The Stade Clermontois Archerie secured the bronze medal at the European Club Cup in Ruse, Bulgaria, this past weekend, repeating their third-place finish from the previous edition in Turkey. The French squad, led by coach Florian Chienno and featuring archers Pablo Acha Gonzalez, Michaël Sanna, and Romain Viale, earned their podium spot after a competitive tournament run, as reported by lamontagne.fr.
Semifinal Defeat to Rennes
Clermont’s path to the final was obstructed by French rivals Rennes in a tightly contested semifinal. The two teams finished the match tied at 4-4, with both sides tallying 219 points. According to lamontagne.fr, the match was decided by a shoot-off, where Rennes advanced after recording a target arrow closer to the center than the Clermontois attempt. Rennes subsequently defeated Nîmes 5-3 to claim the tournament title.
Stade Clermontois Rebound in Bronze Medal Match
Following the semifinal loss, the Stade Clermontois archers redirected their focus to the third-place match against Kamnik, a club from Slovenia. The Auvergne-based team maintained their composure to win the encounter 5-1, securing the bronze medal. This result concluded a strong weekend for the club, which had initially ranked third during the qualification rounds before defeating Silistra of Bulgaria (6-0) and Minsk of Belarus (5-3) in the earlier stages of the competition.
French Club Presence in Bulgaria
The European Club Cup in Ruse served as a major showcase for French archery, with clubs participating in the 2026 edition. This follows an event held in Antalya, Turkey, where French clubs also performed strongly, with Nîmes taking bronze in the women’s category and Clermont-Ferrand earning bronze in the men’s category, according to the French Archery Federation (FFTA).
The depth of the French field included several international athletes. The FFTA noted that the competition featured high-profile competitors such as Thomas Chirault for Clermont-Ferrand, and Romain Viale, who recently joined the INSEP training center. Rennes were represented by Nicolas Bernardi, while other clubs including Saint-Avertin and Brienon also fielded competitive squads. The tournament serves as a culmination of the domestic team season for these clubs, building on the national rankings established during the D1 league campaign.
Nîmes and Rennes Bring National Rivalries to Ruse
While Nîmes dominated the women’s D1 season ahead of Saint-Avertin and Rennes, the men’s circuit saw Rennes take the national runner-up spot and Nîmes secure third, setting the stage for the intense rivalries witnessed in Ruse. The Stade Clermontois’ ability to maintain their podium position confirms their stability at the European level, having now secured bronze medals in two editions.
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