1
Le plus grand paradoxe du rugby français
C’est une petite phrase lourde de sens lâchée par le président de la Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR), Florian Grill : « nous sommes le 2e sport français en termes de médiatisation, mais le 10e en termes de licenciés ! », s’indigne-t-il dans les colonnes du Midi Olympique daté du 19 février.
ADVERTISEMENT
On l’a vu avec la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023, les matchs ont régulièrement battu des records d’audience. Dans le monde entier, France 2023 a été la Coupe du Monde la plus regardée de l’histoire. En France également.
Pourtant, les chiffres démontrent que cette ultra médiatisation ne s’est pas encore traduite en termes de licenciés. Il faut dire que les chiffres consolidés n’ont pas encore été publiés et qu’il est encore trop tôt pour parler d’un éventuel effet Coupe du Monde que chacun attend avec impatience.
Derrière le kayak
Des chiffres officiels dont on dispose remontent à 2022 et ils n’étaient pas super bons. Le rugby se classait alors 10e des sports les plus pratiqués en France avec 303 048 licenciés (deux fois moins que l’équitation !), juste derrière… le canoë-kayak et ses 316 366 sportifs. Il est fort à parier que la crise sanitaire n’était pas étrangère à cette stat.
Car l’année suivante, la FFR annonçait déjà une hausse de près de 7% pour arriver à un encore timide 324 326 licenciés (chiffres consolidés 2022).
Dans le détail, quatre régions seulement concentrent les deux tiers de licenciés : l’Occitanie (69 000 licenciés), la Nouvelle-Aquitaine (62 000 licenciés), l’Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (51 000 licenciés) et l’Ile-de-France (34 210 licenciés). Le rugby ne représente que 4% des licenciés des fédérations unisport olympiques en France.
Nul doute qu’avec la fantastique exposition donnée par France 2023 l’automne dernier, puis celle olympique qui sera offerte par Paris 2024 l’été prochain, ce chiffre sera largement dépassé dans les mois et années à venir.
Pour la fédération française de rugby, cet objectif doit être le cœur du débat et non pas l’échange de pics et coups bas qui se poursuit entre personnes aigries depuis un moment.
ADVERTISEMENT
Le président Florian Grill, pas encore en campagne pour une éventuelle réélection, l’affirme : « Il faut absolument que le rugby se régule et qu’il arrête d’alimenter cette bulle qui nous tue. Nous ne sommes pas le foot et nous ne voulons pas l’être », dit-il en évoquant la course en avant des dépenses.
L’exemple du salaire du deuxième-ligne
« A toutes les échelles, quand un club investit sur le salaire excessif d’un deuxième-ligne, il le fait au détriment de son école de rugby, de ses cadets, de ses juniors… », explique-t-il.
« Notre sport doit se reconstruire à partir de bases saines et renflouer ses clubs en licenciés, investir dans le scolaire, la formation, les équipes féminines. »
L’année de la première Coupe du Monde de Rugby organisée en France en 2007, on comptait 278 634 licenciés. L’année suivante, ce chiffre avait bondi à 363 073. Mais l’âge d’or serait 2015 avec ses 438 144 licenciés, alors que, sportivement, le France était au plus bas. Voilà le vrai record à battre.
Comments on RugbyPass
Good riddance
1 Go to commentswel the crusaders were beaten by a queensland reds side that hadnt beaten them at home since 1999 and queensland reds partied like it was 1999
4 Go to commentsHard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
4 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
4 Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
5 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
5 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
238 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
20 Go to comments