To support the club, put in difficulty by the cessation of the Top 14 rugby, and weld the red and black “Nation” behind the Stade Toulousain, President Didier Lacroix launched a “Support Wall” last Friday. In just over three days, 5,000 bricks were sold.
Stade Toulousain has not played a match since the end of February, and it will not resume until September, perhaps for the quarter-final of the European Cup against Ulster. No match for 6 months, so no public, and no financial returns. To weld the red and black “Nation” behind his club, President Didier Lacroix launched a “Support Wall” last Friday. Exclusive interview.
Didier Lacroix, president of Stade Toulousain
– DDM – XAVIER DE FENOYL
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What is the first assessment of this Support Wall?
Monday evening, after 3 days, we collected € 300,000, by the acquisition of around 5,000 bricks by lovers of Stade Toulousain. The average donation is more than € 50. It is a very, very encouraging result. Donors are from Toulouse, France, but also from Hong Kong, New York or Singapore. This impetus is also hundreds of messages, declarations of love at Stade Toulousain, that we receive throughout the day. Former players just send me a smiley, writing: “I bought mine”. Many people praise the originality and the meaning of this Wall.
Bricks are purchased on the Stade Toulousain website
– DR Stade Toulousain
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What is the principle of the Wall?
Anyone can purchase one or more bricks from the Support Wall on the club’s website. The participation is 30 € minimum. This wall will be erected physically, at the end of summer, near the Ernest-Wallon stadium. There will be one or more walls, made of thousands of ceramic bricks. And the name of the donors will be written on the brick. The idea is to bring together all lovers of the Stadium, around the world, on this wall. And let everyone come “confirm” their purchase by coming to pose in front of their brick, in front of the wall … and see a match at the Stade, discover Toulouse and its region.
Everyone can register their name on the Stadium Support Wall.
– Screenshot / Stade Toulousain
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Will there be as many times the first name of the donor as there are bricks bought?
No, the donor’s first and last name will only be entered once. It will be egalitarian. Whoever buys 1 brick will have his name, whoever buys 100 also. We will however organize small events for the delivery of bricks to the most generous donors.
Do you have special requests?
Yes, everyone takes hold of this wall in their own way. Ugo Mola our trainer launched the challenge to his village of Sainte-Foy la Grande, in Gironde, to acquire 300 bricks. Antoine Dupont, our scrum half, wants to do the same at Castelnau-Magnoac (Hautes-Pyrénées). Former players want to immortalize a title acquired with the Stadium, and involve all the former teammates, so that everyone can buy their brick. Associations appear to buy dozens of bricks, and appear as such on the wall. Companies also, who want to involve all their employees.
How much do you hope to harvest? And what will become of this money?
We don’t set goals. The operation will remain open all summer. The Wall will be built in September, next to the Stade brasserie. Will the idea last over time? It’s possible. As for the funds collected, they will be paid into the endowment fund of the Stadium, which feeds training, social and charitable actions of the club. The purchase of bricks gives right to a tax reduction, and to a certificate of authentication: such person will have his brick, located on the wall n ° 1, in column 17, line 28, for example.
How is Stade Toulousain doing?
Almost all of the club’s 150 employees are partially unemployed. All the brewery, catering, events are necessarily stopped. We try to build solutions to end the crisis, our assumptions are made and unmade according to health decisions and those of the Rugby League. Only the quarter-final of the European Cup is maintained to date. All those who have tickets for this match (which was to take place in April) can attend. All our hopes are focused on the 2020-2021 season.
What state of mind are the players in?
Like all those who are deprived of activity, they are necessarily frustrated. For the moment, we are awaiting the authorization of the Ministry of Sports, to test all our players before a possible resumption of training. If there are players affected by the Covid-19, without showing symptoms, it will be necessary to take all the precautions. We will not take any risk with the health of the players, such as coaching.
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