The second wave of new players

FC Grenoble Rugby, through its new president, Nicolas Cuynat, announced in January 2020 a first round of recruits and contract extensions for the following season: Jonathan Bousquet, Timoci Nagusa and Karim Qadiri will join the "Red & Blue" in a few weeks, while 8 players from the training centre had extended their contracts.

Five other new players will join the Grenoble ranks starting next season.

Benito Masilevu for two seasons

Fijian-born Benito Masilevu (30 years old, 1.80 m for 85 kg) has spent most of his career in France. Arrived in 2014, he played for 4 seasons with Brive before joining Agen for 2 seasons. He has a solid experience with 93 Top 14 matches and 23 European Cup matches. Benito is also a Fijian international at VII with 73 selections and more than 200 points. He has been selected 10 times with the Fiji XV team.

Franck Corrihons: "Benito is a try scorer, a puncher, a player who makes real differences on the pitch and can turn a match around at any time. He's a great player who dazzled me during the last Seven at the U Arena. He's a great player who dazzled me during the last Seven at the U Arena. He's technically gifted, fast, with remarkable support and capable of making big defensive impacts in one-on-one situations. We'd been following him for a while with Stéphane and his last few outings totally convinced us. We are really happy to have a winning match like him for the next seasons. »

Ilia Kaikatsishvili signs for two seasons

Ilia Kaikatsishvili (27 years old, 1.80 m for 122 kg), started her career in France in Auch in Federal 1 in 2015. After two years in the Gers he joined Massy for 2 seasons and played this year for Nevers where he was one of the right hand beams in the melee. He played 28 matches for Fédérale 1 and 47 for ProD2.

Franck Corrihons: "Ilia is a boy I discovered when he played at Auch in Federal 1, where he was ultra dominant in the closed scrum. Then we played against him when he was at Massy and he gave us a tough night, to say the least. So we've been following him for several years and he's a boy who always came on tiptoe in the clubs where he signed and a few months later he was indisputable. Even lately when we faced Nevers he hurt us. We said to ourselves that our project could interest him, that it would bring very big guarantees in the melee and that we could go even further with him. »

Julien Ruaud for two seasons

Trained at the ASM, Julien Ruaud (22 years old, 1.96 m for 110 kg), evolves as third line wing or center. After being French U23 champion (2018), he signed his first pro contract in Auvergne, but due to a lack of playing time he chose to settle down for 2 seasons at the foot of the Alps. He was also an U20 international and a 7-man international.

Franck Corrihons: "Julien typically corresponds to a profile of players we like. He has a strong French potential who has played in all the international youth categories, who trained at a very big French club, Clermont, but who inevitably found it difficult to impose himself in the face of the very high level competition in the third row at ASM. He has great technical and athletic potential and can play on the wing or in the centre of the third row, even if he is a player who likes to carry the ball. He has often come close to breaking through, but unfortunately injuries have slowed him down. We had a lot of discussions with the player and Franck Azema and we all agreed that he needed a new challenge, one that matched his ambitions, and the club's project is completely in line with his expectations. »

Nika Neparidze returns for a season

Nika Neparidze (24 years old, 1.82 m for 107 kg), is a Georgian right pillar, but has JIFF status because she was trained at the WSA. He was recruited by FCG last season from Vannes, but had remained on loan in Brittany. He played 28 Pro D2 matches. He was also a U20 international with Georgia.

Franck Corrihons: "Nika is a boy we signed last year because we were already in the long term and with the desire to 'Jiffer' our left side of the scrum, which is completely the case today. He speaks French very well. He seduced us during his first year at Vannes because, even then, he was already very solid for a young player and dominating in a closed scrum every time he played. We signed him quite early last season, but as we had quite a few players in the position and rather than bring him in and he lacked playing time we agreed with Vannes and the player to sign him but stay one more season in Brittany and play one match after another. »

Adrien Seguret arrives for two seasons

Adrien Séguret (21, 1.82m, 93kg) is the latest player to sign, playing at the three-quarter centre. Originally from Albi, where he played his first rugby matches, he joined the LOU training centre in 2017. After two years in Lyon, he is loaned to Mont-de-Marsan for the 2019-2020 season, where he becomes a key player for the Montois: he plays 20 matches and scores 5 tries. International U20, he also won the VI Nations and the World Championship in 2018 with the young Bleus, including Antonin Berruyer.

Franck Corrihons: "Adrien is a player we've been following with Stéphane for a long time. Adrien is the U20 world champion, we've seen him play with the LOU, notably in the European challenge and as a starting player at Mont de Marsan where he was on loan this year. Adrien wanted to find the elite or a top club in Pro D2. He completely recognizes himself in our project. He will enter in the rotation at the center of our attack with 2 confirmed players Alaska and Taleta and 2 young promising and talented players with Adrien and Romain Fusier. He can play 12 or 13, he's a puncher, a defensive dynamiter. He's complete, he has hands, he loves fighting and reminds me of Pierre Aguillon when he was with us and I hope he will have the same career as him.  »

Romain Fusier and Régis Montagne extend

The two U-20 internationals, 2018 French champions Crabos, Romain Fusier and Régis Montagne, have extended their contract with their training club for two more seasons. The centre three-quarter and the right pillar are linked with the Club until 2022. Romain Fusier played 4 Pro D2 matches, Régis Montagne 1 match.