The simultaneous departure of Jean-Baptiste Aldigé and Patrice Prévot plunges Nissa Rugby into a period of uncertainty. Faced with this situation, the city of Nice through the voice of Éric Ciotti has assured that it will maintain its support in order to allow the club to compete in the 2026-2027 Pro D2 season.
The blow is harsh for Nissa Rugby. Yesterday, Friday, July 17, the president of Nissa Rugby, Jean-Baptiste Aldigé, and the president of the association, Patrice Prévot, announced their resignation at the club’s general assembly. An unexpected decision that comes just weeks after the historic promotion to Pro D2.
This double departure opens a period of uncertainty for Nice rugby. The club had just crossed a major milestone with its promotion to the second division, while continuing the structuring of the professional sector and strengthening its squad.
In a statement, the two leaders explained the reasons for this decision: “This decision, carefully considered, is necessary given a simple observation: the conditions that motivated our commitments are unfortunately no longer in place today to allow the club to continue its development serenely and to cross the stages required by its ambition.”
A few hours after this announcement, the city of Nice reacted. The municipality states that it learned with surprise of Jean-Baptiste Aldigé’s resignation, while recalling that this decision comes at a particularly sensitive moment for the club’s future.
The town hall affirms that it is implementing all means at its disposal in order to allow Nissa Rugby to compete in Pro D2 next season. A message intended to reassure members, employees and supporters, while the future of governance remains completely open.
Marcel-Volot stadium at the heart of concerns
The departure of the two presidents comes in a context marked by questions surrounding the Marcel-Volot stadium. The renovation and expansion project, validated under the previous municipal administration, has not made the expected progress since the change of majority at City Hall. Several sports commitments have also been called into question.
Yet, the speeches delivered at the reception organized at the Villa Masséna to celebrate the promotion to Pro D2 seemed to confirm the support of local authorities.
The president of the Alpes-Maritimes department, Charles-Ange Ginésy, declared at the time: “We will be there, we were in 2024, we maintained in 2025 (…) count on me as department president, count on Eric Ciotti as well, who is also president of the finance commission at the department, to advocate and ensure that the funds arrive.”
The mayor of Nice, Éric Ciotti, had also made a commitment before the players and leaders: “What we lost that was trivial during two weeks (the Olympic Games, editor’s note), we will build for entire generations. I commit to this tonight.”
In its official response, the city also recalls having supported Nissa Rugby for several seasons. The municipality points out that it has allocated this year the maximum amount of subsidies authorized by regulations. In parallel, approximately 500,000 euros of work was undertaken at the Marcel-Volot stadium in order to meet the requirements of the National Rugby League. The installation of a giant screen, work on the pitch and improvements to the sound system were among the improvements made to allow the club to compete in Pro D2.
A sporting momentum now suspended
This crisis occurs when the sporting project seemed to be gaining momentum. The squad had been largely stabilized with eleven contract renewals.
Among the forwards, Enzo Labadie, Thibaud Rey, Joel Kpoku, Farai Muradiki, Bastien Berenguel, Léo Chauvin and Hugo Sarrasin had renewed their commitments. Inoke Nalaga, Tyler Morgan, Baptiste Lafond and Clément Egiziano had done the same among the backs.
Recruitment was also progressing with the arrival of experienced players, such as New Zealand center Francis Saili, who has previously played for Biarritz, Racing 92 and Vannes.
The day after the promotion to Pro D2, Jean-Baptiste Aldigé praised the players’ commitment: “They took the risk, they took the gamble to join this beautiful project. You have won on the field the right to compete in the Promenade next year.”
Today, this momentum finds itself brutally interrupted. The two presidents believe that continuing the project is no longer possible under the current conditions. “It is our responsibility not to maintain illusions about the project’s prospects in its current context and not to distort the LNR and FFR championships,” write the leaders.
The farewell message concludes with a bitter observation: “We are stepping down from our roles with profound regret, that of not being able to see through to completion the project we were leading, despite a historic promotion to Pro D2 that testifies to the exceptional potential of our club and the enthusiasm generated at both local and national levels.”
It now remains to find new governance capable of ensuring the continuity of the sporting project. The city of Nice affirms that it remains fully mobilized to support the club during this decisive period and to preserve the presence of Nissa Rugby in Pro D2.
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