RUGBY 15S – Clubs filing for bankruptcy, unemployed players. Behind the elite of French rugby union and the professional world, it is a sport which is suffering more and more. Decryption.
The Top 14 has dominated Europe for four years. Toulouse, La Rochelle twice then again Toulouse won the Champions Cup. An overwhelming domination of France on the European scene. A Top 14 very high quality where all the matches are shocks. With play, tries, points and twists and turns. And where everyone can beat everyone. Including the promoted Valves which is holding on well at the start of the season. For the first of a Breton club in the elite of professional rugby. The French team is not world champion, but is one of the best nations in the world and has regained splendor.
At first glance, the observation of French rugby is absolutely idyllic. But if we dig deeper, the reality is harsher. Clubs are going out of business, professional players are finding themselves without a contract. Sometimes during the season. Professionalization, effective since 1995 and ever stronger, ever fiercer competition, are leaving teams behind.
Dijon and Hyères have gone out of business
French rugby lost Dijonwhich plays in Nationale 2 and which passed through the Nationale. The Dijon club filed for bankruptcy, even though the season had started. With our colleagues from Public Good, Alain Collardot et Nicolas Ruffinothe presidents, mention different factors. The departure of the main patron in 2023, partners who do not honor commitments, an increase in payroll compared to the previous year. But also a ticket office at half mast, after difficult seasons.
And a net deficit estimated at €120,000. Nearly 7% of their 2023-2024 budget (1.8 million euros). « Today, our efforts, despite all the requests made in recent weeks and months, have been in vain and have led us with regret to make a declaration of cessation of payments to the Dijon judicial court, for the opening of a judicial liquidation”, comment the two men. Dijon maintains his team’s hopes. In National, Hyères also filed for bankruptcy, even before the start of the season. Granting, de facto, ten points to their opponents. Hyèresa historic club from the south-east of France. The players are released from any contract. Blagnac had suffered a similar fate during last season.
A third club, theUS Cognacalso came close to corrections. Playing in 2023-2024 in Nationale 2, after a descent from Nationale, the Cognacais found themselves penalized in points, in the heart of the season. Their president, Jean-Charles Vicard, launched an appeal to public and private partners, in the columns of our colleagues in the Free Charenteon February 21. Finally, it was in Federal 1 that the club returned, after administrative relegation. And with 25 player changes in their squad.
Ever higher budgets
To exist, even in the anteroom of the Pro D2 and the Top 14, clubs must each time revise their budgets upwards. For the 2024-2025 financial year, according to information from Olympic Middaythe largest budget of the Nationale is Rouenjust relegated from Pro D2 and which peaks at 6 million euros. While the lowest budget is for Tonguewith 1.4 million euros. In total, the SAS of nine clubs exceed 3 million euros. Some of which, like Chambérywho have never played in Pro D2. The arms race is total, not to aim for the 2nd division, but to survive. Among them, historic clubs like Tarbes or Bourgoinhave experienced major financial problems in the past.
And if they manage to “survive”, the situation is precarious. Bourgoin has also reduced its budget by more than a million euros. After having already reduced it last season, after the 5.9 million euros in 2022-2023. Without being able to find the Pro D2. Tonguesmaller budget, but an increase of 30% in one year, explains to us Rugby Rama. But if the promoted club fails to maintain itself, what about their future, with investments put on the table? « French rugby is living beyond its means”blurted Florian Grillthe president of the FFR, at the start of the year.
More and more players unemployed
Who says liquidation, says released players. In the case ofHyèresall players were under contract. And meet again on August 8, a few weeks before a new season, with the obligation to find a new club. While the squads are often closed and preparation for the new season is more than begun. And a terrible observation, shared by our colleagues atActu Rugby. More and more players are unemployed. 213 according to Burglarythe rugby players’ union. A figure which has more than doubled in just two years and is certainly underestimated. And that doesn’t take into account those who had to accept an offer from a lower level club… with a lower salary. The number of “galley slaves” in professional rugby is gradually increasing.
If the average duration of professionalism is nine years for a player, this figure is pushed upwards by elite players, who benefited from better conditions and were able – good for them – to accumulate more money with comfortable salaries. But this average obscures much shorter durations, on lower levels. And with much lower salaries. The average salary of a Top 14 player is €231,448 gross annually. A figure that has almost quadrupled in 20 years. Even if it has declined a little compared to before Covid_19. Already a chasm with the Pro D2, whose average was €5,000 per month in 2019.
Burglary tells us the figures for the minimum remuneration for a contract, at the lower levels. For Nationale 1: €21,400 gross annually. For Nationale 2: €21,200 gross annual. For Federal 1: €21,000 gross annually. Or €1,800 gross monthly. A little more than the minimum wage. Far from El Dorado. And again, this is in the case where the players are under contract and they are honored. In short, everything is not good in French rugby.
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