Fabrice Quénéhervé is a busy president even on holiday. Then again, that is partly his own doing: he has spent years arguing for a game that never stops. And it is working. Or rather, it is running.
Volunteering that never stops
How is the holiday going, President? I admit rugby never really stops, but that is the joy of volunteering. The Ligue closes for two weeks, the last one in July and the first in August, and we ring-fence that period for our teams, 15 staff. It also gives everyone a chance to switch off a bit, but there are always small end-of-season matters, loose ends to tie up while preparing the next season. That is life! They say sharks have to keep swimming to breathe, and a volunteer is much the same, he never really stops!
“Rugby everywhere, for everyone, all the time”
Was 2025/26 a good season in Brittany? A very busy one. A few years back, in the slogan we came up with when we set out our strategic plan in 2018, we said we wanted “rugby everywhere, for everyone, all the time”. We are really not far off on the “all the time” part. The competitive season ends in May, but then we have the Seven circuit, the social rugby finals come slightly later, and during the summer there is still beach rugby, while some clubs are already back in pre-season and playing friendlies in early August! So it never really stops.
REC also picked up a fine win over Suresnes. Those are encouraging signs. Last season started with a warm-up match between Vannes and Stade Toulousain at the Roudourou in Guingamp. Living that on 21 August was fantastic. It ended with Vannes going up to Top 14, then Brest hosting the French Rugby Federation’s congress. That was another real highlight: it had been 18 years since Brittany last hosted the congress, and back then RC VANNETAIS were playing in Fédérale 1!
A lot of ground has been covered since? When you think back to 2008 and where Breton rugby stood in terms of numbers, of clubs… That was yesterday, and yet, as I said in my opening speech at the FFR general assembly, “at the time of the 2007 World Cup, there were more registered football players in Brittany than registered rugby players in the whole of France”. It is a staggering figure, but it puts things in perspective. We are carrying on with our development, growth continues in Brittany. This is a region with a fine challenge to take on, and we keep working at it.
66 clubs, 14,000 members and 85% retention among officials
What does Breton rugby look like today? How many? 66 clubs, which is very stable, and the network is getting stronger. Registered numbers have passed 14,000. Growth is less pronounced than in previous years, but it is still growth. We were up 1.6% counting officials and players, men and women, together. Above all we are pleased that clubs keep getting better structured, with excellent retention: more than 85% of our club officials stay on. So club structures are improving. New groups are appearing, whether in the women’s competitions, in the youth ranks or even in men’s senior rugby. The work is paying off.
Brittany accounts for 3% of French elite rugby, with Saint-Malo in Fédérale 1, Rennes in Nationale, Vannes in Top 14, not forgetting the women of Stade Rennais… Our flagship clubs are working hard too, they keep progressing, keep moving forward, and it is genuinely a pleasure to watch and support when you are an administrator serving regional rugby.
Women’s rugby: a “rugby pour Elles” lead in every club
What are your development priorities for women’s rugby? We are working hard on keeping young girls in the game. In terms of appeal we are more than decent, including at rugby school level. This season, one aim is to strengthen the network of “rugby pour Elles” leads. There is parity in our society and in French demographics, so there should be girls and women in every one of our clubs and in every age group. So we are going to promote and develop that role of “rugby pour Elles” lead in every Breton club. It is not about “simply” looking after one group, it is about energising a club, making it attractive to a female audience, keeping our players of all ages in the game. We will also continue the U12, U15 and U18 girls’ gatherings to keep building links between age groups.
A mouthguard in the colours of the Gwen-ha-Du
And then the Breton flag is about to turn up in thousands of mouths. Tell us about that. As part of its prevention policy, from the 2027-2028 season the federation wants to make mouthguards compulsory, when until now they were only recommended. So, with a small regional wink, I would like that mouthguard to be worn out of desire rather than obligation. We would like to turn it into a fashion item, something children want to own and wear. So we have placed a bulk order that allows customisation, 5,000 units to start with, so that in time we can supply all our clubs and all our members with mouthguards in the colours of the Gwen-ha-Du, the Breton flag. Plenty of fine smiles ahead!
Breton clubs who want to take part in this bulk order can fill in the registration form.
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