A press briefing is scheduled this morning by the Mayor of Nice regarding the situation of the local rugby club, RNCA. It is known that after finishing the sports season in 7th place, reflecting a difficult season in terms of club performance, the club has been provisionally relegated to Federal 3 by the DNACG of the Rugby Federation due to a severe deficit. A liquidation procedure for the club is also under consideration by the court, with suspension requests that have all been accepted so far.
We will not revisit the recent history of the club that we have discussed on many occasions, nor the responsibilities of various parties. Today, it is about, if conditions allow, ensuring the club continues its life in Federal 1, otherwise, everything will have to start from scratch… or almost.
But the future necessarily involves the past, which in this case means a heavy deficit (estimated to be 1.2 million euros, a figure that needs confirmation).
The memory is still fresh of the intensely verbal disputes between the president of the “Changer d’Ère” group in the City Council, Patrick Allemand, and the Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, along with his sports deputy, Gilles Veissière, regarding the responsibility for the “failure” of the Deffins-Tordo project that left the club financially drained from the promised funding by the Montpellier businessman.
In fact, the socialist opponent criticized the Mayor’s preference for this project over another proposed by local entrepreneur Pascal Coste.
This led to a three-way sterile controversy, with Patrick Allemand, Pascal Coste, and Gilles Veissière exchanging accusations and controversial truths in the columns of the local daily.
Then, the recent emergence of a major figure in French rugby, Thierry Perez, former president of Montpellier and current Vice-President of the LNR (the Montpellier-Nice axis is indeed very prolific!). On this subject, we will add nothing to what we have already written in a previous article.
Thierry Perez’s reputation is top-notch, to use a fashionable term, making him the ideal person to give shape to a revival project which, although it has potential, has so far lacked a capable and experienced leader.
Talking about the “nervus rerum,” which is not a factor to be neglected, the club must ensure a comfortable budget by having a turnover revenue/expenditure of at least 2 million euros per season (including 1 million in subsidies from local authorities, primarily the City Hall, and the rest in equity).
That is for the future. But which investor will put money to clear past debts?
Now the City Hall, after denying any involvement in this matter (one wonders why, given that it was its duty to act since it is the true “shareholder” of a club with more than 700 licensees), is now hard at work, as it should be, to find solutions.
Thierry Perez is likely the card for the future (but under what conditions?), how can the debt meter be reset to zero?
The answer is simple: With a special grant that was already voted on and provided at the beginning of 2011 in a similar situation when the Anglo-Monégasque financier Paul White withdrew his support for the oval club.
But apparently, it will not be so easy, or at least without the unanimous political support requested by Mr. Mayor, as can be understood from the following statement:
The elected officials of the “Changer d’ère” group will participate in the Sports Commission meeting on May 4, 2012, organized by the Deputy Mayor with only one item on the agenda: the “rugby situation” in Nice.
But the way Christian ESTROSI acts is unacceptable. He is putting pressure on his opposition by indicating to the leaders that he will only proceed with the club’s rescue if he has unanimity from his City Council to vote for yet another balancing subsidy to cover yet another deficit. This is his record in managing this issue.
We will not yield to the unanimity blackmail.
Mr. ESTROSI has a comfortable majority of 57 municipal councilors out of 69 elected, allowing him to do everything and even to assume his decisions collectively. Let him not try to place the responsibility on the opposition for a situation he has either created or endorsed, leading the club into trouble and already costing Nice taxpayers several million euros.
Patrick Allemand, City Councilor, President of the “Changer d’ère” Group
Conclusion and moral: Using the title of a hit movie from a few years ago, “Should we save Private Rugby?”.
Everyone will have their response…
