Tennis rugby rabby?

We know that the bridges between rugby and tennis exist, since the former opener of the XV of France Jean Gachassin was president of the French Tennis Federation from 2009 to 2017. A new episode could soon be written, since according to information from FigaroDidier Retière (56), former deputy of Marc Lièvremont at the head of the Blues and former national technical director of the French Rugby Federation, should become the DTN of the FFT. In place since March 2021, the former tennis player Nicolas Escudé was on sick leave since October 2023 and then the FFT had put an end to his DTN mission in July 2024, his assistant Mathilde Lethuillier ensuring the interim.

Since then, a recruitment campaign has been launched, and it is therefore the former rugby player who has become a coach who would have the best profile. According to the FFT, the DTN’s mission is to “define and pilot federal sports policy, manage technical supervision, develop the licensed practice, develop the high performance strategy, be a force for proposals and regularly account for its action”. A mission that does not only concern tennis, but also the padel, the beach tennis, the paratennis, the pickleball and the short palm.

Retière will leave Clermont in June

Since his departure from the National Technical Directorate of the FFR, where he remained eight years, in 2022, Didier Retière has become director of sports development at ASM Clermont, and his contract will end next June. According to The mountainHe received a proposal from Nevers, Pro D2 club, for a position of sports coordinator. Last November, he was also appointed to carry out a sports and administrative audit in the Millau club, then penultimate of his group in Federal 2 (and still before today). A new eye within the FFT may be able to go on new bases, within a federation which has experienced a big social crisis in recent years.