Special Envoy to San Sebastian
At first, many wondered. “But why play the Top 14 semi-finals in San Sebastián?” Legitimate question. But the reasons are ultimately simple: several venues are being prepared for the World Cup which arrives in early September. But above all, the city of San Sebastián had taken the lead and presented an application to the National Rugby League, which responded favorably. For a real rugby party for two days. The supporters have indeed responded favorably to this initiative and have taken over the streets of the Basque city and the spans of the Anoeta stadium.
“I think it’s always nice to go to a new and different stadium, that’s obvious. This is also the final stages: changing our daily life. And that’s also what rugby allows you to live, ”appreciated Ugo Mola, the Toulouse manager. An enthusiasm shared by Laurent Travers of Racing 92: “We see that it is a country that loves football but also sport more generally. They love sports, but also enjoy, have fun. We saw it in Barcelona and in Bilbao, there was an atmosphere that was such that it transcends all the players. It’s good for sport and for rugby.”
If the enclosure of San Sebastián usually receives footballers from Real Sociead, it also often hosts rugby matches, with the relocation of Basque neighbors Biarritz Olympique (from 2006) and Aviron Bayonnais. This time, the success of the LNR is to have been able to attract fans from Toulouse, La Rochelle or Bordeaux who come from a little further. But who were able to ignite the Reale Arena for two days, which has the great advantage of being located in the city center, a stone’s throw from the tapas bars. Cries, songs, flags… The atmosphere was there in the Basque Country.
But the League was not in its first relocation to Spain. Already, in 2016, the final which had seen the victory of Racing 92 over RC Toulon had taken place at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, because the stadiums of French territory were taken for the Euro football. A successful initiative: the Catalan enclosure had filled up and welcomed 100,000 people. Supporters from all the clubs, rugby fans from all over France, who had the opportunity to spend a weekend in Catalonia.
This weekend, this was also the case in San Sebastian since we were able to come across jerseys from Clermont or Perpignan, among others, who were not however invited to the last four. But many oval ball enthusiasts had taken the lead to come and celebrate rugby in the Basque Country. A successful party. Who calls others?
