After the unveiling of the new structure named Ménir “pushed” by a good portion of the leaders, educators, and parents of the rugby school’s organization and the former association’s board, the question remains relevant: What will become of rugby in Nice for the next 2012/2013 season?
While we now know the very precise proposals from the Ménir, we remain in complete uncertainty about potential other projects taking over the club. Indeed, the Administrative Court will decide this Monday on a probable liquidation of Rugby Nice Côte d’Azur and, at the time of writing this article, no other entity has come forward with a project or concrete solutions. “We are unaware of the existence of another project, but we are open to all goodwill as long as it is in the general interest of our shared passion: Rugby.” Ivan Merlino assures that he has not been contacted by the City of Nice, much less by a potential buyer.
What are the solutions?
According to the information we have, only the Ménir association seems able to offer a viable solution, especially one supported by many leaders (administration, finance, communication…), educators, and parents of young players. What about the project led by Thierry Perez or the one by Tony Catoni (unless they are one and the same)? There is no official communication on these two subjects, nor even any rumors, which suggests more an absence of a project than a well-kept secret. The same goes for the City of Nice, which does not wish to communicate on this subject and will certainly pay close attention to the administrative court’s decision.
Still, many young and less young people are waiting for a solution to better prepare for their next season. The rugby school, women’s rugby, leisure rugby, or rugby 7s must absolutely affiliate with a championship, and unlike the administrative court, the Federation will not grant any additional delays when defining its calendars. “A solution must be found before next June 20 due to the requirements imposed by the Federation,” Ivan Merlino sounds the alarm as June 20, and it’s true, is already next week!
Who, how and especially where?
While we’ve already answered the first question, for the who and the how, sustainable solutions must be quickly found to start off on the right foot. Nice’s rugby certainly needs to build a future rather than dwell on a past that will soon be shelved in the History aisle. Sure, the results once made the Nice oval (and thus Azurian) shine, but for some time now, it is mainly its setbacks that have brought attention, and unfortunately, examples abound in recent years between ghostly Anglo-Saxon or French investors.
The time would therefore have come to build (not to rebuild from the ashes of the first two structures) a real project around this sport that carries true human values. With a wonderfully running rugby school, high-level women’s teams, and a well-supplied leisure section, the groundwork seems relatively solid, and it is undoubtedly the senior team that will be the biggest challenge for the team in place. Rebirth in Federal 3 (if the federation grants it) or a new start at a more local level (Honor or Series), the future management team will have a difficult choice, but more than the choice, a project must be set in motion to give rugby its rightful place in Nice and on the Côte d’Azur. And for that, there’s no mystery and even less a magic recipe: just work!
A collaborative effort with all the active forces of the city, the department, and the region could provide the stability and dynamics necessary to implement a structured project. Local authorities, employer organizations (CCI, UPE06…), universities and business schools (UNSA, IPAG, EDHEC…), and other sports associations must be privileged partners in the future project. Indeed, besides the sometimes fantastical management of previous management teams, it is in partnership, communication, and marketing that the shoe has often pinched in recent years. And when you know the importance of a club’s image!
Another option to explore is the pooling of certain costs and resources between associations (sports or not), but also the creation of a sort of purchasing center among clubs of the same city, or even the same metropolis or department. In short, as we can see, ideas are not lacking, and it is to be hoped that, this time, we will follow these rather than hypothetical promises of funding. Finally, there remains the question of where, and while it’s clear that the Arboras complex is the emblematic place of the Nice oval, it’s not excluded that a project not retained by the city of Nice might offer its services to a neighboring town without a rugby club…
Only a few days left to wait then to see if the notoriously capricious bounce of this oval ball will this time have a more positive outcome than the previous ones and thus finally convert the try in the 5th largest city in France.
Image credit: www.povedart.com
