The bulldogs of the harbor: when padel roars between rugby and conviviality

At the heart The Garde , a stone's throw from the legendary harbor of Toulon and its legendary rugby club, the TC Saint Charles breathes new life into the little yellow ball... well, yellow with walls, windows, and a hint of Var sunshine.

This club with DNA historically tennis , founded around thirty years ago, has found new life thanks to one man: Guillaume Navarin . Sitting on the terrace in front of the club bar, his eyes fixed on a match between the French team and the All Blacks, he embodies this quiet passion for sport... and for a project well carried out.

From the supermarket to the racket

A former tennis player, Guillaume worked his way through the retail sector, eventually landing a position at Carrefour... Mexico It was there that he discovered padel, in a "walled" version, well before the phenomenon swept across France. Later, in Valencia (Spain) , he measures the scale that this sport is taking.

“When I returned, I saw that demand was exploding. I first built four plots. And then very quickly, four more!”

One club, one dog, one identity

The club retains the name of TC Saint Charles , but it lacked a signature. The logo? It was obvious: Higgins , the boss's faithful bulldog, sits proudly on the club's visual identity. And that's how they were born “The bulldogs of the harbor” , a nod that is both affectionate and muscular to their rugby neighbors from the RCT.

An ambition that remains family-run

With 8 lands , the club regularly organizes tournaments until P500 , and filed an application to host a P1000 starting next year. Three P500s are already on the program this summer: August 8, 13 and 30 .

But beyond the competitive aspect, Guillaume wants to keep the family spirit, nature and conviviality of the club. A padel school was born last year, with already a twenty young people dismissed. Internship are also offered to help all audiences progress.

The icing on the cake: this year the club won the title in Division 1 of the PACA Interclubs A great performance for a structure that is still young on the circuit.