the essential
A figure in Occitan Rugby, Henry Broncan agreed to discuss campaign themes that concern amateur rugby based on his daily observations in his Miélan-Mirande-Rabastens club. The new president of the FFR will be appointed this Saturday, October 19.
Rugby in all its forms, Henry Broncan knows it like the back of his hand. At the age of 80, the Gers wizard renewed his license with the FFR this season. “It must be one of the oldest in France,” laughs the eminence grise of the Entente Astarac Bigorre XV.
The man in the cap remains an educator at heart. Asked to comment on the various program points of the candidates for the presidency of the FFR, he underlines in the preamble: “I lean more towards Didier Codorniou because I have deep admiration for the player. But a great player does not always make a great president, and most of my very close friends are in the Florian Grill camp, against whom I have no grievance.” And to add, still in opening remarks, like a cry from the heart: “No, rugby is not dead, it is even doing very well among the pros with full stadiums, but all this is to the detriment of an amateur world in great suffering.”
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The discussion has barely begun when Henry Broncan mentions the administrative burden that the leaders of small clubs are faced with, with volunteers who do “a wonderful job”. A remark which echoes one of the points raised by the former center of the XV of France, which proposes the creation of a platform to help with daily procedures.
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Concerning infrastructures, on which Florian Grill emphasizes via a Marshall plan (possible envelope of €50,000 per club for renovations) while his opponent is counting on a fundraising of €120M in four years, Henry Broncan emphasizes also the needs through a simple personal observation: “I started at Mirande in 1960, and today the stadium is still the same, with the same two changing rooms, only the tiling had to be redone.”
“Skeletal championships among young people”
Concerning the urgent need to encourage vocations among the youngest, Henry Broncan points out “a big problem”: “The kids must not be afraid because, yes, there are contacts.” And then to stand out somewhat from the candidate Grill, a fan of the development of all forms of practice. “Rugby five-a-side is good, but we deceive people a little because rugby, in essence, is hard. Of course we have to organize the practice with the youngest to protect them before we confront reality: yes, from the juniors/juniors, it hits.”
Continuing the subject, the one who says he is happy to be able to open the doors of the Mirande stadium, from which he recovered a set of keys, raises a big problem, obvious to everyone: the lack of matches.”Among the juniors , we have skeletal championships where nothing can happen for a team for weeks, it’s terrible.”
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But to end the exchange with a note of hope: “Fortunately, a good R3 derby among seniors still brings people together around a field, that means something, the pleasure of this sport is always there.”
