A pure product of Var rugby (trained at La Seyne, turned pro at RCT), Julien Ory is at a turning point in his career. And not the funniest, since the 28-year-old flanker has been without a club since leaving Stade Français in June. A trying situation, which the kid from Brusc (where he returned after his Parisian adventure) has agreed to come back to.
Without a contract since June, how are you?
I am part of Provale’s “medical joker” list. It allows me, if a club calls me, not to count as an “additional player”.
How do you keep fit?
When he found out that I was returning to the region, Pierre [Mignoni, directeur du rugby du RCT] called me, asked me what my plans were and offered me to train at the Campus. He told me that I was at home here, and that touched me. I took the opportunity, and I go to the Campus every day.
And what do you do?
I work with J.-B. Bouesse, one of the RCT prep students. I do cardio, weight training, circuit training… And outside of that, I also do boxing and I run. I don’t want to give up. Everything can happen very quickly, so I wait for a door to open. I wait and wait for the right phone call. If a club calls me, I’m ready within ten minutes.
What about contact play?
The only contact I’ve had since June was during the Supersevens. The RCT offered me the chance to take part in the La Rochelle stage. It allowed me to train with a group and get a taste of contact again. Touching the ball and making tackles did me good for morale.
Have any clubs expressed interest in you?
In December, Béziers called me to finish the season, but I refused. I didn’t see myself leaving during my adventure with Stade Français. Because I like to see things through to the end. Except that since Paris announced that I wasn’t being kept on, a month and a half before the end of my contract, nothing. Today, I’m at a standstill. I have zero contact with zero clubs.
Why not try a transition season at La Seyne, your training club?
As soon as the management knew that I was free, we discussed it. But it’s complicated. If I break down and a Top 14 club calls me two days later… On the other hand, that’s the reality of September. If in December/January I’m still without a club, I can think about it again. USS is my favorite club, and I would like one day to have the opportunity to give back everything it has given me. But today, I prefer to wait a little longer. I know that I have the level to play pro, and I will do everything to get back to the top level. Stopping is not an option.
How are you feeling?
It’s strange to train without the carrot of the match, without team life. The hardest part was at the end of August, when all the guys got back on the pitch… You wonder when you’re going to start again, you can’t see the end of the tunnel, there’s a lot of frustration. I’ve been playing rugby since I was 6, pre-seasons every summer since I was 14 and it’s been 13-14 years since I’ve had a summer like the one I’ve just had… It’s weird. You wait for the phone to ring, but you’re powerless. But I know it’s going to work out. And I can’t wait for the first contact, the locker room, the pre-match, the friends…
Sunday, Stade français – RCT (9:05 p.m.). We imagine that your heart is wavering?
Even though Stade Français has a special place in my heart, I am a Toulon supporter (laughs).
In a few words, could you tell us about these two Parisian seasons?
Before joining the Stade, I had never imagined leaving my South. And finally, I discovered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But everything was big. The travel time, the buildings, everything (laughs). It took me 6 months to get used to the environment. On the other hand, the group… extraordinary. Training, cards, coffees, banter… We spent 100% of our time together. I found a state of mind that reminded me of my years at La Seyne. It was refreshing.
You must have also experienced a somewhat new form of anonymity…
When you see that a guy like Morgan Parra, a living god in Clermont, walks around without being recognized in Paris, it’s crazy. Personally, I never suffered from exposure, but it’s true that I left the RCT in particular conditions(1)so it did me good to be forgotten a little. I needed to find simplicity, anonymity and Paris did me good at that precise moment in my life.
And on the ground?
I regret not having really been able to express myself. Because I am recruited by Laurent Sempéré in 2022, I am doing a big prep, but I hurt my knee [ligament interne]. I worked hard to come back, and then I had a 10cm tear. And the second year, the coach left the club and was replaced by Karim Ghezal. But I didn’t fit into his plans. So I couldn’t really show myself, it was frustrating, but that’s how it is… And now, I only think about the future. I’m full of hope.
1/ Dismissed after an altercation with Lopeti Timani.
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