Leading the qualifiers with at least six more wins than the other three undefeated teams they will face in the Final Four on May 16th, RSC Montreuil does not see themselves stopping now, as their president states, happy with the collective enthusiasm that has emerged behind the athletes involved. 

 

How did you experience your first steps in competition? 

 

For years, we've been participating in the various French team championships with the same mindset: that everyone is part of the adventure, so that enthusiasm is present and the club as a whole benefits from this new competition contested by our elite fighters. This ranges from the club's children, who have drawing contests around the Judo Pro League and come to support their elders, to the volunteers without whom nothing would be possible. And for those who cannot come to support us live, the broadcasts on YouTube have also helped unite people around our team. So it's all positive! 

 

 

Did you expect such results from this first participation?

Even though our initial goal was to stay in the league, we made significant investments in this first year, and therefore we were very eager to perform well right away. We are fortunate to have athletes accustomed to the first division, both individually and as a team, who train daily with the best at INSEP, but also some foreign reinforcements who have been training with us for several years, long before this Judo Pro League. It was only natural to bring them along on this project! From the beginning, we have strived to present the most competitive team at each match, depending on schedules and injuries. For now, we have no physical setbacks to report, so we will have to make choices for May 16th. Because I can tell you that everyone wants to be part of it, obviously! This is a sign of real momentum that, I hope, will take us far. 

 

 

What do you hope for from this Final Four? 

 

We will face Judo Nice Métropole, the only team familiar with this format, in the semifinals. But we tell ourselves that it remains a team competition, with the same usual ingredients needed to emerge victorious. Either it goes well and we advance to the final, or we stop here for this season and we can already be proud of the progress we've made. Whether on the mats or off them. Because of our participation in the Judo Pro League, we had to look for new partners willing to join us. We are fortunate to be able to count on several private supporters and patrons with whom we have initiated a great dynamic. So it would be a shame to stop now...