“We have some good news to announce,” says Christian Baldacchino, president of RNCA, who is delighted to hand over the reins of the first team to Christophe Moni. And indeed, this man is no ordinary individual. “We tried to find downsides, and there aren’t many. On the other hand, we’ve found a lot of advantages.” Christophe Moni is from Nice. He took his first steps in the rugby elite in Nice at just 17 years old. He then continued his career in Toulon and especially at Stade Français where he experienced the highest glory for a rugby player: holding the Brennus shield and wearing the French team’s blue jersey eight times. He will surely draw inspiration from this. He retired from professional play in June 2006. Last season, he led Cergy-Pontoise to promotion to Federal 1. “He has looked elsewhere. He has the experience and he will bring it to us,” says Julien Schramm, sports director of the Azuréen club. He adds, “We had a challenging but very interesting year. We’ve moved up a level even though we failed in the match against Villeurbanne for the promotion. We’ve become structured. We’ve regained credibility. Christophe’s arrival validates everything that was done before. The club is growing, and now it can acquire someone of his stature.” Christophe Moni confirms the sports director’s words: “I’ve been able to watch the club develop over the last two or three seasons. I’ve seen the work done and the fairly significant potential.”
Suddenly, the heart takes over from the formal speech: “I got tired of seeing the club stagnate and change hands. I too want Nice rugby to take flight.”
Christophe Moni will focus his speech to the players on performance while considering that they are amateurs: “The players need to be aware that no matter the level, they must be diligent and perform well… Here, every match is fiercely contested. There are a lot of fights and factors that are hard to control. We will try to build a team that will minimize these factors to give ourselves every advantage.” In the middle of the off-season, the subject of transfers could not be overlooked. Frédéric Mohl, Khaled Khalouchi, and Jauffrey Marras are leaving Nice for personal, non-sporting reasons and will return to their respective regions. Urushadze is dedicating himself to the Georgian selection participating in the World Cup in the same group as France. No names have been mentioned for new arrivals. The priorities are a fly-half to replace Marras and a right prop. Julien Schramm is looking for players ready to commit 100% to the Nice project. He also wants to create a Nice identity with local players. Christophe Moni wishes for players capable of progressing, evolving through training and matches, and promises to be less uncompromising. A philosophy that looks to the future. A philosophy shared by President Baldacchino who praises the rugby school and the 600 licensees of the RNCA which make the Azuréen club one of the most important in France. The leaders hope to restore the somewhat tarnished image of the club, which they consider unjust.
The current project is constructing a cohesive, strong, and competent staff. It is planned to recruit an assistant coach who will specifically handle the back lines and a physical trainer. Work at the RNCA spans all sectors. Christophe Moni promises to stay several seasons to build despite his one-year contract. Paul-Henri Safayan, head of development, is working on many projects. The summer will not be restful for Nice rugby, and that’s a good thing! More good news is expected in the coming weeks.
