Rugby. Should the Landes derby be relocated to Bayonne?

After conceding 50 points last week in Béziers in Hérault, the Dacquois could have bounced back with a home match, against their best enemies, the neighbors Mons. Yes, but now, the leaders of US Dax have decided to relocate the meeting to Bayonne, on a Saturday afternoon. The economic reasons are obvious, the players and staff will have to live with it.

The Dacquois took a blow to the head. The heavy defeat brought back from Béziers sows doubt in people's minds. The Reds and Whites completely missed their meeting, and to make matters worse, they filled the infirmary a little more. “It’s incomprehensible, these tactical errors, this lack of investment, we will have to react very quickly” annoys Jeff Dubois, the team manager. The US Dax collective has not been spared in recent days, if we add to the defeat, police custody and the investigation for “violence” and “sexual assault” concerning two Fijian players.

Playing in Bayonne is not playing at home ?

For players and staff members, the answer is clear. Everyone would have preferred to host Mont-de-Marsan in Dax, at the Maurice Boyau stadium.“Here, there are no unknowns, we know everything by heart. We have our bearings. We're going to set up at Jean Dauger, the day before the match, but we'll come back to sleep in Dax, that's not all. It's not the same.” deplores Jeff Dubois, very attached to the atmosphere of these Landes derbies. “We will try to play as best as possible to make the supporters who have come proud, to thank them. Jean Dauger, it’s a beautiful stadium.” confides Jean-Baptiste Barrère, Dacquois captain.

We will try to live up to it.

Jean-Baptiste Barrère

Captain of the US Dax

With this relocation of the Landes derby to Bayonne, the Dacquois leaders hope to accommodate nearly 13,500 spectators, the capacity of Jean Dauger. Such an attendance would guarantee better revenues despite the cost of renting the stadium. “We are already beyond our expectations. The goal is that as many people as possible can attend the meeting.” explains Adrien Asteggiano, the general director of US DAX.

This relocation of this derby to Bayonne has been fueling conversions for weeks in Dax, starting with business owners. “If the match had been played here, we would have worked at lunchtime and in the evening. There, we are afraid that people will stay in Bayonne to enjoy the post-match.”

“In the event of victory, as many will go there by bus, I hope that the Dacquois will come back here to the square to celebrate” traders react.

At town hall, the pill is harder to swallow “We have just carried out 800,000 euros of work at the Maurice Boyau stadium to welcome the public in better conditions and when we can fill up, the managers relocate. Not to mention the loss of income for local businesses” plague Julien Dubois, the mayor of Dax.

The people of Mont watch all this agitation out of the corner of their eyes. They chose to set it up at their stadium in Mont de Marsan. Then, they will go to sleep in Bayonne, as in almost all away matches, the equation is simpler on their side.

Rugby Magazine every Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on France3 Nouvelle Aquitaine.