Some can breathe again. Others are still out in the cold. Such is the life of a Nationale player, whether he comes from Tarbes or from Niort. After Stado Tarbes filed for bankruptcy and Niort’s liquidation was confirmed, a few players from the two clubs have been able to find a new club and see out the season with a little more stability.

“Today I have players living on minimum federation contracts. Guys living on 1,500 euros a month, with the rent sometimes covered by the club. Right now they have neither those 1,500 euros to eat with, nor their rent being paid“, former Niort manager Damien Neveu told us a few weeks ago.

The urgency is real. Fortunately, some clubs hit by a cascade of injuries have held out a hand to players who needed one just as badly. Starting with Valence-Romans. The Drôme side have put their faith in Niort wing Paul Marsan (24) as a medical joker. He has already played his first minutes, against Oyonnax last Friday.

One player on trial in Pro D2

On loan from Toulon, fly-half Lohan Sabbia (22) has returned to the Rade. Elsewhere, powerful South African lock Stephan Le Roux has signed for Aurillac ahead of next season, while his back-row team-mate Youssouf Yatera will join Suresnes. Further departures should be confirmed shortly and several Niort men are being tracked by clubs in the division.

It is at Tarbes that the departures have been most numerous. Hooker Florian Lamothe (26) has joined the ranks at Mont-de-Marsan to cover for the injury that has ended Namibian Torsten van Jaarsveld’s season. According to our colleagues at Midi Olympique, young prop Luka Vea (23) is on trial at Biarritz.

His former team-mate, lock Baptiste Peytavi, is heading back to Céret, the club that developed him, while centre Nathan Van de Ven (23), who came through at Peyrehorade in the Landes and played age-grade rugby at Bayonne and Biarritz, has been signed as an “additional player” by Périgueux, an ambitious Nationale club.

Wing-cum-centre Jonathan Duffau (27) has chosen to sign for RC Saint-Gaudens XIII, as has his fellow centre Maile Mamao (30). A first piece of good news for men who have lived with uncertainty and doubt for many weeks.