René Fontès: French sports executive and local politician

Career in sport

Fontès is best known for his tenure as club president of ASM Clermont Auvergne from 2004 until 2013. Under his presidency the organisation operated within France's top professional rugby competition, the Top 14 rugby union. In this capacity he handled administrative, financial and public-relations responsibilities typical of modern club presidents, acting as a bridge between sporting staff, players, sponsors and local supporters.

Political and civic roles

Alongside his sporting duties, Fontès was active in local politics. He served as mayor of Eygalières, a small rural commune in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône, from 2008 until his death in 2019. His mayoral responsibilities included municipal management, representation of the town, and working with residents and regional authorities on local projects.

• Sports administration: President of ASM Clermont Auvergne (2004–2013)
• Municipal leadership: Mayor of Eygalières (2008–2019)

Honours and legacy

In recognition of his public service, Fontès was appointed a Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honour in 2011, one of France's national distinctions awarded for merit in civil or military life. He is remembered in both rugby and local-government circles for helping to run a professional sports club while remaining engaged in grassroots community affairs.

Fontès died of a heart attack on 17 March 2019 in Eygalières at the age of 77. Obituaries and remembrances emphasized his dual profile as a club leader and a mayor, noting the uncommon combination of responsibilities at elite sport and municipal levels [see sources]. His career illustrates the close links between regional sport institutions and local civic life in contemporary France.