Sébastien Baptiste, president of the Cévennes rugby club: “These kids are better than us!”

“You walk through the club door and it's over. We're a wolf trap…” S.B. – STEPHANE BARBIER

The new president of the RCC, the hooker sets the horizon for the 2024-2025 season, his role and his passion for rugby.

Drafted in federal 3, what are your ambitions for the Cévennes rugby club ?
“Staying in the league and, for fun, qualifying. But our way of playing has evolved. There, in the game, it's a 90° turn. We play, but we're 35/40 years old. The youngsters, they're 19. And then we have to admit it, these kids are better than us. We were pretty much old hands. There wasn't a Sunday where we didn't fight! We almost went there for that because we didn't know how to play as well as them! The evolution is that it's playing and they understood that it was a sport of avoidance. And they told us: “fighting isn't really our thing, we want to offer a game”. We have to adapt to that and mix the two, aggression and play. I think it's working because, despite two defeats, they make me happy on the field. But we're not starting again like last year with a confrontation of generations. Here, everyone is going in the same direction.”

It's worth all the gold in the world, a sport that doesn't leave anyone out!

What is your view of this new generation?
There is a rugby 2.0, which no longer has the local mentality. We even saw each other outside, we lived together. But I'm not complaining because we have a lot of young people from our region who are coming up. We can be happy about that. And these juniors, they are a pleasure. Maybe we just need to teach them unity in a sport where we're going to get hurt to defend a friend.

When Saint-Saturnin came to the first match, they thought it was “guinguette”. But they were surprised by the youngsters. Here, it's in our genes, we don't fade away.

What makes Team One strong?
They are young and dynamic. But when I see the other teams, in terms of size, they are solid! If we had their size, we wouldn't be in federal 3! But we play everything mentally. We don't have a line of 3/4 athletic players, but in terms of spirit, we surprise everyone. When Saint-Saturnin came to the first game, they said to themselves that it was “guinguette”. But they were surprised by the youngsters. Here, it's in our genes, we don't fade away.

Where are the RCC DNA and its 400 members ?
“Once a Cévenol, always a Cévenol.” You walk through the door, and it's over. We're a wolf trap. This family side, you don't find it anywhere else. When we finish the away games, we leave after their players. All those who come to try never take off again. It's really a second family. If it's not the first!”

If we replay the match between rugby and football, where are the nuances??
“In football, you can score all by yourself. But if a kid is a bit overweight, he's on the sidelines, if he doesn't run fast or isn't very good with his feet, ditto. We look for elitism in football. In our country, a kid who is a bit out of the ordinary is wow! The kid who didn't like himself flourishes. In rugby, if you're too big, you're a second row and a jumper. Small, fast, you'll be number 9. Everyone finds their place. It's worth all the gold in the world, a sport that doesn't leave anyone behind."

How do you want to conduct your presidency??
" When you're president, there are loads of things that fall on you. Between emails from the league, the federation and then management with five employees… What I want is to get back to basics for the club. We're an association but we have to manage it like a business. Not forgetting that we are talking to volunteers and that we cannot hold it against people who give their time. But my role is to set a framework. And that the day there is a handover, that it is easy and does not scare people."

Next match on October 13 in Corbières. Then at home on October 20. Laurent Malfroot has become secretary and the club pays five employees: Lucas Moncorge, Nicolas and Yannis Martinez, Valentin Barrel and Enzo Birrini. I subscribe to read the rest