He is now (almost) part of the furniture. At only 28 years old, Adrien Alligner has signed a new contract extension with Niort RC for what will be his seventh season on the Espinassou pitch.
A club loyalty that he had already expressed at Stade Rochelais, his birthplace, where he was trained from a young age. “I did my four Espoirs years there even though I could have joined Niort a year earlier, he remembers. And it also allowed me to discover Apivia Parc, the new Rochelais training center. »
Finally, Adrien Alligner will join Niort RC the following year, also putting in the balance, ” his studies (licence de gestion, master marketing digital) and that allowed me not to go too far, to have my family nearby”. Since then, the powerful third line has had one season after another. “I always have this desire to continue, I’m not too old yet, I want to try to go as far as possible in Nationale 2. The level increases every year, it’s always interesting”continues the advisor to Macif, who will nevertheless devote a little less time to rugby. “This will allow me to better recover from the training load t spend more time with my daughter born in April”he adds.
“The details made the difference”
The collective ambition is still intact, despite a new disillusionment brought back from Macon during a rainy Sunday in the quarter-finals (8-6). “We digest as best we can. We’ve been close for three years, but we’re failing in the final stages. We passed the play-offs this season, but it was details that still made the difference in the end, analysis by Adrien Alligner. We want to go back and look for this climb. Everyone in the group is aware of the level we can have, we all have the same desire. »
Inevitably, with seven seasons under his belt, his role has evolved in the locker room. “We spoke with Gilbert (Nasarre, the president). With players from the club, Raph Nieto and César Baudin, we are here to integrate the new players and share the club’s values with them.”says Alligner.
“Johann pushed us a bit”
And to aim for the Holy Grail and a rise to the National, the Rochelais knows that he can count on his coaching duo composed of Johann Authier and François Uys. “Johann came for that, to bring something extra, his eye for demand and professionalism. At the beginning of last season, it shook us up a bit, now everyone is on the same wavelength. This can only bring us something for next year, says Adrien Alligner. What Laurent (Dossat) had done before was very good. He brought a lot to the field of rugby and his human qualities too, but Johann gave us the details that make the high level today. We realized that there are a lot of things to work on in all training sessions. »
After a big month of May on a physical level, the Niortais were able to cut back a little. It is now with an individual program that they begin their preparation before meeting all together in the heart of summer. New faces will be there, the NRC having announced its first recruits. And they can count on Adrien Alligner to welcome them well.
The Niort RC transfer window
They arrive : Mathéo Flieter (winger, 20 years old, Agen), Michaël Kumbirai (prop, 28 years old, Angoulême), Anthony Lavaux (center, 24 years old, Macon), Youssouf Yatera (second row, 22 years old, Suresnes), Vea Tuitala Vaea (center, 23 years old, Carcassonne), Christopher Van Leeuwen (second/third row, 29 years old, Suresnes), Mees Erasmus (prop, 29 years old, Tarbes), Yanis Gimenez (hooker, 24 years old, Vienne), Alexandre Benard (winger, 26 years old, Graulhet), Alexandre Candel (prop, 22 years old, Massy), Anthony Fuertes (fly-half, 26 years old, Tarbes), Mathis Roume (prop, 22 years old, Valence), Elouan Troadec (third row, 21 years old, La Rochelle).
They leave : Alexandre Gelade (centre), Hugo Bonnet (winger), Jérémy Russel (fly-half), Jean-Baptiste Bretagnolle (winger, Langon), Damien Fierro, Dan Barnes (centre), Lasha Mirtskhulava (prop), Tunai Vatubua (hooker), Joseph Laget (hooker), Aleksi Svianadze (prop), Gustavo Sito Alvarado (prop), Isikeli Davetawalu (third row), Damien Fierro (third row), Leka Tagotago (winger).
