"What message are we sending?" Julien Pierre criticizes the organization of the Champions Cup in South Africa
05/04/2024"What message are we sending?" Julien Pierre criticizes the organization of the Champions Cup in South Africa
Two French clubs, Lyon and La Rochelle, are playing their Champions Cup Round of 16 matches in South Africa this Saturday. A symbol of the excessiveness of major sporting events, according to Julien Pierre, a former French international and environmentalist, who calls for greater sobriety.
The old European Cup is now also played on the other side of the planet. For two years now, the Champions Cup (and its little sister, the Challenge Cup) has included South African clubs. Two of them, the Cape Town Stormers and the Pretoria Bulls, play host this Saturday to two French clubs, defending champions La Rochelle and Lyon respectively. Two matches on opposite sides of the world, two 20,000 km round trips, accumulated fatigue for rugby players whose pace is already hellish, and a heavy carbon footprint to boot.
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