The decisions keep coming and the nightmare goes on (or comes to an end). On Friday, the FFR confirmed the general forfeit of Niort. “Following the club’s decision to withdraw from the Nationale championship, the FFR points out that, in line with its last statement of 9 March, it is considered to have forfeited for the remainder of the sporting season“.

The Federation also said it “regrets that the club did not alert the FFR sooner, nor request the support that can be offered to clubs facing economic difficulties, in order to anticipate and avoid such a situation“.

Thursday was a particularly hectic day for Niort (Nationale). In the evening, our colleagues at Actu.fr reported that the club had been relegated by the FFR to Fédérale 3 for the 2026-2027 season because its debts are too large.

In a statement released on Friday morning, Niort said they wanted to “lodge an appeal” against the decision to relegate the club. They went on: “Over the coming weeks it will work on putting together a case, so that the club can play at a level that allows it to preserve the excellence of the academy built up over the years and the cornerstone of its future“.

That is not all, as the Niort president, Gilbert Nasarre, tendered his resignation at a board meeting held on the same day. The general secretary of the Association, Charles Fraize, has been appointed president of SAS Niort Rugby.

A whole squad left in a hurry

As for the relegation, the Deux-Sèvres club has 7 days to appeal against the decision. On Thursday, though, the Niort commercial court had decided to place the club in administration rather than liquidation. Niort, however, will not travel to Chambéry on 21 March. And they will not play again between now and the end of the season. A general forfeit – the second after Tarbes – which will once again turn the Nationale table upside down but which leaves a whole squad of players and a coaching staff high and dry. For them, the situation is urgent.