What will your mood be like at the kick-off?
Jean Abeilhou: Inevitably, I will have feelings and big thoughts for Matthieu. This was already the case in the last European Cup final. As a rugby substitute, I will do my best to do what Matthieu can do. Then I’ve been commenting on matches for thirty years, including several Top 14 finals from 2005 to 2008.
At the moment we do not know the names of the finalists yet…
The most imaginable poster would be Toulouse-La Rochelle. The first of the regular season was a twenty-one champion over the runner-up who was the European champion for the second time in a row. But there are always surprises. In rugby the ball is capricious!
Between your accent (born in Montauban) and the magazine Rencontres à XV, do you consider yourself an ambassador for local rugby?
People tell me this often. As we treat amateur rugby with professionalism, there is no doubt that the architecture of the Top 14 retains this narrow-minded spirit that French rugby has symbolized by the Shield of Brennus and all those clubs, not franchises unlike teams in the Southern Hemisphere. Teruar is always with us.
Son, you played football. How did rugby catch you?
There was a great rugby team in my village of Reyniès… Sorry, football. You see the narration slip. It was in the time of my father and all the fathers of my friends. When I was old enough to play sports, there were only football goals on the field. So, inevitably, all young people played football. Then I did knee crosses. So I stopped pretty early. I switched to rugby in the ’80s by commenting on matches on local radio stations, then on Sud Radio. I immediately appreciated the friendliness of this environment, which is less common in football, and its closeness to the players. Although things improve with professionalism, this spirit continues, albeit a little.
Looks like you commented on Solex competitions before that… Really?
Yes, still in Reyniès. We created a race with our childhood friend who is now the headman of the village. I was the speaker at the scene. But the first time I spoke into the microphone was when I was an altar boy in mass. I was reading The Passion of Christ for Easter. The priest, who should have been a little farsighted, entrusted this task to me.
Since you were a mechanic before you started sports journalism, your career path is much more unorthodox…
I actually trained as a helicopter mechanic in the army. Then I joined the aviation industry at Airbus while developing the engine for the A320. I always find it funny when I get on a plane to watch a game.
The World Cup is fast approaching. Could you comment on some of the matches bought by France Télévisions?
We will publish ten. Hoping that Matthieu will be back, there should be three or four I can comment on.
Are you already thinking about the 2024 Olympics?
I’ll be covering both the men’s and women’s rugby sevens, especially as our two French teams passed the qualifying. I will even follow the Paralympics with wheelchair rugby. After this deadline, I’ll probably slow down. But as long as you’re in good health and allowed to live your passion, why deprive yourself of it?
Rugby, Top 14 Final: Saturday 17 June at 20:45 in France 2
INTERVIEW FREDERIC LOHÉZIC
Source: Programme Television
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
