In Tarbes, good results despite few resources
The former professional (more than 300 matches with the pros in the space of 15 seasons), opening half of Racing, La Rochelle or even Biarritz, who for three seasons has been training the Stado Tarbes (Nationale), is engaged “for the next four seasons”, specifies the VRDR. A commitment that Fortassin announced to his players on Friday March 3.
Valence-Romans has therefore just taken a major thorn out of this file which was starting to drag on, making a bet on the future in the process.
Looking for a “general manager with solid high-level references, technical skills in line with current professional rugby and a long-term commitment to grow the club”, as highlighted in the press release published on Saturday , the VRDR has just secured the services of a young coach who is about to enter a new dimension. But the latter, adapted from a rugby of movement and disorder, rather pragmatic and whose forward game is not particularly his cup of tea, has worked miracles at the head of the Stado.
Although having the smallest budget in the division (around 1.8 million euros, editor’s note), Fabien Fortassin and the Hautes-Pyrénées club are currently fighting for qualification for the final stages of the National.
Another specificity is that the native of Auch likes to make young people progress, as evidenced by the significant and regular playing time, this season, offered to about fifteen players from the training center. Another asset in his game which has surely finished convincing the leaders of the VRDR.
First project: recruitment
By the time he takes office at the end of the season, and after a lot of work to be done quickly in terms of recruitment to build the workforce for next season, the former number 10 will therefore have the mission either to manage to raise the Checkerboard in Pro D2 if they have not succeeded at the end of this exercise, or to stay there in Pro D2 if the 2022-2023 objective is reached by Johann Authier.
