Rugby Club Compiégnois Targets Federal 3 as New Season Gets Underway
Rugby Club Compiégnois is back for the 2026-27 season, with the senior team targeting Federal 3, a strong youth program continuing to grow and the women’s section preparing for another important campaign.
September 2, 2026
By The Editorial Team
Rugby is back in Compiègne, Oise, and Rugby Club Compiégnois is entering the 2026-27 season with plenty to look forward to.
Following the club’s 120th anniversary celebrations, RCC is now turning its attention to the future. The objective is clear: continue building the club at every level while giving the senior men’s team a realistic chance of moving up to the next division.
The club has spent the last two seasons competing in Regional 1. Under the leadership of Sylvain Fourdrin-Delbart and Julien Bellenger, RCC is hoping that the work done over recent seasons can now translate into another step forward.
For coach Shayne Makombe, the target is no secret.
“We have this firmly established desire to move the club forward and, for that, to be where we belong,” Makombe says. “But we must never forget the history of this club and its heritage. We have an objective to achieve, and it is up to us to do everything possible to succeed.”
That objective is a place in Federal 3.
RCC Sets Its Sights on Federal 3
Promotion will not be easy, but RCC believes it has the foundations required to compete for a higher position.
Makombe is beginning his third season with the club and brings with him a strong connection to the sport. Born in South Africa, where rugby occupies a major place in sporting culture, the coach describes the game as a central part of his life.
“In South Africa, it is a true religion and, personally, I live rugby 100%,” he says.
For RCC, however, sporting progress is only one part of the club’s wider ambitions. The team also wants to protect the identity and traditions that have been built over more than a century.
Makombe believes the club’s history should remain an important part of its future.
“We have to fully succeed all those who have given the Compiègne club its reputation,” he explains. “Of course, nowadays the budget is necessarily more limited, but those who know the club well can see its strengths. First of all, its very rich community and sporting heritage, which must be respected.”
The coach also sees an important role for the current generation: ensuring that the club’s history is passed on to younger players.
“We also need to create a bridge to pass this heritage on to today’s generations.”
New Players Strengthen the Senior Squad
RCC has also added several players to its senior setup as it prepares for the new campaign.
Martin Fourdrin is one of the returning faces. Having previously come through the club’s youth system, he is now returning to Compiègne as part of the senior team.
“It is a return because he was trained here among the young players and is now joining the senior team,” Makombe explains.
Hugo Joseph is another familiar name returning to the club. The former RCC player most recently played for Beauvais.
The club has also strengthened its forward options. Théo Marcher, who has previously played for Soissons and Chauny, arrives to reinforce the second row. Ryan Lemoigne, also from Chauny, joins the senior group.
Several younger players are also being given an opportunity to make their mark.
Gaspar Lelaby, another former RCC youth player, returns to the club. Théo Banard, aged 19, Clément Afonso and Baptiste Prieur are all moving up to the senior ranks this season.
Louis Rocheteau joins the first team as well, while Mae Henrio-Allier makes the move to the senior squad at just 19.
The combination of experienced players, returning club members and younger talent gives RCC another reason for optimism heading into the season.
The ambition from the club is straightforward: to compete as high as possible.
After two seasons in Regional 1, Federal 3 is now the next target.
Youth Development Remains Central to the Club
While promotion is an important goal for the senior team, RCC’s long-term development depends heavily on its youth structure.
The club continues to operate a broad rugby school covering several age groups, from Baby Rugby and Under-5s through to Under-8, Under-10, Under-12, Under-14 and Under-16 teams.
The Under-16 players compete at national level, providing young players with an opportunity to develop in a more demanding competitive environment.
In total, around 160 young players currently represent Rugby Club Compiégnois.
They are supported by approximately 20 volunteer coaches, whose contribution remains essential to the club’s operation.
“We are extremely grateful to them because, without them, the club simply would not exist today,” Makombe says.
The club’s youth work is not limited to training sessions at Stade Jouve-Senez. RCC also works to promote rugby in schools and among young people in the neighborhoods of Compiègne.
The goal is to make rugby accessible to more children and introduce new players to the sport, while creating a pathway for those who eventually want to progress through the club’s teams.
For a club with 120 years of history, that pathway could prove just as important as the results achieved by the senior side.
Women’s Team Looks to Build Again
The women’s section is another important part of RCC’s sporting structure.
The women’s team competes in Federal 2 in the XV-a-side format and comes into the new season after two highly successful campaigns, including an unbeaten competitive run.
However, the offseason has brought significant changes to the squad.
As happens frequently in amateur rugby, some players have moved on because of changes in their education or professional lives.
“There have been a significant number of departures,” Makombe explains. “It is a common situation in clubs: some players were students at UTC and left after completing their studies, while others moved on to a new job.”
The club therefore faces the challenge of rebuilding the women’s group while maintaining the progress achieved in recent seasons.
One of the immediate priorities is also the reconstruction of a rugby sevens team. The sevens format can provide an important competitive pathway before the club eventually returns to XV-a-side competition with the women’s team.
A New Chapter for a 120-Year-Old Club
The 2026-27 season represents another important stage in the long history of Rugby Club Compiégnois.
The club enters the campaign with several different priorities: the senior men’s team is aiming for Federal 3, the youth program continues to develop around 160 players, and the women’s section is working to rebuild following a period of significant success.
Those objectives may be different, but they are connected by the same broader goal: building a stronger RCC for the future.
The club’s 120-year history provides a strong foundation, but the challenge now is to ensure that tradition continues to have a place alongside the development of a new generation of players.
For the senior team, promotion would provide an important sporting milestone. For the youth teams, continued development could help supply the club with future senior players. And for the women’s section, rebuilding the squad will be an important step toward maintaining its place within the club’s competitive structure.
The new season is therefore about more than simply returning to the pitch. For RCC, it is an opportunity to continue a long-running story while beginning another chapter.
And for the women’s section, the first major date of the new campaign is already set: Sunday, September 20.
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