Trying Rugby in Toulouse

Qui ne saute pas n'est pas tou-lou-sain!

Since we arrived in Toulouse 3 weeks ago, we have heard a lot about rugby. The city’s rugby team Stade Toulousain won the French Rugby Union Championship in June this year. The team is the most successful rugby club in France, with 22 national trophies and 5 European championships. 

With so much rugby love in Toulouse, the CIEE students were very excited to learn to play. Our morning started with four stations where the students learned ball handling and footwork, tackling and rolling, attacking, and the basic rules of the game. After students rotated through the stations, each group played 2-hand-touch rugby. After almost two hours of practice and play, it was time to go to lunch and then afternoon classes.

However, some kids did not want to leave. They were having so much fun that they asked if they could stay, so two of the rugby instructors continued with 25 very enthusiastic students.  They played a scrimmage on the full pitch, and in spite of the heat, there were some tries (when the ball is “touched down” over the opponent’s goal line), lots of high fives, and big smiles on everyone’s faces. Videos of game action can be found at the end of the blog.

In the fall, France is hosting the Rugby World Cup, and Toulouse is one of the 10 cities hosting games in September and October 2023. There will be five games played in Toulouse, and the city is gearing up for a lot of activity and fun. There is even a countdown sign in the center of the city. So rugby fever will continue in Toulouse, and the students have their own special Toulousain rugby memories.