In a few days, the Tribunal of Large Instance of Nice will decide the future of Rugby Nice Côte d’Azur. To address the probable liquidation of the club, Yvan Merlino, Delphine Bechu, and Patrice Alba are trying to set up a new club: MENIR. On the sidelines of a press conference, Yvan Merlino revealed his project.
Rugby fans in Nice, as well as parents of the rugby school, are holding their breath. They don’t know if there will be a club to represent the Riviera capital next year.
Yvan Merlino proposes the creation of a new club: MENIR, which he presented to the press this Wednesday afternoon. Yvan Merlino quickly sets the scene: “Our objective is to offer an entity, a club, a strong idea of rugby.”
Although the club is not yet in place, Yvan Merlino knows where he would like to play: at the Arboras stadium, which has the advantage of having fields “worthy of the name.”
A well-constructed sports project
Yvan Merlino does not want to repeat past mistakes made by other Nice clubs. His ambitions for MENIR do not seem insurmountable. If the project is successful, MENIR will be able to compete next year. In which division? The answer will be provided by the French Rugby Federation. In any case, Yvan Merlino aims to be at least in Fédérale 3 within three seasons.
While initially talking about the senior team, Yvan Merlino does not forget the other teams. “In my club, I do not want an omnipotent formation. Our budget will be divided equally among all teams.” he assures.
MENIR already looking to the future
If the City Hall accepts MENIR’s application, the club will have to quickly turn to the next season. And Yvan Merlino and his team have already begun this forward march. Delphine Bechu Gualtieri, MENIR’s secretary, stated that the club had “already recorded a hundred signatures.”
Yvan Merlino knows that Nice will lose some of its players. And he understands this very well. “Such a debacle leaves traces. Given that MENIR is not yet the Nice club, players are turning to surrounding cities. But I am convinced that they will join us later” he states.
