Here, the local star is Riyad Mahrez. The Algerian international, champion of England with Manchester City, is from Sarcelles (Val-d’Oise), where he was born and started playing football. But in this cosmopolitan city in the northern suburbs of Paris, another ball, oval this one, wants to find a place in the middle of the madness of the round ball.
AAS Sarcelles Rugby, with its means, is in the process of achieving this. For the first time in its history, the club reached, at the end of this season, the Fédérale 1, the highest amateur level (where it will find Saint-Denis, Drancy, and two other promoted Ile-de-France, the PUC and Gennevilliers ).
A historic climb for the first team, which the whole club will celebrate this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Nelson-Mandela sports complex in Sarcelles. On the program, under the sun, inflatable games, catering, entertainment, to celebrate the good dynamics of the club.
“If we exclude the two seasons frozen by the Covid, we are at three consecutive climbs. We were in honor five years ago when I returned to the club, ”congratulates the president, Fabrice Dolo. For this notary, who played younger in Sarcelles before going to preside over the destinies of the neighboring club of Domont, this return to the sources is a great success based in particular on a financial investment, the arrival of partners and the recruitment of former good players returned to their childhood club.
“It’s a recruitment made in Île-de-France”, approves Chérif Slimani. The 30-year-old Sarcellois pillar, brother of Clermontois Rabah Slimani (32 years old, 57 caps), also made a return to his roots five years ago. “I played here as a child like my brother, then I followed him as a cadet at the Stade Français, I moved around a lot, I went to Bobigny, before returning to the Stade Français as my brother’s World Cup joker in 2015, before stopping for two years. I came back here in 2017, when the president came to get me, and since then, we have only gone up! »
Recruit in schools
The younger Slimani highlights this house spirit and the osmosis that reigned in the group to explain the good results. The club has always been able to train nuggets, including several internationals. In addition to Rabah Slimani, Sekou Macalou (Stade Français), Judicaël Cancoriet (Clermont), Ibrahim Diallo (Racing 92), Jordan Jospeh (Pau) or Julie Annery among girls all grew up on the lawns of the Mandela complex and tasted the famous meals offered on Tuesday evening after practice. “It’s unique, I’ve never found that elsewhere. This social bond remains etched in our memories, ”admits Chérif Slimani.
Faced with competition from the football club, renowned for its training, the rugby section of the AASS intervenes in neighborhood colleges and schools, and is counting on the School Tournament, which was organized this Friday with 600 children, to educate them about rugby. “It works, that’s how we started, with my brother,” recalls Chérif Slimani. It now remains to make them stay at the club.
“We lost a bit among young people with the Covid. We hope to double our numbers in minims and cadets next year, ”announces Néhémie Kancel, third line and sports and administrative manager of the club. Nothing like a nice party on Saturday to make them want to. “There will be old ones, new ones, children,” continues Nehemiah. It will be a great event! »
