Elected in March 2021 at the head of the National Rugby League, the boss of pro rugby is relying on a largely favorable record, boosted by TV rights, to run for a second term. And with the aim of uniting the good will of all those who are ready to get involved in the name of the general interest.
Friday, 3 p.m. The phone rings four times before René Bouscatel finally picks up. The president of the LNR is on the road, heading west on his tour of the stadiums, with the ProD2 on the program: “I was yesterday in Brive-Montauban and this evening I am attending Soyaux-Angoulême – Valence-Romans. Last year, I played 64 matches, including 47 in ProD2 and Top14. I try to see all the clubs at least once at home, I'm already more than halfway there this season.” The car is stopped for a few minutes and the interview can begin. Overview and ambitions.
You are very present on the ground. Why is this important to you?
I need this direct link with the clubs, managers and presidents. This allows me to interact with current or former people, to take stock and address questions for the future according to each person's concerns: here I meet elected officials around structuring projects, elsewhere partners… It's essential in my eyes to complete the action of the Bureau and the Steering Committee of the League. We all build together.
Let's not waste any more time and get straight to the point: are you a candidate for a second term as president of the National Rugby League?
Yes, I am a candidate. Of course. Firstly because I feel very capable of it and I am extremely motivated and enthusiastic. I want to continue and, contrary to what I sometimes hear, age is neither a barrier nor a criterion… Who can boast of being as present and committed as I am in the field? Above all, I want to continue the momentum built over the last four years with the results that we know.
That's to say ?
It was said that we had self-proclaimed the best championship in the world with the Top 14. But this is no longer a self-proclamation, it is a reality. We also see the evolution that I wanted to bring to Pro D2 to bring it as close as possible to the Top 14. It's a wonderful competition.
Without forgetting women's rugby, which we try to support, now in agreement with the FFR. After deciding to include women's rugby sevens in the “In Extenso Super Seven” program, we managed to get Canal+ to broadcast half a dozen “premium” matches from the women's 15-a-side championship as well as the men's teams. . Last point, the reform of the statutes leads us to open the doors of the next steering committee to female representation.
How can this be achieved when all club presidents are men?
You forget the external personalities.
Let's come back to the strategic plan you mentioned. It was clearly chosen not to consider the possibility of having a future salaried president…
The question was widely debated before admitting that, given our organization with a Director General, the President of the League should not be remunerated.
This is an obstacle to the rejuvenation of potential candidates.
However, I recently read in the press the name of a young club president…
You are certainly talking about Yann Roubert, the president of LOU. To our knowledge, he has not declared himself…
I will not speak for him and I will not reveal any personal discussions we may have had. From what I understand, some would have requested it. To see if he decides to commit. Others will certainly think about it at some point. This is the rule and it's even quite healthy.
Except that apart from your election, the previous ones had always been decided before the votes, in a form of consensus and union.
When I launched into 2021, I appeared somewhat at the last minute, as a free candidate. But I had the desire to establish a participatory mode of operation and I believe that this was done by calming down relations with the Federation regarding the French team. We had to stop the permanent quarrels and today, we work hand in hand with the Fédé and French training is valued like never before. It is our clubs that now “bring out” the big stars of our sport.
How did this “more participatory operation” materialize?
First, we had to manage to bring everyone together, to make much more collective and united decisions. What we did, even if there will always be a club to consider, on one point or another, that a rule must evolve. It's possible, we're discussing it collectively.
For several weeks now, you have started consulting presidents likely to join your future list…
No, I just had some informal exchanges.
So, who will accompany you? Will you play the opening that some widely advocate?
First of all, I have a team around me, which will certainly be the basis of the next project if people wish to continue. But the opening you speak of has already materialized with new leaders who have emerged over the past four years. If they or others are prepared to step up, they will be welcomed in the clearest possible way to continue the great work we have been doing with all stakeholders in professional rugby. And I'm not just talking about TV rights which have been secured until 2032 (€700 million for the period 2027-2032). Clearly, the League is doing well.
Expand, please.
There are still problems to resolve, of course, but we have two magnificent competitions, with 30 clubs involved and strong models emerging. When I see the evolution of clubs like La Rochelle, Bordeaux or Bayonne for example, it’s fantastic. Others are less in real economies, supported as they wish by investors, and we must also support them in their development. In short, everyone must be considered and heard; the presence of everyone is absolutely necessary at meetings. Finally, nearly a hundred leaders who are involved in our commissions.
What will be your criteria when building your team?
Firstly, the desire to commit to the general interest. Then, obviously, skill. Finally, openness: I want to give a voice to all those who are ready to act, going beyond their particular interests.
What are your plans for a possible second term?
I want to be part of the continuity of what we have put in place around very strong pillars which are sports, the economy, feminization, medical and arbitration. There is also, I come back to this, respect for this mode of operation that we have adopted and regular progress updates to improve what needs to be. We no longer start with a blank sheet: the course is set through the strategic plan that we voted for over 4 years and which has committed us since last year. But, once again, we will be able to change what needs to be changed and we will be flexible in our evolution. The watch is permanent.
The challenge will also be to plan for the future and perhaps to support a future president able to succeed you…
I imagine and I hope that there could be several potential successors who will emerge around these 4 years and who will take over when my mandate expires.
Who do you think would have the profile?
This is not a current issue and it is not up to me to say who should follow suit. The big difficulty for a League president is that as long as he is not elected, he is logically interested in his club more than in the whole. However, after the election, everything changes and only the general interest of rugby takes precedence while respecting everyone's structures, history and projects.
Yes but…
(He cuts) What is most important is the competition we create. It has to be competitive, with suspense until the end.
A word on the Salary Cap and the question of agent remuneration… Subjects which visibly divide the clubs. What is your vision of these subjects?
First the Salary cap. The decision was taken under the mandate of Paul Goze to lower it (-300,000 euros per season) but the presidents wanted to reverse it. We found an intermediate solution by freezing it over a few years. The subject comes back on the table: some want to lower it and others want to increase it. So, I put all this on the agenda for the next meeting of presidents and we'll see what they decide. My position is clear: I am against its increase and even in favor of a reduction on the condition that it does not endanger French rugby. We must maintain the means to have competitive clubs, particularly with regard to international competition.
What about the agents' remuneration?
At the request of the clubs, we are looking for elements to better regulate their mandate. Here again, presidents will choose.
