The “pink city” is the only international stage to take place in France: an opportunity not to be missed to popularize this Olympic discipline.
Training last week with the New Zealand champions in front of the television cameras, three days of competition in front of the French public… Toulouse becomes, from May 12 to 14, the heart of the attention of rugby 7s fans, by hosting the World Series. The best women’s and men’s teams in the world, including France, will do battle for three days at the Ernest Wallon stadium during this only international stage to take place in France.
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The tricolor Chloé Pelle recognizes that rugby 7, played around the world, has rarely been such a party in France. “The problem is that to watch the matches, you have to get up at 3 a.m. because it’s in Hong Kong or Canada… It’s more complicated, obviously“, she slips.
“Get used to the atmosphere!”
“It’s normal too“, slips Caroline Drouin: in a country which has always cultivated the cult of rugby union and which finally discovered the 7 only at the Rio Games, seven years ago. : “Me first, it’s true that until the Rio Games, I didn’t really know rugby 7. I think it’s also rooted. We love the VI Nations, we are a fan of our Top 14, so we had a hard time discovering this discipline. I think that the Games, for once, really allowed this openness. Now it must continue!“, she enthuses.
These matches in Toulouse are therefore a chance to gain popularity: an opportunity, too, to get used to the support of the public before Paris 2024, underlines Joanna Grisez. “During the Paris Games, there will be a lot of people, a lot of media coverage… Things that we are not necessarily used to when we are abroad. I think it’s good to Live these moments and get used to the atmosphere!“, she smiles.
AT Paris, anyway, the Blue intend to make people talk about them: after the silver in Tokyo, it is the Olympic gold that they want to win.