The Lou player will leave his club in January to join the United States championship and New Orleans, where he will do a six-month freelance period. A career break that the international winger (30 years old, 1 selection) considers as a breather and a springboard, before launching a final challenge in the Top 14 from next July.
A few weeks ago, my agents gave me the idea of an experience abroad, asking me if I was open to it or not. I told them why not, without really suspecting that it could come to fruition so quickly… And then, a week or two later, they came back to me telling me that they had a lead with New Orleans from January. There, I said “fire”… My contract with Lyon ends in June 2025, I have had little playing time since the start of the season. I am rather curious by nature, so I preferred to take the lead rather than stay in Lyon doing nothing and endure the situation. Rather than staying there hoping to play two or three matches, I might as well leave and enjoy discovering a new country, a new life, a new experience.
I often have a phrase in mind: “life is like cycling, when you don’t move forward, you fall”. I’m really looking forward to being there: Louisiana is one of the rare former colonies where there is still a lot of French culture, from the names of the streets, the monuments… Besides, I won’t be in the territory totally unknown since the coach there is Nicolas Godignon, there is also Kélian Galletier in the team, and the CEO is also a Frenchman, Alexandre Maumont (ex-director of operations of Paris-La Défense-Arena ), just like Chairman Thierry Daupin. But the trigger, for me, was above all that Nola Rugby offered me a six-month contract, with the end of the season coinciding with that of France. It allows me to live this experience to the fullest, while allowing me to look for a new club in France at the same time for the resumption in July. In addition, I will have the chance to share this slice of life for six months with my wife and my two children, who are seven and five years old and for whom it will be a fantastic experience…
Especially since, rugby-wise, the New Orleans club is quite popular: I was told of attendances of between 4,000 and 5,000 people. I admit that, as far as my contract is concerned, we are not at all on the same level of remuneration as in the Top 14, that has nothing to do with it. But for six months, the shortfall is worth it. At thirty years old, if I hadn’t taken this chance, I would have had regrets at the end of my career…
I also want to thank the Lou club which was very honest and friendly when it came to releasing me from my contract even if, on a personal level, there is inevitably a little bitterness in ending my adventure in Lyon so abruptly because after eight seasons. I had imagined a completely different ending with Lou, especially since I still feel ready to play at a high level. If – as can happen – I was physically and mentally washed out, if I no longer wanted to play, I think I would have been honest and said so, except that that is absolutely not the case. case. I feel good, in good shape, in the prime of my life, so obviously I would have liked a completely different ending, but that’s the life of a top athlete. You never really know when you start or when you end, just that there is a beginning and an end to everything.
I just want to see this parenthesis in the United States as a rebirth and a new opportunity. It’s true that there is an element of risk for my career in disappearing from the French radar for six months, I am aware that the Top 14 coaches are not going to get up at night to watch the matches… But hey, I’m pretty optimistic about finding something before we get on the plane. But if not, that will be my life path. In any case, I’m not closing any doors.
