“We all have a common fight to ban the cheating,” insists Yann Roubert, the new president of the League

The next semi-finals of the Top 14, which will take place this year in Lyon (Friday, June 20 and Saturday, June 21), are already promising to be a success. The some 120,000 places in the two matches have been sold since January. In just 12 days. On the occasion of the presentation of this unmissable meeting of French rugby, Yann Roubert, the new president of the National Rugby League, swept the rich news of the oval ball in France. And to announce, for the Top 14 final at the Stade de France on June 28, a major pre-match show staged by the dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied.

This year, the semi-finals of the Top 14 will take place in Lyon. Is it a coincidence?
Yann Roubert : Indeed, the decision dates from before me, so I cannot be taxed to have been biased. But it is a nice wink and I will obviously be delighted to find Lyon, this city that I know well and that I love.

For the final at the Stade de France, you have decided to organize a pre-match show choreographed by Benjamin Millepied…
A finish is always exceptional. This year, there will be an exceptional opening ceremony with Benjamin Millepied. He finds a certain aesthetics in rugby, so there will be two shows. Some will be able to find rugby a little less graceful than dance (smile) … but it will be a beautiful first at the Stade de France to see this show which will mix contemporary dance and rugby. Both can mix and Benjamin will prove it.

The LNR and the Toulouse stadium have reached an agreement. So now this Jaminet affair is purged, we can look before

What do you remember from your first days at the head of the league?
Let’s go strong, there is no dead time. I did not think of it and it is when arriving. We had our first offices, our first steering committee. With, already, decisions to be made on principles to prepare for next season, strengthen the sanctions against the Salary Cap and then many exciting things that will take care of us for the next four years.

The Salary Cap is really one of your priority sites …
Yes, it is an absolutely essential safeguard for the sustainability of the economic models of our clubs and for the competitiveness of our championships. So we are very attached. It must of course be preserved and ensure that its control is as effective as possible and that the sanctions are very dissuasive, blocked at maturity if there is a need.

Did the Jaminet transfer case not throw a disorder? We talked about the conditions of this transfer, the Salary Cap, but also an image contract …
This case was purged in the mediation chamber. The LNR and the Toulouse stadium have reached an agreement. So now this affair is purged, we can look in front. The A2R (ex-DNACG) has seized the file and will do its diligence independently because the LNR no longer has to intervene on the subject. Afterwards, regardless of this affair, which now is behind us, it is obvious that the Salary Cap must be preserved, reinforced and respected.

Should sanctions also be strengthened? We see that cases of offense are increasing (Montpellier, Toulon, Toulouse)…
I admit that I am in favor of the fact that the sanctions are reinforced and that they can include sports sanctions for the clubs possibly cheaters, because we all have a common fight to ban the cheating of rugby. There is no club president who will not agree with that. We will propose to the steering committee of principles to strengthen these sanctions and apply them next season.

We do not forget to teach our children to bike even if there are falls. And we do not cancel the Tour de France however…

Sébastien Chabal’s latest statements made a big noise. How do you react to that?
Obviously, you have to be lucid on the fact that you are a contact Sport. Remember that we try to take all possible measures. Compared to the time when Sébastien played, things have evolved because it is a moving subject. So you have to evolve, always put yourself at best what you can do to avoid risks because players’ health is an obviously essential issue. Today, we have connected toothbooks, we have independent match doctors, we have the rules that have changed in amateur rugby, we have the blue card that has been set up … because this fight is obviously common with the federation, the league, all clubs and all rugby lovers.

Do you have to go even further?
You should never stop because obviously, each accident is an accident too much and therefore as long as there will be, we will have to do our best to limit them. Afterwards, we must not forget that rugby is a wonderful sport. Parents must be reassured by the fact that if each accident is an accident too much, in the bicycle, we do not forget to teach our children to bike even if there are falls. And we do not cancel the Tour de France however … in rugby, let’s do what we can to limit the risk, knowing that this zero risk does not exist. Let us not forget that for an accident that can happen to rugby, there are thousands of moments of sharing that are happening. We must avoid generalized fear, especially of the amateur world. It is important to reassure parents. We must both be lucid and do everything in our power to limit the concerns of concussion and physical concerns for all rugby players.

Several so-called “premium” internationals have expressed the wish to compete for the next XV tour of France in New Zealand. Can there be a change in the agreement between the FFR and the LNR?
We have indeed heard and we can understand that players want to go and confront All Blacks at home and tour in New Zealand. We can understand that they want it. Afterwards, we must take into account both the challenges of the French team, the will of the players and the challenges of the clubs to have a balance and a situation that suits everyone so as not to jeopardize our clubs, our players, our French team.

Where are you discussions with the FFR on this?
They will take place from next week with the representatives of the LNR who will meet those of the Federation.

Do you feel that clubs are receptive to the argument of players who want to go to New Zealand?
Club presidents are obviously sensitive to the desires of their players but also completely lucid on their challenges and needs. So we will discuss it calmly before we can make a decision that will allow everyone to be announced.

Read too
Rugby: intransigence in case of cheating, relations with the FFR, defense of the top 14, the priorities of the new league president

We talked about the top 14 final in 2015 at the Stade de France. What about that of 2026 knowing that the Dyonisian enclosure could change its concessionaire?
If the future concessionaire is the GL Events group, the conditions are determined. In 2025 and 2026, we were back at the Stade de France after a beautiful Marseille parenthesis last year.

On the coming 30 years, there will be 25 or 26 finals that will happen at the Stade de France

And over time?
The conditions are agreed so that over the coming 30 years, there are 25 or 26 finals that take place at the Stade de France. So there may be some exceptional events outside the Stade de France but the place of the finals, in general and in a classic way, it is obviously the Stade de France where we have wonderful moments to share.

You haven’t been related to GL Events since you are the president of the League?
No, I resigned from the Lou Rugby after my election, with a lot of emotions obviously because it was a beautiful parenthesis. Now there is a new page that opens where I will be in the League.

Read too
Rugby: Castaignède, Glavany … The composition of the new LNR steering committee unveiled

A report published by the League last week alert on precarious financial health of professional clubs. Ten of the fourteen pros clubs that are in the red …
We can be happy with the growth of rugby income. Afterwards, you have to be lucid that there are many clubs that are in deficit. So thank you to those who fill them because they are presidents, owners who often invest in their personal funds. Thank you to the public, to the partners who are there to maintain this growth. This means that rugby has good potential and is growing. We see it in the audiences, in stadium frequentations, in TV audiences. It’s all the better. Afterwards, there are savings that must find their balance and that are fragile. This precisely implies respect for the Salary Cap, at its strengthening, to be good managers so that this growth can give more serenity to all professional clubs in French rugby.

We have a model that works, which is a European reference, even a global reference, any false modesty apart

Regarding the next law studied by the Senate on the professionalization of sport. What worries you in this law and that goes in your direction?
In this law, there are three components. One, on which we are perfectly supporting, that is all that is against hacking, because it is a scourge and a danger for French professional sport, not just rugby. We are very supportive and we would even be delighted that this law passes as quickly as possible on these aspects. There is a whole component on everything that goes towards more transparency, for the prevention of conflicts of interest, for the limitation of the wages of the presidents, which poses no problem for us because we have absolutely nothing to hide from the National Rugby League. And then there is a component that worries us more, which is that on the relations between federations and leagues. We have a model that works, which is a European reference, even a global reference, any false modesty aside. I think we can say that French club rugby is the first in the world, in any case the one that attracts the most stars of this game, the most people in the stadiums, the most people in front of their TV. So obviously should not be jeopardized. These are facilities that can be quite simple to formalize. So we suggested it to senators, when they received us, we hope to have been heard. And if this text becomes balanced, we will be supporters.

Regarding your status of your status as president of the league. There was talk of your remuneration for this role. What about?
No, it was not in the priorities of the agenda. But yes, in all transparency, I always said it was a conviction, but not a condition. So indeed, it will be necessary to submit that to all presidents, because on this subject, as on the others, it is the majority of the presidents who decide. But yes, the subject will have to be discussed. My wife is worried … (laughs) We will see what it is. I said that I couldn’t have a full -time volunteer. I have a few months in front of me. But this subject will have to be decided.