"The Odyssey of the Top 14" on Canal+: how French rugby earned its media stripes

SUNDAY, JUNE 29 – CANAL+ – 9 PM

"And here's professional rugby!" The news made headlines in August 1995, relayed on television by Jérôme Bonaldi, in "Nulle part ailleurs" on Canal+. The journalist slightly rolled his eyes, just to show the mixture of incongruity and concern that this decision by the International Rugby Federation aroused.

At the same time, Canal+ decided to broadcast the national rugby championship matches – with Serge Blanco as its first consultant. French rugby and the encrypted channel would never leave each other. This special connection explains the quality of the documentary offered for this anniversary, rich in exclusive and humorous archives: at the time, only the encrypted channel allowed itself such humor.

Asked by Eric Bayle – rugby commentator on Canal+ since 1995 and co-director of the documentary with Etienne Pidoux – the 14 speakers speak with confidence, by Serge Blanco to Fabien Pelous, from Mourad Boudjellal to Jonny Wilkinson or Bernard Laporte, present here as coach of Stade Français (1995-1999) then RC Toulon (2011-2016). An excerpt from Canal+'s "Petit Journal" reveals a young Fabien Galthié, a joker and scrum-half at Colomiers. Coach of the French national team since 2020 – and less cheerful – he now underlines to what extent the players were then unprepared for this professionalization. And for good reason, the decision was made in haste, the film recalls.

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