While the Stade Aimé-Giral was suspended for a match by the LNR disciplinary committee, the Perpignan club will organize the match against Montpellier counting for the 10th day of the Top 14 on the Narbonne lawn.
It was one of the files on François Rivière’s desk. While he will complete the arrival of Laurent Labit to succeed Franck Azéma in the role of general manager of a club dead last in the Top 14, the president of the USAP must also manage the consequences of the incidents which marred the reception of Racing 92 on September 20. While the match saw players from both teams come to blows, objects were thrown onto the pitch and a spectator burst onto the pitch. Faced with such a charged file, the disciplinary committee of the National Rugby League (LNR) had a heavy hand.
Beyond various fines, it had condemned the Catalan club to play a home match far from its home at the Stade Aimé-Giral. A sanction which will concern the reception of Montpellierscheduled for November 22 as part of the 10th day of the championship. The question that arose was that of the stadium capable of hosting such a meeting with the only condition of being located at least 75 kilometers from Perpignan. According to information from the specialist magazine Olympic MiddayUSAP leaders found a fallback solution for receiving Cistes. This is the Narbonne Sports and Friendship Parkwhich usually hosts the matches of the club playing in the National, i.e. the third level of French rugby.
An exemption obtained from the LNR
However, the distance separating the sub-prefecture of Aude and the prefecture of Pyrénées-Orientales is only… 65 kilometers. “
This is not quite the requested distance.
», François Rivière conceded to the magazine Olympic Midday a few days ago. Consequently, the latter had to request an exemption from the LNR so that the sanction affecting the Stade Aimé-Giral was still served on Narbonnaise soil.
The green light was thus given by the governing body of French professional rugby and will allow the Parc des Sports et de l’Amitié to rediscover the atmosphere of a Top 14 match during a match, which RC Narbonnais left in 2007.
