In Monaco, rugby is quietly writing its own chapter. And now, that story has a legend’s signature. Jean-Pierre Rives, the man once immortalized as “Casque d’Or” for his golden mane and fearless play, has officially become honorary president of AS Monaco Rugby.
For fans of a certain generation, Rives is more than a player. He is the face of French rugby’s romantic age, a flanker who threw himself into tackles with abandon, who led France to Grand Slams in 1977 and 1981, and who often left the pitch with his jersey torn and his face bloodied. Those images, half warrior, half martyr, are part of French sporting folklore.
A legend who became an artist
But Rives is not only remembered for his courage on the field. After retiring in the early 1980s, he reinvented himself as an artist. Today, his monumental steel sculptures stand prominently in many public spaces across Europe, including a series of sweeping arcs called Chemins de Lumière that capture the same energy he once poured into the ruck. To many, he is proof that brutality and beauty can live in the same soul.
Why Monaco?
So why Monaco, a Principality that in the past at least was better known for Formula 1 than for rucks and scrums? According to club president Thomas Riqué, the partnership had been building quietly for years. One got to know him at events, through the Prince, through the community, his presence natural.
AS Monaco Rugby, promoted to Fédérale 2 in 2022, has its eyes fixed on Fédérale 1, the next rung up France’s semi-professional ladder. With a new coaching team, Nicolas Bonnet and former Georgian international David Bolgashvili, the club is ambitious. Having Rives on board as honorary president is more than a symbolic flourish; it’s a statement of intent.
The role of an honorary president
Unlike ceremonial titles elsewhere, Monaco anticipates its honorary leaders will get involved. Rives will be part of the club’s “council of elders,” offering guidance, experience, and a kind of rugby gravitas money can’t buy. He will bring his human qualities. And representation too, his name carries weight everywhere.”
Rugby in the shadow of the Rock
Monaco isn’t just casinos and yachts. The Sainte-Dévote tournament, the youth rugby festival held each year in honour of the Principality’s patron saint has become a popular event, often attended by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene. Rives was already a fixture there, chatting with children, laughing in the sun. His new role only formalizes what many had sensed: that Casque d’Or had found a second rugby family by the Mediterranean.
Looking ahead
The season begins on 14 September with a clash against UMS Montélimar. The players will take the field chasing promotion, but also with the quiet knowledge that a legend is watching from the stands. Jean-Pierre Rives, who once redefined courage in French blue, now lends his aura to the red and white of Monaco.
And perhaps that is fitting. After all, the man who turned blood and mud into poetry on the pitch, and then steel and light into art, has always thrived on contrasts. Monaco, glamorous yet fiercely competitive, may be his most natural canvas yet.
