Two months after the win over Mont-de-Marsan (31-26) that gave Nice a historic promotion to Pro D2, the club's players are living through a nightmare summer. Entry refused by the A2R, relegation confirmed, resignations at the top of the club one after another: in a joint statement published on Wednesday, the dressing room speaks out to stop Nissa Rugby from disappearing altogether.

A statement from Nissa Rugby’s players to sound the alarm over the club’s future

“A few weeks ago, we lived through one of the finest moments of our careers. Today, we struggle to believe this story could already be over.” The tone of the statement, circulated in particular through the LinkedIn account of Thibaud Rey, a Nice back-rower since 2019, is sombre. The fifty players in the squad speak of their “fear” of “having to tell our families that we must leave, sometimes at short notice, sometimes without knowing where we will be playing next”.

Beyond their own situation, the players point out what the club represents: 120 employees, 850 registered members, coaches, volunteers and partners. “Nobody deserves to see so much effort wiped away like this,” they write.

An administrative relegation despite promotion to Pro D2

On the pitch, Nice had won everything. But the A2R, the body that vets the finances of professional clubs, refused the club entry to Pro D2, for want of the financial guarantee of around 4.5 million euros required to underwrite a budget of some ten million. The disciplinary committee confirmed the relegation to the federal divisions, along with a five-point deduction and a fine of 40,000 euros. The resignation of president Jean-Baptiste Aldigé, followed by that of Patrice Prévot, left the club deep in uncertainty.

An appeal has been lodged, but it does not suspend the decision. “We are not looking for people to blame, or for controversy. We are simply making an appeal,” insist the players, who ask “everyone who can act to come together and do everything possible to stop Nissa Rugby from disappearing”. And they conclude: “For our club. For our city. For our families. For every child who dreams of wearing this shirt one day.”