Several stands sold out for the local derby between Agen and Montauban on France's second tier. Photo: Charles Richardson
Arcachon has never been the heart of rugby, French or otherwise. The bay, located south of Bordeaux on the west coast of France, is idyllic and prestigious. The city of just over 10,000 also has a rugby club. In any case, modest by French standards.
There is a familiar circular running track, a grandstand and a club. Within the walls of the Bassin d'Arcachon stadium there is a pancake shop, a bar and a barbecue area. And on this Sunday afternoon, the booth is buzzing. The beer slurps like the nearby Atlantic as the noisy crowd chugs their Gauloises.
They all know the club's song by heart, and after the climax of the Colts' performance, the brass band enters. Osh is a famous club whose alumni include Jacques Fouroux, Antoine Dupont, Anthony Jelonch and Gregory Aldrit are all visitors and of course come with their own drum corps.
The Osh Brass Band make noise at their away match at Bassin d'Arcachon. Photo: Charles Richardson.
Ah, according to the table — and read — should win at a gallop. But for some reason in France this never happens. At half-time, as was the case with Saint-Jean-de-Luz's victory over Anglais a week earlier in the same league, there is a brawl. The crowd, regardless of its addictions, is full of rage, and regardless of the outcome of the brawl, the judge always remains the main villain.
In the end, the hosts of the outsiders defeat their venerable travelers in front of at least 1,000 people, enchanted by their local heroes under the mild spring sun.
Arcachon plays at the fourth tier of French rugby, Nationale 2, and is coached by Simon Mannix, formerly of Gloucester and Pau, and has 15 professional players. That being said, one might be forgiven for thinking that English rugby — with its crippled top division, barely functioning second division and disastrous amateur cup competition — is doomed. In doing so, it becomes easier to rationalize the continuous stream of England teams exploring their options across the Channel and, in some cases, fleshing them out.
Twenty-one miles may separate England and France, but culturally, politically and socially they are completely different, leading completely different lifestyles, which affects all their sports facilities, including rugby.
The scene depicted in Arcachon is archetypically French and a mass reproduction in England would be unrealistic. However, the problem with the Premier League is that whenever the question is raised that English rugby can learn from its counterparts in other countries, the first reaction from fans, coaches and managers is usually that it just won't work.
Too many exclusively «French» factors played a significant role in his success. From its geography and greater pride in localities to its penchant for style and close association with fine food and drink; Comparing some elements of English and French rugby is akin to comparing chalk to one of Charles de Gaulle's 246 famous cheeses.
There is some truth in this hypothesis, but all this aside, it contributed to the prosperity of the domestic rugby scene in France, since mysteriously, vaguely, the «French» would be lazily ignorant.
Geography is always the reason that takes up the most air time in discussions about the differences between French and English rugby. While the geographic spread (or lack) of rugby clubs in France — with density in the south and sparseness in the north — is undeniable, anecdotally it is a red herring. When mere geography is hailed as the cause of French success, those who say those three syllables rarely pay attention to the flip side of the coin — that geography actually holds French club rugby down from even greater heights.
Giving community players a chance to watch behind their local professional team seems blindingly obvious
Biarritz at ProD2 and Bayonne at Top 14 are just over five kilometers apart. This scenario is not uncommon and is reflected in the city of Toulouse and in several regions and departments. Southwest. Rugby fan densities in these areas can be high, but when reduced to club levels, there is also a dilution. Imagine the size of Biarritz's fan base and average attendance if, for example, Bayonne didn't have its own club.
Blagnac and the 1999 Heineken Cup finalists Colomiers are two fully professional clubs located on the outskirts of Toulouse, but imagine how much bigger Stade Toulousain would be if they had a rugby monopoly in their own city?< /p>
Many of the factors contributing to French rugby's domestic hegemony cannot be replicated without fundamental cultural shifts. England, whose league structure only began in 1987 and has only nine winning clubs in 35 years, cannot compete with the prestigious French club Bouklier de Brennue, which first won the award in 1892 and has 27 winners in 130 years.
But there are nuggets inside, as my two-week driving tour of French rugby showed, which are easy to steal. My journey has taken me to Agen, Bayonne, Anglet, Toulouse, Colomiers, Angouleme, La Rochelle and Arcachon, and across the border to San Sebastian in Spain for Bayonne vs. would remove. in the back of a van and driven back through the Eurotunnel, but there are a lot of little tweaks that can make a big shift in English rugby.
The first has already been hinted at. Back on the French Atlantic coast at Bassin d'Arcachon, their fourth tier match took place on a Sunday afternoon, without clashing with either Top 14 or ProD2. In this way, the 1,000 in attendance, as well as officials, players and volunteers, were free to watch the top 14 Bordeaux match the day before, as well as all second-tier matches on Thursday and Friday evenings.
In France, Tier 2 participants play one special match on Thursday and the rest on Friday. and the top division plays a singles match on Sunday at 21:00 and the rest during the Saturday. On Sunday there will be a mass and public game.
🇫🇷 Le Pilgrimage III 🇫🇷
Ten days, seven matches, matches in Agen, San Sebastian, Anglet, Colomiers, Angouleme, La Rochelle (hello to the fans @gloucesterrugby) and Bassin-d'Arcachon.
Starting with today's ProD2 derby: Agen vs. Montauban.
And now: phone off, foie gras on! pic.twitter.com/QZ6QqQIZBA
— Charles Richardson (@CERichardson_) March 24, 2023
It's really not rocket science. With both the Premier League and Championship desperate for more attendance and BT Sport appearing to be looking to bring more attention to their coverage by leveling English rugby so those who play for Hinckley or Taunton in the National League can also watch. behind their local professional team (in this case Leicester or Exeter) on the same weekend just seems like a blindingly obvious measure.
It is currently not financially viable, or at least not economically viable, to buy a season ticket to a Premier League club for any player in the English rugby community because they will miss too many matches. This is not the case in France. Another innovative idea is the presence of youth matches as a precursor to senior matches. Why couldn't Premier League academic teams do it?
The aforementioned Sunday games in France at 21:00 are scorned by players and fans away, but by neutrals they are adored. Just like in France, there is a sports black hole in England on Sunday nights that the NFL is trying to cannibalize. Channel+ found out about it through the Channel and got more money for a bi-league TV deal because of it.
The magnificent Marseille-Deflandre Stadium is sold out for La Rochelle's European match against Gloucester. Photo: Charles Richardson
Away players and fans may object, but the spectators speak for themselves; Sunday night games in France regularly attract over a million viewers, including on the subscription channel. These viewers appear to be supporters of other clubs, supporters of the two teams involved, but also, most importantly, regular sports fans hungry for Sunday night theatre. Nothing seems to stop the Premier League from introducing Sunday matches at 20:00 and, at the same time, attracting new fans of this sport. Perhaps an Exeter-Newcastle match, where the number of traveling fans is limited, could be the match that sets the trend.
Canal's influence on the league doesn't stop there. This may seem superficial, and as a stand-alone measure its effect will be minimal, but along with the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (the governing body of the French leagues) and its sponsors, a theme song or «anthem» has been created to accompany television reports. . It is similar to the BT Sport jingle when the broadcaster's coverage returns after a commercial break, except it is a bespoke composition exclusively for French indoor rugby. It is instantly recognizable to any French rugby fan and is even broadcast over the public address system at Top 14 and ProD2 matches when the players enter the pitch.
As with the orchestral adaptation for European rugby of Jean-Michel Jarre's The Industrial Revolution Part 2, the French composition, which does not differ in tonality from its European equivalent, further establishes the identity of the leagues and their coverage; something fans can agree on.
The stadium experience is perhaps as prophetic as a microcosm of the dichotomy between the two countries.» settings that can be found. Bands from Auch and Arcachon are not an anomaly and there is an inextricable link between music and rugby in France, as in the Celtic countries. This connection also exists in England, where in the bars and clubs of amateur clubs, songs are absorbed as quickly as pints. If you could find footage of the 1978 John Player Cup final at Twickenham in which Gloucester beat Leicester, Cherry and Whites would take a thriving brass band to southwest London with them. Where are they or their ancestors now? Is it possible to revive their repertoire in Kingsholm?
Charles Richardson (right, in blue coat) chats with Jean-Pierre Elissald (father of former scrum half-back Jean-Baptiste) outside his rugby bar near the La Rochelle stadium. Photo: Charles Richardson
Food and drink is a sacred realm of French culture, and there is no chance of replicating it in full scale in England, but there is more educational material there. At La Rochelle, you can sample six oysters and a glass of wine at their Stade Marcel Deflandre for the measly price of 11 euros. For around £9 in the Premier League, it would be hard to buy a pie and a pint of beer. It would take a complete cultural reset to be able to buy cheap oysters on the English rugby fields, but my travels in the second and third tier have really highlighted something that Premier League clubs can learn.
More often than not, prices in English rugby stadiums are so high because food and drink services have been outsourced to outside operators, who naturally charge extra for their (mediocre) services. There is no such facility in France, except perhaps for a Space Jam Racing 92-style arena. In Angouleme, on the second tier, for example, the food was a simple merguez sandwich and fries, which, along with a jug of beer, cost me and my companions a total of about £20. The beauty was in its simplicity and therefore value — and it was prepared by the members of the club, having a barbeque as if they were at an English village feast. And people were actually there to buy it. The food and drink halls in the stadiums are almost always pleasant, and fans arrive at the stadiums early to eat and drink with their friends before the match.
Rugby clubs are community centres. Clubs actively hunt for local sponsors, and those companies that share their money to support their local team are proud of this. While there is a fair share of sugar daddies in the Top 14, even at this level — purely sponsorship — there is a tangible connection between the rugby club and the city's local businesses. There is an elevated level of local pride in France that England cannot simply imitate with a snap of their fingers, and the legendary esprit de clocher (bell tower psyche) is not a myth; the townspeople support their rugby team because the club belongs to the town.
A good starting point for English clubs would be to develop closer links with businesses in their respective locations to create a stronger sense of community. The English have always been taught to be ashamed of their status as English citizens, which is another difficult argument, but community has always been one of this country's strengths. While this may have been blurred in an increasingly global society, it still exists.
Such pride and community inevitably lead to rivalry. The French rugby rivalry is well known as one of the fiercest in the world, but England also has its own. Nurturing them — as France did with their weekend derby, where all matches are played between local Top 14 and ProD2 rivals — is critical to the Premier League. In France, rivalry and healthy ridicule are encouraged and seldom scorned. When the rivalry boils over and turns sour, it is usually dismissed as a moment of local irascibility. There is a little bit of pearl snatching going on.
It might be a cavalier attitude to health and safety, but at the sold out stands at Colomiers we were able to drink from a bottle of local vin rouge. A glass bottle in our seats, you can barely see the steward. And that's in a league system that has student sections of stadiums deployed — a clever tactic to keep revelers separated from families while maintaining an exciting atmosphere.
The openness between players and journalists in France is just as noteworthy as it is with fans. In Castres, the post-match event for players and officials is held in a marquee on the grounds of the stadium. There is food, wine and a DJ. About two hours after the final whistle, something magical happens. Fans are invited to the marquee to analyze and analyze the match with their favorite players and coaches. The atmosphere is friendly and completely foreign to the English rugby fan.
Ironically, in a country with four professional leagues, the amateur, "Corinthian" ethos still burns bright. Maybe not as violent as before, but it's more than just a flicker. Unsurprisingly, Arcachon and its pancake house had a certain charm. And in its ultra-professional era, the Premier League may have just lost some of that.
However, it can be restored, and inspiration awaits beyond the English Channel.
What do you think the Premier League can learn from French rugby? Tell us in the comments section below
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