The Jean Bapt was born of a tragic event in March 2021, when RCAV were struck by the death of one of their senior players, Jean Baptiste Clerc, 26, nicknamed “l’Arbalète” by his team-mates. The young player lost his life while hiking on the emblematic mountain of La Tournette, on the edge of Lake Annecy.

“After Jean Bapt’s funeral, the idea came to us to create, once that period of mourning was over, an event that celebrates life among friends”, says Amaury Festor, one of the driving forces behind this fine occasion. The plan was to organise a touch rugby tournament to make it as accessible as possible.

Success was immediate: the values and the spirit surrounding the event were embraced in the best possible way by the wider rugby family. That led to a huge number of entries for the tournament from the very first year. The number of teams, once capped at 25, is now capped at 50, twice as many. Every year, more and more teams and partners come together to honour the memory of Jean Baptiste Clerc. Five editions already since 2021, and Rugby Club d’Annecy-le-Vieux are getting ready to host the sixth in June 2026.
The Jean Bapt festival is the perfect occasion to start the summer at full speed, at the Glaisins sports complex in Annecy-le-Vieux, in Haute-Savoie.

Touch rugby, open to everyone.

The tournament is split into an amateur section and a competitive section. Men, women, young and less young, from France, Switzerland, Italy or elsewhere: there is something for everyone. Up for grabs are two champions’ shields: the “l’Arbalète” shields. The “Bouclier de la Rose” also rewards the best women’s team in the tournament’s overall standings.

A producers’ fair notably appeared at the 2025 edition, turning the occasion into a genuine festival built around rugby. A chance to showcase Savoyard craftsmanship and to grow rugby further across Haute-Savoie.

For Amaury, “the secret of the Jean Bapt comes down to one thing: it’s an event founded by mates, for the pleasure of getting together. And every year, we get good weather”.

For the 2026 edition, “l’Arbalète’s” team-mates are going to take his shield to the summit of La Tournette so that, once again, from up there, “Jean Bapt blows on the clouds to let his light through”.