Only a few months ago, Basque XIII did not exist. A few training sessions organised “on a grass pitch next to the Cavaliers beach in Anglet”, a freshly created association but, above all, players brought together around a shared project.

Today, the Basque rugby league club are preparing to play a semi-final against Toulon, with a possible promotion to Nationale 2 in their sights. A meteoric rise. The problem is that the trip to the Var is going to be expensive. Very expensive indeed.

“We had estimated the trip at around 9,000 euros, but thanks to several backers, in particular our coach company, the figure has been revised down to about 5,000 euros“, explains Renaud Davant, the team’s back-rower and the club’s general secretary.

A lack of grants

To raise the money, the club launched an online fundraiser, widely shared. It has brought in more than 3,000 euros through those donations. The fundraiser is still open to help the club get to Toulon by Sunday.

Playing in Nationale 3, the top level of French rugby league, Basque XIII were able to count at the start of the season on private and local partners, with no grants available in their first year. “We went to see a lot of small businesses. Everywhere we went, we asked for support“, smiles Davant. “We were starting from nothing, with no results to show, and yet several companies came with us“.

Beyond this semi-final, Basque XIII are also thinking about the future. A place in the final would automatically mean promotion to Nationale 2. “Then the budget could double, or even triple, with longer trips “, the team’s back-rower admits. “But this time we will also be able to lean on a successful season to go and find partners.”

“We have a semi-final to play and we’re going to play it to win it. We’re not going there as tourists“, concludes the player-cum-secretary. That says it all. The link to the fundraiser is available here, be quick, there are only two days left…