(Seta Tuilevuka is set to spend some time at Montpellier. Below, Montpelleir is a close-knit team and a fun town.)
By Alex Goff
The Las Vegas Blackjacks are set to unveil a partnership agreement with French Top 14 club Montpellier which will see the clubs trade players.
The first act of the new partnership will be for Vegas star Seta Tuilevuka to sign a contract with Montpellier to play with the French pro club. But the long-term goal is to have young, talented players get much-needed experience and opportunities by playing overseas.
 Under the plan, Montpellier will send young players who maybe need a jump-start to their development, or haven’t had enough playing time, to play in Las Vegas. Those players will still be under contract with Montpellier and will be paid by the French club.
Those players might also enter into internships with businesses in Las Vegas or take classes at local universities.
Meanwhile young Las Vegas players with potential will go to Southern France to train with Montpellier with the hope of landing a pro contract or, at the very least, garnering some big-time experience.
The plan was set up by Las Vegas assistant Herve Gregoire-Mazzocco, who played for many years in France (mostly with Clermont-Auvergne) and in Italy and the UK.
Gregoire-Mazzocco called around to different clubs where he has contacts to convince some to take a shot with Tuilevuka. In his discussions with Montpellier backs coach Jean-Phillippe Lacoste, the issue of the club’s desire to start overseas academies came up.
“Some European teams just have the big bucks and use that to bring in well-known players,” said Gregoire-Mazzocco. “But Montpellier is different. Their policy is to look for the rare gems no one else has found and give them a chance. It has worked very well for them.”
 “It’s going to be a great partnership,” enthused Las Vegas head coach Jason Kelly. “First of all it’s a great opportunity for Seta. He’s a very talented player and we think he’ll be good for them. He’s a phenomenal trainer and is outstanding shape.”
So Vegas gets out of this an influx of players without an outlay of cash, and in fact Montpellier may also help with some team gear for the Blackjacks. Vegas also gets to provide overseas coaching and experience to some young players, starting 2011, and if those players don’t get long-term contracts, they still bring home valuable experience.
For Montpellier, which finalized the partnership through GM Denis Navizet, they get to season young players in a new environment and also start a pipeline to scout for players where no one else is looking.
Montpellier was the site of two USA World Cup games in 2007. It is a warm, fun college city where modern architecture rubs elbows with 19th century buildings and old Moorish fortresses and Roman aqueducts.
“It’s a very pleasant place to live and I think it will be nice for our guys who go from Las Vegas to there,” said Gregoire-Mazzocco. “Although they are a very professional team, what was really compelling about then was there’s sort of a family atmosphere within the club. They are very low key; nobody acts like the superstar. That’s why I think we’re going to have a good partnership.”
The partnership could be the start of a trend, if it succeeds.
“We feel there’s great potential for rugby here in Las Vegas,” said Gregoire-Mazzocco. “With the USA 7s coming to Las Vegas, 7s becoming an Olympic sport, and the success of our club, there’s so much that makes us thing we can do something great.
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