism following several exchanges with majority shareholder Louis-Vincent Gave. “ I had several conversations this weekend with Louis-Vincent Gave, majority shareholder of Nissa Rugby. I am pleased by the extremely positive nature of our exchanges which give hope for a favorable outcome for our rugby club and for our city. “
The mayor also recalled the local authority’s financial commitments. “We have gone to the maximum effort we can make. We are ready to commit 3.5 million euros for Nissa Rugby, which is a considerable sum.” The municipality also plans to finance a new stand with 1,400 seats and hospitality areas, for an amount of 10 million euros by September 2027.
At the same time, Éric Ciotti requested a review of the club’s expenses. “We now expect from the shareholder and the club president a responsible position: first a commitment and to build a responsible budget, because behind it there is a lot of public money for which I am accountable and I will not do anything reckless.” The mayor also believed that there was “an effort to be made on certain exorbitant salaries in the club. They must be examined in order to find a more reasonable budget.”
Players fear the outcome of the procedure
The uncertainty also weighs on the squad. On July 30, the players of Nissa Rugby published a statement to express their concerns about the situation: “ Today, we are afraid. Afraid that, in a few days, everything will stop. Afraid of having to tell our families that we must leave, sometimes urgently, sometimes without knowing where we will play tomorrow. Afraid of seeing our children leave their friends, their schools and their lives here. Afraid, quite simply, of seeing disappear in a few days what we have taken years to build. “
Before the hearing on Friday, August 7, the club must still raise the financial guarantees demanded by rugby’s financial watchdog. Despite the 2.5 million euros brought by the shareholder via Sport Inside Europe, nearly 2 million euros still remained to be found at the end of last week in order to present a budget that complies with the requirements of the governing bodies.
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