Rising budget, stability of the workforce and work at the stadium: promoted to the Top 14, the Pro D2 champion, Oyonnax Rugby, intends to be ready for the demands of the elite which he finds after five years of purgatory and where he intends to maintain and then stabilize. “Going up is good but you have to stay there. There is a sporting part and another economic part. We will have the smallest budget with 17 million euros against 11 million euros last season, which was the most important of the Pro D2, for the sixth payroll which will increase from 4.5 million euros to 6 million euros”, advanced the president Dougal Bendjaballah, Wednesday in press conference.
“55% of the revenue will come from the partnership, including 45% for VIP hospitality and there are TV rights which are also more important. We are looking to increase our number of partners”, added the manager who recalled that the club de l’Ain was committed to a three-year plan that began last season. According to Dougal Bendjaballah, Oyonnax’s ambition is also to become “the club of the Grand Est”, an area which includes the departments of Ain, Jura, Haute-Savoie and Savoie and even part of Switzerland. .
Group of 45 players
On the sporting level, the Englishman Joe El Abd remains manager and will rely on a group of around 45 players who will remain stable by always relying on a good part of locally trained elements. To strengthen this hard core, Oyonnax has also already recruited five players: pillar Ali Oz (Racing), second-row Ewan Johnson (Vannes), New Zealand scrum half Jonathan Ruru (Aix-Provence), center Lucas Mensa (Mont-de-Marsan) and full-back Maxime Salles (Montauban). Four more are expected to follow.
The Haut-Bugey club will also undertake work at the Charles-Mathon stadium with a capacity of 11,500 seats in order to improve the reception areas but also the lighting, which were already planned anyway.