England prop brings 'hunger' to Top 14 new boys Vannes

INTERVIEW: In terms of welcomes it will never come much bigger for Breton club Vannes who mark the start of their first ever season in France’s Top 14 by hosting the game’s royalty Toulouse on Sunday.

It is a clash which every French rugby supporter is relishing, not just to see the Top 14 champions back in action but to watch a game in a new outpost of the rugby empire.

Based in a town of 54,000 people in a region better known for its ‘gouren’, a local form of wrestling, than for its rugby, the club made it to the most lucrative league in the world by beating Grenoble in June’s second-tier Final.

In spite of a budget of just €20-million (US$22-million) – Toulouse clock in at 49.5 million euros – Vannes’ preparations as the Celtic region’s first ever Top 14 side have necessarily been boosted by some big-name signings.

Fiji centre Filipo Nakosi, ex-New Zealand midfielder Francis Saili and 79-time England prop Mako Vunipola have all headed to the club.

“We’ve recruited well with Mako,” Vannes captain Francisco Gorrissen told AFP.

“It’s really important for the team as he’s a player coming to France who is hungry to achieve something big,” the Argentina international back-rower added.

Vannes is located on the Atlantic coast, and equal distance from the much bigger towns of Nantes and Rennes, both of which boast Ligue 1 football teams.

Rugby is very much the poor relation in Brittany which has a population of three million people.

Football and cycling are both more widely followed with fifth-tier Rennes the closest rugby club to Vannes in the French pyramid.

And yet the club has climbed a steady path, claiming promotion to the second division ProD2 in 2016.

A year after reaching the ProD2, former Wales Under-20 lock Carwyn Jones joined Vannes after graduating from the Scarlets academy and two years at English second-tier side Ealing.

“I think what puts Vannes apart is the fact that they represent the Breton identity and that’s one of their main advantages,” Jones told AFP.

“They’re almost like the ‘national’ Breton team.

“They have everything that goes with it.”

Jones spent four seasons at the Stade de la Rabine and suffered an agonising ProD2 semi-final defeat in 2019 before being forced to retire due to concussion three years ago.

“Before I came to Vannes I’d never experienced that level of support where you’re almost like a local celebrity, where people just stop you in the road and be like ‘Well played last night, we’re all behind you’,” the 31-year-old said.

“Even if you go and eat in a restaurant they’ll be giving you a good deal.

“Everybody is 100 percent behind the team, everybody knows the players as well, they’re all fanatics.”

‘Go to war’

An element of Vannes’ success has been the atmosphere at their 11,000-capacity Stade de la Rabine.

They had an average crowd of 10,600 last season and have already sold 9,000 season tickets for the coming campaign.

The club adds to the buzz by paying tribute to their Celtic heritage with their pre-match traditions.

“You’re standing in the corridor before going onto the pitch and you can hear the Breton music playing and the bagpipes and the drums,” Jones said.

“You’re just ready to go to war.”

A consistent factor to Vannes’ progress through the divisions has been head coach Jean-Noel Spitzer, who took over in 2005 when they were in the then fourth tier.

“He manages everything,” says Gorrissen with a smile. “The club trust him and the players trust him too.”

This weekend’s season-opener, even at a packed Stade de la Rabine with all its Breton ferocity, could not be any tougher with the record 23-time French champions and Champions Cup holders coming to town.

“I’m happy to play Toulouse first up,” says Gorrissen.

“I think if we win, we’ll send a big message to the whole league. If we lose we can say it’s Toulouse, the best team in Europe, so no pressure.

“There will be 25 other matches after that though.”