“When we knew they were coming to our house we fell off our chairs a little bit,” smiles Luis Galdos, Capbraton’s first deputy in charge of sports. It’s more than just a point of pride, because France’s XV is still something! This good news will benefit the entire region and the department more broadly. »

A “good news” that owes nothing to chance. If no practice had chosen Capbreton or any other place in the Landes as a base camp, the coastal city provided several guarantees that did not leave the management of the XV of France indifferent. The sports park regularly plays host to their rivals and top 14 formations. In the past, the Irish team resided in the enclosure.

Centralization of facilities

“Capbreton ticked all the boxes,” performance director Thibault Giroud agreed. “The structures are great, the proximity between the training grounds, the offices, the sports hall, where we can build anything we need for physical preparation and recovery… We’ll be staying next door (Hotel Baia and Naturo in January and campsite at Seignos in August, Editor’s note).This centralization is essential and avoids wandering around the city. »

The head physical trainer also highlights the size of the rugby pitch where several workshops can take place at the same time. “We can also draw separate lines for the different stages there. In our first match of the tournament, in Rome, the in-goals were deeper than usual”, continues Thibault Giroud. While nothing is official at the moment, the Habs could use the European Sports Rehabilitation Center (CERS) in Cape Breton.

Before the 2019 World Cup, the Blues alternated between five to six internship locations. As these five weeks in a row continue at Cape Breton, consistency follows. Especially facilitating the reception of the families of the 80 members of the France XV, staff and players.