Nice Premium: Julien, why a well-rounded blog on rugby?
Julien Schramm: The idea was born during the last World Cup in October 2007. I had left L’Equipe the year before, after fifteen busy years, and I was looking for an idea to bring the event to life on the Côte d’Azur when the people at “lemonde.fr” contacted me… They were looking for something original, a bit offbeat… like how people in Nice live and perceive the World Cup. We launched “Nice Rugby” whose emblem is a watermelon in the shape of an oval ball. I quickly got into it, I wrote a lot, and the blog gradually became a genuine reflection on rugby news in general. It started with a bang. I think the internet users who love rugby and sports appreciated the freedom of tone. There is a genuine culture of storytelling and writing in rugby… to which I have obviously been well exposed.
Rodolphe Rolland, with whom I played at RRC Nice 20 years ago, then joined me, bringing his own perspective; he is very cultured, and the duo is very complementary, so the blog is constantly renewed. It keeps up with current events, it’s dynamic, and the comments often have a lot of quality, hence its current small success: 2nd sports blog on the net at the moment…
NP: Is the passion for writing still deeply rooted in you?
JS: Yes, absolutely. When I left L’Equipe, I was quickly absorbed by the project to relaunch Rugby Nice Côte d’Azur, so I didn’t have much time to think about whether I would miss it. The blog came at the right time… this exercise in writing is a true joy for me.
NP: Relieved in terms of sports since last Sunday?
JS: Very happy, of course. Aix-en-Provence showed up with a very strong team. It’s a club that has announced its intentions, the promotion to Pro D2, and will certainly finish 1st in the group… so we were under pressure. We were logically put through trouble for an hour, but our last 20 minutes were superb. The score (29-19) is unequivocal, showing that our team has a lot of qualities and that it must be ambitious. Now it’s just one victory in a very tough group, probably the most difficult in the Fédérale 1. We know very well that the road is still long and that we will need to win two of our next five away games. Not easy. But since Sunday, we feel that anything is possible.
NP: And for the future, you see it rather Olympic, right?
JS: Like many people from Nice, 2018 is both far away and very close. Close because part of the journey leading to the Winter Olympics will be decided as early as next March. It puts pressure on us, but Nice’s candidacy is obvious. The Côte d’Azur is the mountain in the sea… we already see the snow at this moment.
These are the Alps in the Mediterranean. We know it. But it has to be made known. Everywhere in France, people should say: “Winter Games in Nice? It’s going to be magnificent!” That’s why all the stakeholders of Azur sports need to mobilize. In rugby, we are already putting the Nice 2018 logo on our jerseys. I have just joined the team that will animate this candidacy, it’s a great pride… and a great challenge. I recently spoke with some of the people involved in Paris 2012… they talk about their immense disappointment after the failure in 2005 against London, but all of them mostly remember the fabulous human adventure that was this candidacy… they are marked for life. That’s why we absolutely need to pass the Franco-French stage in March… and go for the international challenge. Whatever happens next, I am sure a new dynamic will sweep through the entire sports scene on the Côte d’Azur.
NP: Without forgetting, of course, “One club, one autistic child.” What are the future projects of the association?
JS: Well, the association’s objective has already been achieved since the project received official support from the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports. An agreement was signed with the FFR, the FFSA (French Federation of Adapted Sports), and the UNAPEI to carry this project on a national scale and over the long term. 60 integrations are currently happening in rugby schools all over France, which is something to be proud of… I can now take a step back and tackle other challenges.
NP: Finally, what wish would you like to see granted?
JS: It concerns these other challenges, notably providing care for autistic individuals in our department. My son Baptiste is 13 years old. In 5 years, he will be 18, and thus become an adult with autism faced with the appalling lack of suitable structures in our country. This is my next associative battle: to conceptualize and then realize this structure in the Nice region where Baptiste can one day live in harmony. But for the moment, he is doing well, so if I were to make wishes for the coming months, I would choose two: the qualification for the play-offs for Rugby Nice Côte d’Azur and that of Nice 2018 next March.
