This time, he went down well on the lawn. As announced by Le Parisien-Today in France, Emmanuel Macron did not depart from tradition by descending on the lawn of the Stade de France before the final of the Top 14 between Toulouse and La Rochelle, Saturday evening, at the Stade de France. Unlike the final of the Coupe de France football where he had greeted the players of Nantes and Toulouse in a corridor of the enclosure of Saint-Denis at the end of Aprilthe Head of State this time left the presidential box to join the center of the field.
If the social climate is less tense than a month and a half ago, at the height of the protest against the pension reform (the Coupe de France final took place two days before the demonstrations on May 1), the president of the Republic still suffered whistles from part of the public. Accompanied by the boss of the National Rugby League René Bouscatel and the new president of the French Rugby Federation Florian GrillEmmanuel Macron spun on the lawn ten minutes before the kick-off of the match.
Then, the tenant of the Élysée joined the president of La Rochelle, Vincent Merling, responsible for presenting his troops to him before the final, as is customary. But, at no time, the scene was broadcast on the two giant screens of the Stade de France. The president entered under the decibels of the clip retracing the various finals of the Top 14, perhaps avoiding him a more fed bronca.
“Can you get things done for my pport?” »
At the end of the video, still no plan on the head of state. The announcers of the two clubs took over, to announce again the composition of these big cars of French rugby. In the stands, the whistles have gradually diminished. On the lawn, the Head of State continued his handshakes, lingering with the captain of Stade Toulouse and the XV of France, Antoine Dupont.
The two men have already crossed paths via the Blues, but also in July 2022, where the Head of State had visited the scrum-half and his family on the sidelines of a stage of the Tour de France in their village of Castelnau-Magnoac, in the Hautes-Pyrénées. “The family, how are you? Asked the tenant of the Élysée, before mentioning the World Cup in the fall. There are a few (among you) who will be gathered in a few weeks but here you are face to face on the ground. See you soon, I will be in the Pyrenees at the beginning of July. »
More unusual moment, the president was challenged by the mive La Rochelle pillar Uini Atonio about an… administrative procedure. “How’s Emmanuel? Can you get things done for my pport? You have to speed up a bit, ”launched the French international. Macron responded with a smile, before a few minutes later leaving the field to those concerned.