He is a president “happy and relieved” hosted by the 100% Rugby team this Thursday evening on France Bleu Pays Basque. David Couzinet, the former second row of Biarritz Olympique, was reinforced in his role as president of the BO Rugby association this Wednesday, December 16, with the other Dimitri Yachvili, Imanol Harinordoquy and Jérôme Thion in particular. “With this vote in our favor, we will be able to continue everything we have been doing for three months”, explains the leader of the amateur who arrived at the head of the section on September 15.
France Bleu Pays Basque: Now, what relationship with the pro section, SASP Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque and its president Jean-Baptiste Aldigé, whom you met last Friday?
David Couzinet: I can confirm that we had an exchange with Jean-Baptiste no later than last Friday, this exchange went very well. He had the merit at least to arrive and in a good understanding, a good discussion. We had discussions. I received a proposal from him, we are talking about the training center, we are talking about the affiliation number, even if it is just a provision. We must nevertheless distinguish two very distinct but very important points. The first is that we have a conciliation that is underway to settle our arrears, and the current one especially at the financial level. This is the first thing. And the second thing is this training center which is the subject of debate and which is at the heart of this proposal.
On Thursday my head was worth 15 million euros and the next day everything is fine. It’s surprising but I want us to move forward.
There was a first conciliation on October 20 led by the Federation, by the League, to find a solution. There will be a second one in the next few days. You confirm ?
We had a first meeting with Serge Simon, vice-president of the Federation and Lucien Simon, vice-president of the National Rugby League. We had discussions, we had information that reached us. On our side, we have prepared some answers to all of this in relation to current issues, to everyone’s points of view and positions, whether we are on the amateur side or on the pro section side. The Federation and the League came back to us to ask us if we needed a new meeting to continue all this. We responded favorably to their requests and we are waiting a little for this response and we hope that things will go as well as possible.
How to explain this turnaround, that you managed to sit around a table with Jean-Baptiste Aldigé when, a few weeks ago, he still had harsh words against you?
I grant you, it’s a total change of communication, surprising. On Thursday my head was worth 15 million euros and the next day everything is fine. But hey, I don’t want to argue. I prefer that we move forward, I prefer that we come to an understanding, that we find the right solution and especially for the good of the association, for the good of the children, of the women as well and of the whole section of the training center.
We don’t want to leave Benoît Baby on the side of the road.
Can the last hectic months leave traces on the sports project carried by Benoit Baby?
You will have to pay attention to everything. It will be necessary to preserve oneself, to preserve the good of the association. And within this association, there are people. We’re talking about Benoit Baby. I really appreciated the player he was, today the person and he is in place. He is on duty, he was there when we arrived. It is sure that he will be part of this balance and we have confirmed our support for him. But we don’t want to leave Benoît Baby on the side of the road.
Officially elected with the Galactics at the head of BO Rugby, you will now be able to set up the project you want for the amateur. What is he?
We did not wait for the date of December 15 to work. We got to work on September 16 the day after our arrival, starting by finding an equipment supplier because we did not even have the equipment to dress the young people. Then, we also had to secure our premises, thanks to the town hall of Biarritz in particular, for our weight room. […] It also depended on the future of the training center and the possible loss of accreditation. We therefore wanted to install the weight room, the room for the doctors, the video rooms, etc. All that is necessary in the specifications for the training center. Now we will continue. We have a sports project led by Benoit Baby who did something very good for us that we will present to members in the coming days. I hope it will please as much as possible, especially at the level of educators and coaches. And then get to work to constitute the staffs, constitute the teams for the next year and see the needs of each group and recruit if necessary, and continue in the momentum.
Concretely, what are the needs of the BO Rugby association today?
The amateur section of Biarritz Olympique is an association which, if we put the right people in the right places, should almost run on its own. Now we need serenity. We need appeasement in everything that may have happened and what has been said. I repeat myself again. We came especially for the young people, so that everyone could find pleasure there, be it the players, the coaches, the players, all the sections.
This objective that the kids take pleasure in coming to the association.
Exactly, what is the sporting project for these two sections, the Espoirs and the Women?
For the Hopes, we have the desire and the project to regain the high level, moreover they qualified for the pool of accession. If we could go back to the Elite Pool this season, that would be great and that would reward the work of all the players. As for the women’s team, we want to continue to develop it, and attract female players. It’s already huge how much has been put in place, everything they’ve done. We probably don’t have the same goals for the two teams. On the one hand, we are talking about finding the Elite and on the other hand, we are talking about more development. But these are two important sections for our association.
And for the youngest, especially the rugby school?
The staff are sufficient, we may have a little more difficulties in the first year cadet, where there are some shortcomings in terms of staff. But that’s going to be part of the work we have to do from the start of the year. Position yourself on each team, see the needs of each group, perhaps embark on recruitments. We will also have to go back to schools, because this is something that is important for us, which had been a little neglected, in the schools of Biarritz and why not Anglet. We would like to introduce them to rugby, give them a taste for rugby and why not, the desire to join our association. The more licensees we have, the better off we will be. We have this objective that the kids take pleasure in coming and pass this pleasure on to friends, at school or in the entourage to give a taste of Biarritz, the BO and the surroundings.