The question is unfortunately at the heart of the news! People talk a lot (too much) about the past (remember the 80s) and the future (but which one?) but if we look at recent news, we only find negative facts and disappointments (bankruptcy of the Racing Rugby Club of Nice, the RNCA company, and the RNCA association). So what about rugby in Nice and on the French Riviera?
Some questions are more than timely. To envision the future, it might be necessary to start with an unflinching analysis of the past and present. And to ask, for instance, whether rugby really has all the potential people claim or if we are mistaking a streetlight for the sun.
Sometimes, daydreaming can be misleading…
In the meantime, the news is not good: After the sanction imposed by the DNACG and the demotion to Federal 3, the TGI has deliberated the liquidation of the club, which will only be effective on June 18.
The liquidation of the club will exacerbate its sporting situation because a newly formed club “should” (unless an exemption is granted) start again, strictly following the regulations, in the regional leagues.
A long road will then have to be traveled by the leaders of the future club, far from the Pro D2 ambitions displayed at the start of the season and in deep contrast to the municipality’s objective, which had hoped for a more extensive use of the future Stadium.
But, since we are talking about a new club and leaders, who are we talking about?
Because a club is not just beautiful ideas or a well-crafted project. It also involves volunteer leaders, technical staff, educators, young players, and parents who trust them.
The municipality was very clear: It will only fund amateur activities.
So what about the Catoni-Perez project (an investment of 1.2 to 1.5 million euros per year), which seems irrelevant given the current situation? The manifest endorsement of the socialist opposition for the former president of Montpellier also adds a political hint to this case.
Moreover, rumors suggest a negative position from the first team players (those who haven’t already left for other pastures), who, as creditors of unpaid salaries, have allegedly expressed their disengagement for the future.
The novelty is the creation of a new club, Nice Métropole Rugby, which brings together most of the leaders (many of whom are also parents) of the rugby school, female and leisure players, as well as young team players and coaches.
This associative structure aims to keep Nice rugby alive by refusing any connection with the past and speaking frankly: “Our project is that of a club with a strong identity, a reasonable budget managed properly every year” – say Yvan Merlino, Patrice Alba, and Delphine Bechu-Gualtieri, who are in charge.
The criticism directly targets Tony Catoni and his teammates who initiated the Deffins project. It is true that, given the sham of this plan and the catastrophic consequences for the club (dissolution with significant debt), one day the responsibilities in this strange and thorny case will need to be defined!
In conclusion, the municipality will have to quickly take a position regarding the validation of one project or the other, considering the administrative deadlines of the FFR, which do not necessarily align with the timeline of politics and local quarrels.
Because, in light of the events of recent years, the question arises in all its clarity: Is there room for rugby in Nice?
