Macron's Rugby Bottoms Up: "He always wants to play the guy, it's old-fashioned," says Olivier Truchot

Two years after a notable first appearance in the Stade Toulousain locker room, Emmanuel Macron once again toasted the Rouge et Noir's victory on Saturday evening, at the end of a thrilling Top 14 final. While the president displays his closeness to the world of rugby, his taste for third halves has once again sparked criticism and debate over his presidential stance in the Big Mouths.

Two years after celebrating Stade Toulousain's title in the Top 14 locker room with a beer in hand, Emmanuel Macron did it again on Saturday evening, at the end of a legendary final won by the Rouge et Noir against Union Bordeaux-Bègles (39-33, after extra time).

Absent from the 2024 edition in Marseille, the head of state did not miss the opportunity to celebrate this latest victory, visiting the Toulouse locker room amidst the euphoria. The atmosphere was electric, marked by jokes and raised voices before the arrival of the president, welcomed with a mixture of fervor and relaxation.

With a beer in hand, Emmanuel Macron spoke briefly, congratulating Ugo Mola's players: "A huge congratulations to all of you. This isn't the first time I've seen you win, but it's perhaps the best," he said, in remarks captured by Canal+. "It was a magnificent final. You went for it with guts and determination. You didn't give up, and you delighted us."

As in 2023 and 2022, the president didn't hesitate to toast with the players. Together, the two men raised their glasses in a moment that was both festive and emotional. These images, reminiscent of those already widely discussed during his previous visits, notably when he downed a beer in one go among the players in 2022, once again demonstrate Emmanuel Macron's closeness to the world of rugby.

In the Big Mouths this Monday, Emmanuel Macron's dry beer stunt is causing a stir. Emmanuel de Villiers, who was read, feels that the President of the Republic "still hasn't read his job description." He continues: "He hasn't understood what his job is. He's trying to regain a bit of popularity, but that's not his job. His job is to embody the state. He's pushing it too far."

For lawyer Charles Consigny, “Emmanuel Macron has no sense of distance; he can't help but always go a little too far.” “France is in a terrible mess, and I'm not sure this attitude is right. He needs to distance himself,” he asserts.

Olivier Truchot doesn't hold back with the president either: "He always wants to play the guy, to prove to us that he's a real guy. In 2025, I find that completely old-fashioned." As Flora Ghebali often likes to say: "Emmanuel Macron is the OSS 117 president."