On December 20, 2024, the FFR brought together the Nationale and Nationale 2 clubs in a seminar as usual with numerous subjects on the menu including the future of the two flagship divisions of amateur Rugby. According to our information, during the debates on the subject, the vice president in charge of competitions and amateur rugby, Xabi Etcheverry, reopened the Pandora's box of a reform of competitions or, even for certain participants, a merger of the Nationale and the Nationale 2 from the 2026/2027 season. We provide you with an update on this debate which risks crystallizing and punctuating discussions in the federal microcosm in the weeks and months to come.
1/ The findings of the authorities :
The vice president in charge of amateur rugby starts from a simple observation: the competition pyramid is currently unbalanced. In addition, several clubs were prey to financial difficulties in the 2 divisions (Beaune, Blagnac, RCHCC, Dijon, Cognac, Bassin d'Arcachon, La Seyne, Mâcon etc.), and many others went into overdrive financial, all coupled with a very gloomy French economic context. Certain payrolls having exploded in recent seasons, the two divisions would, according to the data provided by the A2R to the FFR, sometimes come close to overheating.
Furthermore, in our columns last summer, the president of the FFR, Florian Grill, made the following remarks concerning the Nationale and the Nationale 2: “If the clubs are reasonable, I imagine the status quo and therefore that we can continue the two competitions but that requires the clubs to be extremely reasonable on the payroll and if we see that it does not hold up road, we will be forced to reform it“. We can happily imagine that the authorities consider that this common thread is not or little respected since they are de facto opening the debate on the reform of the divisions.
2 / The format(s) envisaged:
According to our information, one of the hypotheses mentioned by some of the participants in this seminar would be the following: the current formats would remain in place next season (2025/2026) and would see the Nationale have no relegation. On the other hand, according to the plans mentioned by some during the seminar, the first 7 of groups 1 and 2 of Nationale 2 would advance to the Nationale during the 2026/2027 season, while the last 5 of these same groups of Nationale 2 would rejoin the Federal 1.
The aim of the maneuver would then be to obtain two geographical pools (East/West or North/South) of 14 clubs for the resumption in August 2026. Another variant could be under study with two pools of 12 in National still during of the 2026/2027 season just like a pool of 14 in National and another of 14 in National 2. Ultimate track a pool of 16 in National with removal of match access (Pro D2/Nationale and Nationale/Nationale 2). All this remains hypothetical at the time of writing these lines, the primary desire of the FFR being above all to revisit and look at the pyramid of competitions.
3/ A debate, questions:
While Xabi Etcheverry launched the debate on competitions during last month's seminar, with the aim of cross-referencing the feedback and opinions of clubs on the subject, many questions are pouring in, in the event that a hypothetical merger of the two divisions sees the light of day. .
The first which comes up most often: why unravel and modify a National which works wonderfully sportingly, even if unfortunately Blagnac and the RCHCC exploded financially in mid-air respectively last winter and summer?
This season, the sporting level has never been so tight with those promoted (Langon and OMR) who honor their status and recent entrants into Pro D2 (VRDR, Dax and Nice) who are far from being ridiculous . It is clear that the current format of the National is sportingly viable, the spectacle offered by the teams attractive while best preparing the clubs to integrate the elite of French rugby. Passing the National to 28 or 24 clubs will irremediably dilute the level and de facto the ability of clubs to structure themselves for the level above.
The second question that emerges concerns the gain for the 14 or 12 Nationale 2 clubs which would integrate this Nationale extended to two groups. What difference will there be with the current format of the Nationale 2 in terms of travel costs, given that today the N2 is already geographically cut over half of the hexagon? A priori none.
Another question that is on everyone's lips, will this possible overhaul or merger annihilate the real problem of these two divisions: namely the inflation of payrolls? Are we not at risk of seeing a race to the limit on the scale of 24 or 28 clubs when currently it is reduced to a maximum of 14 clubs?
Because let's be clear, and the president of the FFR, Florian Grill was very explicit in our columns a few months ago: travel costs are a false problem concerning the current financial problems of the clubs, the real reason lies in the explosion of payrolls. Wouldn't the integration of a salary cap be a better way to regulate these two divisions? The debate is on.
Within certain clubs at the bottom of the Nationale 2 table which could therefore ultimately be potentially transferred to Federal 1, a question arises vigorously: why punish the little thumbs of the division with relegation to Fed 1 while the season In the past, the Nationale 2 clubs identified by the A2R (formerly DNACG) had the common denominator of being very (sometimes too) ambitious clubs or teams playing at the top of the table (Mâcon, Cognac, Arcachon Bay, La Seyne)? For some presidents, such a reform would be experienced as a double punishment as they strive to do a lot with a little.
Conclusion, Xabi Etcheverry, the vice president of the FFR who is known for his sense of debate and listening, opens a path by proposing to clubs to discuss a possible reform of competitions. A path in which we will recognize the active lobbying of clubs like Auch, Lannemezan and Fleurance who last season were thrown into disarray over the exorbitant cost, according to them, of traveling to Nationale 2.
The solution proposed by the boss of amateur rugby (reform of competitions), and the hypotheses envisaged by the audience (merger of divisions) have the merit of posing undeniable problems and a context of drop in club resources due to a shaky French economy, payrolls not always measured and problems with travel costs depending on the composition of the Nationale 2 pools.
But is it really the solution to sacrifice the flagship division (the National) on the altar of the structural problems of certain clubs? The future will tell and the exchanges between club presidents and authorities are likely to be nourished. One thing is certain, etymologically, as its name indicates, the National is a division on a hexagonal scale. Wouldn't regionalizing it, in addition to lexical nonsense, distort it sportingly?
Would the media coverage and the search for visibility of the Nationale (or even the Nationale 2) desired by all the stakeholders not find themselves handicapped by a change in format? The question is likely to come to the fore quickly.
The coming months will be crucial, and the ball is above all in the court of the clubs, which will have to self-regulate financially, if they do not want to give arguments to the champions of reform and merger. Clearly, the deliberations and examinations of the accounts as of June 30, 2024 of the A2R during the first quarter of 2025 will most certainly set the pace of whether or not the current format of these two divisions will become. To be continued!
Comments collected by Loïc Colombié
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