Allez Les Bleus

This weekend sees the welcome return of 6 Nations rugby, a festival of battle, bravery and heart. When I played as a teenager in 1980’s I was enamoured by the flair and verve of Serge Blanco. Add in Sella, and later Saint-André & Dusautoir, they all created opportunities from nothing, did the unexpected and entertained. To this day, out of respect and sheer joy, I’ve always shouted Allez les Bleus.

Bizarrely, rugby never took a popular hold in Brittany, favouring football instead. You’d think a region known for its tough farming and sailing character, add in its strong and proud Celtic heritage, rugby would have thrived and been its natural heartland, but sadly that has never been the case. Instead it is the south west that has become the crucible of success for French rugby. 

There are various cultural theories for this quirk, suggesting that religion and politics had a greater influence on how rugby evolved. It is believed that the catholic church, strong in the north and the capital, favoured the gentler, less violent game of football. Whilst the more republican and basque south would actively rebel against whatever Paris preferred. 

We’ll cover the fervour of Breton football and it’s Celtic connections another time. Meanwhile, buckle up for the spectacle of the 6 Nations, which is poised to be another classic. Les Bleus are favoured by the bookies, but to win silverware they need to shrug off the shadow of recent closely-fought disappointments, and continue building for the return of the World Cup, which they will host in 18 months time. Will stalwarts DuPont, Fickou & Ntamack lead and inspire the fresher faced youth of Jaminet and Lebel on to championship glory?