Top 14 – Aurélien Cologni goes to Union Bordeaux Bègles

The saying “no one is a prophet in his own country”, could fit with the turn that Aurélien Cologni has just taken.

The native Catalan, trained at the XIII Catalan rugby school, residing in Villelongue-de-la-Salanque and manager of the delivery SARL “Leader Service”, located in the Torremilla area next to Perpignan airport Rivesaltes Méditerranée, will share his knowledge… 450 km from home. Neither the Catalan Dragons nor the USAP were interested in the skills of this technician, who since this summer has multiplied specific and therefore individualized interventions, with three French internationals (Maxime Lucu, Nicolas Depoortère, Romain Buros), including two, participated in the fall tour with the XV of France.

After signing his contract with President Laurent Marti, Aurélien Cologni was presented to the players this Tuesday morning in the middle of the UBB facilities and before entering into training planning with interventions with cells of four players . “I will also take charge of the players from the junior team. My work will be focused on defense and attack workshops, individualizing the work to improve attitudes and make the players better in duels”summed up Aurélien Cologni this Tuesday evening after his first two days spent in a club which has just seen the arrival of a 28th person in its management.

My work with three of his players piqued his interest

Bordeaux Bègles, winner of Montpellier last Saturday (9-6), hosts the English Leicester this Sunday (2 p.m.) as part of the first day of the Champions Cup at Matmut-Atlaltique in Bordeaux. Passionate, hard-working and endowed with real game intelligence, Aurélien Cologni managed to arouse the interest of Yannick Bru who led UBB to the Top 14 final on June 28 (59-3 defeat against Stade Toulousain ). Being approached by one of the biggest clubs in France, by an ambitious club that wants to establish itself permanently at the top table of the Top 14, is a strong signal. “I didn't really believe it at the start of the discussions. But little by little the flow started and that's it, I'm there, in the deep end, in a big club and people who all want the same thing around Me”rejoices this father (three daughters) who will travel back and forth every week.

The former captain of the Union Treiziste Catalane and the XIII Catalan explains that Yannick Bru presented him to his players this Tuesday with a photo of him, with the outfit of the France XIII team. “He wants my expertise on certain details and my work with three of his players piqued his interest, before he asked me to take on this role”he adds.

UBB wants to give itself the means to achieve its ambitions and Yannick Bru was not afraid to add a person to his management, precisely to reach the higher level, the one which will allow him to control as many parameters as possible.
Aurélien Cologni is well aware that the hardest part awaits him now within a team that is playing for the title, with its host of internationals and the many competent players that Yannik Bru has worked to build around him.

Manu Plaza, one of the trainers for the French XV team, gave Aurélien Cologni a taste by inviting him to spend three days with the Blues. The charm worked perfectly, the magic too, on the side of the technician who presents himself with yet another challenge. Perhaps the greatest of all.