The year 2025 marked a turning point for rugby in Nice. Promoted to Pro D2 in 2024, Stade Niçois experienced a difficult season, ending in last place. A long period of uncertainty followed, related to the Biarritz Olympique situation. Following the official announcement of the relegation, the club changed its name and initiated a profound restructuring under the name Nissa Rugby.
After the promotion to Pro D2 in 2024, Stade Niçois approached the 2024-2025 season with the ambition of establishing itself permanently in professional rugby. The reality of the championship proved brutal. The club from the Côte d’Azur finished in last place with 35 points. The series of fifteen consecutive defeats that started in late November against Valence weighed heavily on the outcome.
Although the club’s journey in Pro D2 ended with a home victory against US Dax, this success did not change the sporting verdict. With only seven wins in thirty matches, relegation seemed inevitable since February. The sixteenth place confirmed this observation. Stade Niçois was officially relegated to Nationale on sporting grounds.
The staff, consisting of Alexandre Campan, Sébastien Bruno, and Mariano Taverna, completed their cycle. The following season had to be written on another level. The management quickly prepared for what was next. Gareth Baber, Olympic rugby sevens champion with Fiji in Tokyo, was appointed manager. Barry Maddocks and Emiliano Bergamaschi completed this new trio. The future seemed mapped out, but an unexpected event came to disrupt this scenario.
End of season dependent on administrative decisions
The administrative relegation of Biarritz Olympique to Nationale, decided by the rugby regulatory authority, reshuffled the cards. This sanction was based on irregularities in the budget presented by the Basque club.
In this context, Stade Niçois found itself in a position of waiting. If the relegation of Biarritz was confirmed, a club could be reinstated to stay in Pro D2. The fate of the Côte d’Azur club did not only depend on this matter. The outcome of the Access match between Aurillac and Chambéry, scheduled for June 1, was also a factor.
Three scenarios emerged. Finally, the decision was made. Biarritz was retained in Pro D2. Stade Niçois was officially relegated to Nationale for the 2025-2026 season.
Nissa Rugby, a deliberate break
Relegated after a challenging season, the Nice club chose to turn the page. Stade Niçois disappeared. The project restarted under the name Nissa Rugby. This change in identity accompanied a deep transformation. The tough season served as a turning point.
President Jean-Baptiste Aldigé launched a complete overhaul. Twenty-seven departures were recorded. More than twenty recruits joined the group. The staff was entirely renewed. The clear goal from the start was to aim for a quick return to Pro D2 and to structure a sustainable project.
The recruitment set the tone with the arrival of experienced players. Waisea Nayacalevu, a former center for the Ospreys and iconic captain of Fiji, joined the adventure. As did the scrum-half Guillaume Rouet, top points scorer for Bayonne, and the 2024 Olympic champion, Jean-Pascal Barraque. A valuable player in his ability to provide alternation with Owen Williams at the fly-half position for example. In this regard, the Welsh international has had a more than satisfactory start to the season.
Up front, Adrian Motoc has brought density to the pack. Rayne Barka has strengthened the front row. Around these profiles, Nissa Rugby integrated Farai Mudariki, Hayden Thompson-Stringer, Pat Leafa, Josh Tyrell, Christiaan van der Merwe, Bilel Taieb, Masivesi Dakuwaqa, and Inoke Nalaga. The team’s scale changed.
The staff followed the same logic. Matthew Clarkin took over as sports director. Gareth Baber led the project on the field. The mission was complex: to create coherence with more than twenty new players.
The first signals were encouraging. A victory in a friendly match against Soyaux-Angoulême opened the preparation. The Nationale championship began with a win at Tarbes. The 2025-2026 season started under new conditions and continued with a great winning dynamic despite a setback on the field of Périgueux. Overall, Nissa Rugby finished the first part of the season with nine wins in fourteen matches, often displaying an explosive game, sometimes too much. While there is still a balance to be found to hope to return to the professional world, the Côte d’Azur club seems to have all the cards in hand to achieve its goals.
Nissa Rugby has entered a new era. The field will tell if this gamble will find its reward. The next answer will come on January 10 with the resumption of the Nationale, with the reception of Périgueux at 6 p.m.
