The critical importance of this trip to Bouches-du-Rhône was well-known, against an opponent seeking a victory to give their standings a less pale complexion. Moreover, an opponent who, in the first leg at Arboras, managed to equalize and create a first obstacle for the people of Nice regarding their home invincibility plan (it was the Varois from La Seyne who first marked the defeat column in the first return match).
But, this objective was also shared by the Azuréens who, after dealing with Romans last Sunday, were eager to return from this trip with the 4 victory points added to their standings.
These opposing wills resulted in a tough and balanced match, an old-school game as they say in such cases.
And it was Nice who bravely and courageously secured the win, thanks to a solid performance that bodes well for the rest of the season.
A victory that, combined with other results, puts the purple-and-blacks in a favorable position for qualification to the finals, which remains, let’s remember, the main objective of a season challenging on the field and sensitive on a societal level (even the board).
Rugby Nice CA-Chateaurenard 16-13 (3-0)
for RNCA: 1 try by Lapierre, 1 conversion and 3 penalties by Malavard
Following the various statements published in the local press after the deliberation of a special grant awarded to Rugby Nice Club Côte d’Azur by the last City Council, President Christian Baldacchino gave us a favorable response to our request for a clarification. His words might be useful for better understanding the timeline of events and where responsibilities lie.
Since 2008, the RNCAUR club was managed by two distinct legal entities. In fact, a sports club is formed primarily by a simple association under the 1901 law. Nevertheless, to allow financing and thus the development of professional sport, the Sports Code provided the opportunity for any sports association to delegate the management of its first team to a Professional Sports Limited Company, a commercial company whose primary goal is to allow private investors to provide funding, potentially reap some benefits, and therefore foster the development of high-level Rugby.
It was in this context, and to support Nice rugby, that the Association signed a contract in June 2008, initially for three years, with an SASP created for this purpose, authorizing it to use its name RNCAUR and giving it the mandate to manage the senior team competing in the Fédérale 1 championship (equivalent to a third national division) with the undisguised goal of moving the club up to Pro2?
The first season (2008-9) went on in the greatest confidence, and the main shareholder demonstrated a real interest by investing significant funds. However, during the 2009-10 season, more precisely at the start of 2010, the Association began to worry about the SASP’s management methods.
From February 2010, the Association, through Mr. C. Baldacchino, its president, sent letters to confront the SASP with its responsibilities, both for the current season and for the preparation of the upcoming 2010-11 season.
Indeed, not only was the fee owed by the SASP to the Association under the Agreement not settled, but also significant sums that the SASP was supposed to reimburse the Association due to said agreement were unpaid (assessed in December 2009 at the amount of 110,834 euros); Generally speaking, the Association had to note critical failures of the SASP both in its administrative organization (lack in leadership of the SASP) and in legal compliance (absence of publication of accounts, absence of publication of the SASP’s resolutions); and also financially concerning federal authorities and third parties (non-payment of social organizations and suppliers, total lack of funding, absence of a budget for the 2010-11 season).
After having, for several months, sent multiple registered letters, demands, and bailiff acts to the SASP, all without any response, and having attempted to organize meetings in vain, the Association’s Board of Directors had to vote unanimously on September 6, 2010, for the early termination for breach of the agreement that bound it to the SASP. Given the above-mentioned failures, the SASP had to undergo a collective procedure by being placed under judicial recovery by a judgment of the Commercial Court of Nice on January 17, 2011. For the record, the declared debt of the Association against the SASP amounts to more than 215,000 euros.
The term “collapse” publicly used may therefore be misleading because the Club’s situation was not due to the Association but to the SASP.
It is therefore to save a Sports Rugby Association with nearly 700 members, making it one of the top 10 in France, ranging from under 7 categories to seniors and veterans, that the City of Nice agreed to intervene exceptionally to face exceptional circumstances.
The Nice rugby club, now represented solely by the Association, wishes to thank the Municipality, its Mayor, its First Deputy, its Deputy for Sports, and the City Council for the unanimously agreed effort, to support Nice rugby.
In this World Cup year, the City’s commitment will allow hundreds of our young people, in all categories combined, to continue their training and representation of our city in all national tournaments where it competes equally with the greatest Top14 clubs; The rugby school will also hold its annual tournament on Sunday, April 3, at the Stade des Arboras, a tournament in which 25 of the largest national and international clubs will participate and invites as many people as possible to come support our youth.
But the City’s commitment allows the primary team to maintain hope of reaching Pro2 within the next two years, for the arrival of the Grand Stadium, and to continue proudly representing the City’s colors in its current championship, where it is still in the running for qualification for the finals.
