Crowned Nationale champions in the spring, Nissa Rugby should have been savouring their return to the professional ranks. A month before kick-off, the Riviera club find themselves fighting for their very existence in Pro D2 instead. The surprise resignation of their two presidents has precipitated an institutional and financial crisis whose outcome will be decided, in part, on Friday.

An urgent summons before the A2R

Everything accelerated with the successive departures of Jean-Baptiste Aldigé, president of the professional company, and Patrice Prévot, head of the members’ association. In walking out, the pair brought into the open the financial disagreement between them and the newly elected Nice city council.

The financial watchdog’s reaction was swift. On Monday 21 July, the A2R, formerly the DNACG, sent an official summons: Nissa Rugby will appear before its disciplinary panel on the morning of Friday 24 July. At stake is nothing less than a possible ban from entering Pro D2, a month out from a season due to start on 27 August against Biarritz.

Two conflicting accounts

On the real state of the case, sources differ sharply. According to Nice-Matin, communication has broken down between the club and the city, with roughly 2.5 million euros missing from the coffers, out of the 10 million budgeted for the season. The former directors, for their part, are said to be waiting for a gesture from the local authorities.

The picture is less bleak in Midi Olympique. According to the paper, Aldigé’s departure has not frozen the discussions, quite the opposite: talks between the various parties are said to have resumed quickly in an attempt to save the project. The sticking point remains the same, though: the financial guarantees demanded by the A2R and the professional leagues’ oversight committee, against a backdrop of infrastructure still unfinished.

Mont-de-Marsan, the beaten rivals, waiting in the wings

One club is following the case very closely. Beaten by Nice in the promotion play-off (31-26, on 31 May), Stade Montois are the natural candidates for a reprieve. According to Rugbyrama, the Landes club’s directors have already been in touch with the league to find out the terms and timetable for a possible reinstatement, should the promoted Nice side be prevented from playing.

On the field, the staff hold their course

In the middle of the administrative storm, the rugby side is trying to move forward. Reached by It’s Rugby while on holiday, defence coach Jamie Cudmore brushed aside the political dimension to refocus on his job. “That is the presidents’ job. As for me, I have nothing to add, honestly, none of that is mine to deal with, it does not concern me. We are focusing on the rugby side,” the Canadian told us. On the outgoing president, he added: “He does his job, very, very well in fact, and we are going to try to do the same on our side.” The staff are in fact heading off to a training camp in the coming days, captain Thibaud Rey to the fore, determined to prepare for the season as if nothing had happened. A composure that Friday’s verdict could put severely to the test.