Did you know that rugby is played in Madagascar? “You see young people playing rugby everywhere… Sometimes without a ball with plastic bottles! ” is surprised Azzouz Aïb, general manager of Rugby Africa, branch of the World Rugby body on the continent. On site, he is responsible for organizing tournaments between African nations. They organized the qualifying stages for the World Cup.
Today, for simple derbies, in a country where the sport is not professional, spectators number in the thousands. On this island of 28 million inhabitants off Mayotte, the Malagasy rugby federation registers 40,000 licensees (second largest country in Africa behind South Africa). In France, they are 300,000 for 67 million inhabitants. With such popular enthusiasm and more than 40,000 licensees, why can’t the country compete in international competitions?
To achieve high-level sporting results, funding is needed. “It’s not possible to have barefoot players doing 3 hours of practice without a bottle of water,” says Francis Ntamack, former Makis national team coach and uncle of current opener Romain Ntamack. bruises.
Arrived in 2020 on the island, this former player of the XV of France remained only one season (2021-2022) at the head of the national team. “You can’t put aside all these elements, which are necessary in high-level sport. »
Payments from the federation to the clubs come mainly from revenue from matches. Thus, it is ticket sales that pay for equipment and training costs. “Of the money generated during the matches, 30% goes to the clubs, 30% to the national team, 30% for other competitions, 10% for the administration… it is divided like that. »
The Malagasy players are in Antananarivo. For the year 2023, the Malagasy rugby federation counts 351 clubs in the country. “The record is in Anosibe,” says Victor-Lié. The 200,000 square meter district, five times smaller than the smallest Parisian arrondissement (2nd arr.), currently hosts 34 teams.
Lionel Rajosoa is responsible for communication for the Green Eagles club in Andranomahery (a popular district of Antananarivo): “We have 60 licensees and only 4 balls for training. In the next few years, the demand will be even stronger. The rugby passion is not the only vector of club registrations. If they multiply, it is also out of necessity “in addition to training, our associations are also social structures”, testifies Daniel Bessaguet, general manager for the RCTS club in the district of Soavimasoandro in the north of Antananarivo. The 410 members of the club (children and adults) are entitled to a meal on Saturdays and Wednesdays. “We also sometimes arrange visits with mobile dental practices or ophthalmologists. In a country where poverty is at its height, having access to this kind of care for free is an additional reason to register.
The lack of financial means is not the only obstacle to practicing professional and international rugby. “It’s difficult to find big guys to exist at fifteen”, tries to explain Daniel Bessaguet. However, taller players, there are: “there are physical specificities that are different depending on the region. On the coasts, people are much stronger, says Azzouz Aïb. If tomorrow we have a more national policy, that we include more regional clubs in the championship, I think we will have all the necessary templates. »
The third and last pet peeve of Malagasy rugby… is technique. “The players are in difficulty on the specific sectors: the scrum, the ruck phases and the touches”, specifies Azzouz Aïb. The playing times are very long. In Europe, the game stops and is also done in slow times. In Madagascar, the players go up the pitch headlong: “They play, they play, they play. They have physical abilities that are well above average, “insists the general manager.
When he first came to the country in 2014, Francis Ntamack was impressed. “I’ve seen kids here have a gesture that we try to teach in France. With them, it’s natural! »
To exploit this natural potential, Rugby Africa is trying to train Malagasy rugby players. The bodies must organize themselves into stable and long-lasting structures to see their talents evolve and grow. At the federation, Victor-Lié is aware of this: “The objective is that all our actors in the field are trained and autonomous. “If they can do that, in the eyes of former national coach Ntamack “within 3, 4 years, they can be in the top 3 in African rugby outside of South Africa. »
It remains to be seen whether measures will be put in place. In any case, an appointment is already given to Malagasy rugby: the qualifications for the Olympic Games (rugby at 7) will take place in September, in Zimbabwe, for men, and in October, in Tunisia, for the women.
To discover the history of Malagasy rugby: History of Rugby in Madagascar, by Fabien Bordelès, Maisonneuve et Larose and Hémisphères editions.