The Rugby Club Montreuillois (RCM), a pillar of Montreuil's sporting community, boasts a rich history marked by passion, perseverance, and a deep-rooted connection to its local community. From its humble beginnings in 1970 to its current standing, the club has overcome numerous challenges, celebrating victories and fostering a strong sense of camaraderie among its members.
The Early Years: From Postal Workers to Rugby Pioneers (1970-1976)
The story of the RCM begins with a group of postal workers in 1970 who shared a common love for rugby. This group, including André Dauga, a native of the Landes region, and Roger Braconnier, laid the foundation for what would become a beloved local institution. Dauga and Braconnier took on the roles of the first coaches.
In the early days, the club faced significant logistical challenges. Montreuil lacked a dedicated rugby field, forcing the team to train on a stabilized football field near the Romain Rolland school in the lower part of Montreau Park. Home matches were played at the Parc des Sports de la Courneuve, where they rented a field. These pioneers, including Braconnier, Darengosse, Dauga, Germain, Girondier, Grand, Goupil, Lucazeau, Malaret, Mercadier, Ourmières, Parent, Pietri, Regazzoni, and Verdeille, persevered despite these obstacles, fueled by their shared passion for the sport.
In 1974, a pivotal moment arrived when the ASPTT Montreuil, seeking to broaden its recruitment base, transitioned into the Rugby Club Montreuillois. While Gilbert Ourmières (also a postman) became president, the club adopted orange and black as its colors.
Growth and Integration (1976-1980)
1976 marked a turning point for the club. The municipality provided the RCM with the Robert Barran stadium, a dedicated space for the team. Also, the club established its rugby school. That year, the Rugby Club Montreuillois joined the Red Star Club Montreuillois (RSCM), becoming its rugby section.
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The 1976-77 season heralded the start of Montreuil's rise. The arrival of numerous players and leaders from Rosny, eager for a fresh start, proved advantageous, enabling the club to better organize itself. These new Montreuil residents included Jacques Masson, Lucien Cambon (leaders), Serge Cambon, Pierre Marie Masson, Jean-Pierre Sahuc, Christian Devinante, Patrick Sébillotte, Luis and Jo Carbonnel, Jean-MarcThibault, and Sauveur Iriarte. Together, the Montreuil and Rosny players won the title of Champion of Ile de France 3rd series, promotion to 2nd series, and participated in the 32nd finals of the French Championship. To celebrate, Mr. Masson, who was from the Dordogne, organized a trip to Sarlat at the end of the season.
The late 1970s saw continued progress. In the 1978-79 season, the club achieved promotion to the 1st series. The following season was a transitional one, during which the Montreuillois refined their rugby skills and displayed their ambitions. Simultaneously, the rugby school continued to train young Montreuillois, and the juniors, who had also seen their ranks grow thanks to the arrival of players from Pantin, began to make a name for themselves.
The Golden Era and the Barran Tournament (1980-1990)
The early 1980s confirmed the rise of the Red and Green. For three years, the RSCM remained in the honor division, and was even on the verge of moving up to the 3rd division (now Federal 3). During this period, the Club set up the "Robert Barran" tournament for the rugby school and cadets.
As the club continued to grow, the location of its headquarters shifted from the "Don Camillo" bar to the "Billard Club" and later to "la Fringale". Daniel Chevalier proposed the creation of a club newspaper to circulate information across all categories.
Navigating Challenges and Celebrating Anniversaries (1984-1990)
The mid-1980s presented challenges as the team faced relegation to lower series. Despite these setbacks, the club continued to foster a strong sense of community, organizing various festivities and initiatives.
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In 1987, Jacques Masson, after a decade of presidency, stepped down, replaced by Gilbert Ourmières. The juniors regularly participated in the final stages of their championships and challenges, and in 1990, the club's twentieth anniversary year, they played (and lost) a semi-final of the Menut challenge.
A New Decade of Triumphs and Infrastructure (1990-2000)
The 1990s brought renewed success and improvements to the club's infrastructure. In 1990-91, the flagship team, coached by Olivier Charles and Gérard Mardon, won the Bacqueyrisses challenge.
In 91-92, Gérard Mardon succeeded Daniel Faure as president. The Montreuillois reached the quarter-finals of the French championship, setting a new record for participation in this competition. A film, "La passion du rugby", immortalized this epic journey.
That same year, the rugby players finally had a clubhouse of their own on the stadium itself. The clubhouse consisted of two former classrooms of the Fabien school group, and the City, players, or their families took care of the interior design.
In 1997, while Alain Bougard succeeded Jean-Mi as coach, they won the Dhombres-Dobenesque challenge. During this prosperous period, the young people were not left out. In 1995, the Minimes, coached by David Primaux and Louisou Toitot, played and won the final of the Dussert challenge against Yerres (15-14).
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The Mangouste Era (2000-Present)
The early 2000s marked a period of transition and the emergence of a new emblem for the club: the mongoose. In 2002, Alain Bougard and Gérard Mardon jointly resumed the presidency. It was during the last pool match and the French championship that followed that people began to talk about the mongoose, which gradually became the emblem of Montreuill rugby.
The story of the mongoose began during a crucial match in 2003. To secure promotion and participation in the French championship, the seniors needed to win their final pool match. Facing a tough opponent, the coach delivered an inspiring speech, comparing the team to a mongoose: small but combative, never giving up. This resonated deeply with the players. The team, embodying the spirit of the mongoose, fought until the very end, scoring a last-minute try to win the match and secure their place in the championship.
Since then, the mongoose has become the emblem of the Montreuillois. A bronze version, the work of Pierre Salagnac, a player who lived through the 2003 adventure, is still visible in one of the Club House windows. Finally, for several seasons, the best player in each category, elected by his peers, has been awarded the "golden mongoose" at the end of the season, a trophy sculpted by Robert Whittle, father of a Club player.
In 2006, Karim Chaïeb and Vincent Legendre took over the training of the seniors. After a smoothly run qualifying phase, and a final match against Clermont, they finished first in their pool, which sent them to the Ile de France final, ten years after being champions.
Recent Developments and Continued Growth (2007-Present)
In 2012, the cadets were crowned champions of France North-East. In 2016, Barran got a makeover. The old lawn was replaced by a synthetic pitch - Creation of a women's team - 18 years old. In 2017, the Seniors were finalists in the Coupe d'IDF, beaten by Créteil-Choisy in Noisy-le-Grand. 2018 : creation of a rugby team to touch the "Mangoustes" and a second women's team + 18 years old. In 2019, the seniors moved up to the 1st series and qualified for the French 2nd series championship. Victory in the 32nd round against Chauny.
The club celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2020. The season ended in March due to the covid-19 epidemic. In 2022, the cadets were finalists in the Ile de France championship, the seniors won the Ile de France 1st series Challenge by beating Alfortville in the final, and the women were champions of Ile de France in rugby sevens. In 2023, following changes in the competitions initiated by the FFR, the Montreuillois seniors played in Régionale 2. The juniors were finalists in R3 at X, and were beaten by Sens in the final. In June, Edouard Alric left the presidency.
Jean-Michel Gros: A Lifetime Dedicated to Montreuil Rugby
Jean-Michel Gros's life has been intertwined with the Rugby Club Montreuillois since 1974. He has served the club in various capacities, including player, coach, and president. His passion for the sport and his dedication to the club have made him a beloved figure in the Montreuil rugby community.
Gros's journey with the RCM began in 1974 when he signed his first license at the age of 15. He progressed through the ranks, eventually playing for the senior team and participating in multiple French Championship phases.
After his playing career, Gros transitioned into coaching, leading both the junior and senior teams. He achieved significant success, including a quarter-final appearance in the French Championship in 1992 and 2003.
In addition to his on-field contributions, Gros also served as the club's president for three seasons in the early 2000s. He is currently responsible for the club's communication, producing the "Rugby Infos" newsletter.
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