Amateur rugby trophies 34: Léo Bouvelle, Fabien Chauchard, Lucas Crusiot… elect the best player in Regional 3
|Elisez le meilleur joueur de Régionale 3.
Midi Libre, the Hérault Departmental Rugby Committee and the Evelyne agency present the 3rd edition of the Hérault Amateur Rugby Trophies. Vote on Midilibre.fr until September 17, to elect your favorites in the 15 categories.
Today, it's time for the category: Best Regional 3 player. Discover all the results on October 4!
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This trophy is sponsored by Jean & Barthes.
Léo Bouvelle (3rd row/Nissan-Colombiers)
He was “lifted” in touch a good number of times last season, Léo Bouvelle is coming off a full season with US Nissan/Colombiers. At 22, the third-row winger joined the USNC three seasons ago, to join his brother.
Trained at the Avenir Bleu et Blanc, Léo found his place at Nissan's Louis Espeluque stadium.
“We are satisfied with our great season, we did better than the previous year, even if the latter saw us lift the Challenge d'Occitanie in R3”, explains Léo Bouvelle. After eliminating the AOCSC neighbors at home during the Occitanie finals, Nissan/Colombiers made it to the final.
“We missed out a bit in the Occitanie final against a solid Canet team”, adds the flanker who played 20 matches.
In the French championship, the neighbors got their revenge, beating the USNC in a Michel-Millet stadium in Agde, which was packed to the brim, putting an end to the dreams of the national title for the blue and violet, in the quarter-finals finale.
"We played a series of matches at the end of the season, we lacked energy", recalls the man who defines himself as a defensive leader.
Will this season be the right one for Bouvelle and his team, who are competing in Regional 2 ?
Fabien Chauchard.
Fabien Chauchard (Pillar/Salagou)
RCO Salagou had a very good regular season in Regional 3, in 2023-2024. Second in the group, the players of Clermont l’Hérault/Lodève have returned to the upper echelons of their group.
Fabien Chauchard, a dynamic pillar, was one of the driving forces of the residents of the Estagnol stadium. “I started the season injured, I had a torn ankle ligament, says the 23-year-old front row. I returned at the beginning of December, started as a substitute and finished the season as a starter.”
Winners of a title in 2004 and 2014, the Salagou players would have liked to win a shield in 2024. Unfortunately, President Delpapa's protégés hit a snag in the last 16 of Occitanie. “Despite our second place, we travel to Canet, the reigning French champion, and we came up against a stronger team (46-10), describes Chauchard. We were a bit pissed off to end the season so early.”
Among Fabien Chauchard's highlights of the season: “Victory with the offensive bonus against Cruzy, at home, future champion of France. We have shown that we can face the big teams." This season, Fabien Chauchard is trying a new adventure, at Stade Piscénois, in Fédérale 2, or initially, in reserve.
Lucas Crusiot (2nd row/Cruzy-Saint Chinian)
A French champion title with his long-time club, mid-June… Lucas Crusiot had his best season in 2023-2024.
The solid second row, at the forefront of the fight, led his team to the most beautiful of titles: that of French champion… of Regional 3.
“From the beginning, we set ourselves goals: to grab the local shield that had eluded us for 2 years… initially", comments Crusiot, captain at 25 years old. Finally, after winning the departmental shield, the Association Olympique Cruzy Saint-Chinian Quarante, was mowed down in the 8th finals of Occitanie, at home against Nissan/Colombiers (11-25).
“It hurt us, but afterwards we refocused to go for the French championship“, says the second row, author of nine tries in 23 matches played. Leading by example on the field, Crusiot is more a captain of gestures than of words. “I'm not a big talker, I'm more of a leader in the game”, Lucas humbly admits, surrounded by old hands in the Hérault pack. Canet, Nissan/Colombiers, Masseube then Phalempin in the final, the journey is epic, the joy of lifting a shield, Dionysian.