Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: RAYMOND ROIG / AFP 23:20 p.m., June 14, 2023

Oyonnax Rugby reveals its ambitions. The team promoted to the Top 14 after winning the Pro D2 this season wants to do everything possible to try to stay in the elite of French rugby. "Going up is good but we have to stay there," said its president Dougal Bendjaballah.

Budget increase, stability of the squad and work at the stadium: promoted to the Top 14, the champion of Pro D2, Oyonnax Rugby, intends to be ready for the demands of the elite he finds after five years of purgatory and where he intends to maintain and stabilize. "Going up is good but you have to stay there. There is a sporting part and an economic part. We will have the smallest budget with 17 million euros against 11 million euros last season, which was the largest in the Pro D2, for the sixth payroll which will increase from 4.5 million euros to 6 million euros, "said President Dougal Bendjaballah, Wednesday at a press conference.

"The revenue will come for 55% of 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 leader who recalled that the club of 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 that includes the departments of Ain, Jura, Haute-Savoie and Savoie and even part of Switzerland.

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Group of 45 players

On the sporting front, Englishman Joe El Abd remains manager and will rely on a group of about 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), centre 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 on the Charles-Mathon stadium with a capacity of 11,500 seats to improve the reception spaces but also the lighting, which were already planned anyway.