Sports hall, tennis tournament, club performance: the Nîmes sports assistant confides

Nicolas Ranville évoque l'étape de l'UTS 2025 à Nîmes, un travail “de deux ans”. Midi Libre – MIKAËL ANISSET

Nicolas Rainville, adjoint aux Sports à la ville de Nîmes, se livre sur l’actualité sportive florissante de ces derniers jours.

Tennis is making a comeback in the arenas in the form of an exhibition tournament (Bastide Médical UTS), nearly thirty years after the Davis Cup. It is an event that was particularly anticipated…

As a Nîmes resident, I grew up with the image of tennis in the arenas, under the bubble. Around me, many asked me: “When will tennis return to the arenas”. We had been working on this project for over two years, and I think the planets have finally aligned. We are delighted to be able to offer this event on April 4 and 5 and to share it with the people of Nîmes and local sports associations. It is a great source of pride to see Nîmes alongside cities like New York, London and Guadalajara in the UTS 2025 calendar.

What is the objective for Nîmes in hosting a tournament of international scope like this one??

The objective is above all to create a memorable event. With the UTS format, we want it to be a party, with atmosphere between points. For once we can shout during the points (laughs). This tournament must be a moment of sharing. We hope to have a beautiful communion with the public, that people have fun and that beautiful values ​​reign. The rest is poetry.

There are still four names missing to add to the arrival of Monfils, Humbert Ruud and Rublev. Tracks?

Not at the moment. It all depends on the players' calendar and we'll have to wait until the end of the year for the last four names to be revealed. But I think that playing in arenas like those in Nîmes and the proximity of the calendar to the Monte-Carlo tournament (April 5 to 13, Editor's note) are elements that work in our favor.

The new Ludivine Furnon sports hall will be inaugurated on November 5. What will be the main sports and events hosted??

The priority was to relocate the Costières sports clubs. Gymnastics, volleyball, AGR will find their place there. We made sure that this new facility is more complete than the Costières multi-sports hall which did not have, for example, stands or climbing walls. We worked with the associations, who were proactive, so that this space meets their needs.

From the football field to the Nîmes town hall

Nicolas Rainville, he's the man of the whistle and the field… but not only that! At 42 years old, after seventeen seasons as a referee, he made his dream come true in May 2024, just one month after being voted best referee in Ligue 2 during the UNFP Trophies evening. But he doesn't stop there: physiotherapist at part-time, he has also been assistant to Sports for the city of Nîmes since 2021. Between the football field and the town hall, the former international referee leads a career full of flexibility and versatility.

What is your view on the start of the season for Nîmes sports clubs ?

Whether it's for the Rugby Club Nîmois, Nîmes Olympique or Usam, we're talking about a high level. And we have to put that in relation to the recent Olympics. We've had medallists, whether it's our archers, the Lebrun brothers or even Flora Vautier and we can say that we're lucky to have a sports city. As for Nîmes Olympique, I think that last May, they would have signed up to be 9th in the National today. And I take my hat off to Adil Hermach, with the few resources he has, he's managed to get interesting results and build strong group cohesion. As for RCN, the club fell into a difficult group where everyone is capable of putting everyone else. As for handball, Usam is entering a new phase with a new coach (David Degouy, Editor's note) and a training center in full development.

You ended your career as a referee last May. Don't you miss the fields too much ?

No, not at all. Football has given me so much that I had to respect this sport by not having “one season too many”. Today, I stay close to the pitches as a video referee and I support the young talents of French refereeing. But no, I no longer regret eating grated carrots every day or sitting in the subway to go and referee a match (laughs).

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