They were the same age, 22, they were friends, almost brothers and spent all their time together, “even to do the shopping! Simon Aboumejd Le Berre, the young scrum-half of C’Chartres Rugby, was the friend, the confidant, the closest to James Théodore, the right pillar who tragically disappeared one morning of training, on March 1. Twelve days later, all his teammates will resume, this Sunday, the thread of their common adventure in Federal 1. Should we play this match? The question arose for a while.
Simon Aboumejd Le Berre, what state of mind are you in?
It’s better, thank you. It was really complicated the first hours, the first days. I find it hard to accept, it’s a void but, over time, we’ll have to get used to it. We cannot undo what happened. The first few days, I was a little closed in on myself. My friends supported me, it’s really very hard to lose a friend. But I don’t have the right to be the saddest in relation to his family. Some players did not want to play again this weekend. I wanted to play again. James would have done it for us, he would have wanted us to do it! We must resume the championship, even if we are afraid, too.
Afraid of what ?
I’m afraid it will happen to us too. The exact cause of James’ death is not yet known.
When he arrived in Chartres two years ago, we had a friendly crush.
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How was the week?
The coaches gave us good training sessions. I’m not saying it wasn’t before. There, it was very focused on the game, the pleasure, we emptied our heads, it did us good to find ourselves.
You were his closest friend!
Yes, we were really, really close. Before, we knew each other a little by sight as opponents in tournaments in the Paris region. He in Meaux, I in Domont. When he arrived in Chartres two years ago, we had a friendly crush.
I will tell her that her dad was a very respectable and upright person.
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Despite your two very different sizes…
(smiles) Yes, he protected me on the field, I gave him passes. We were never without each other, even when shopping. I have a very good relationship with Jayden, her 4 year old son. I played with him a lot. Over time, we will have to explain to him why his dad is no longer there, to tell him who he was.
Have you ever thought about it?
I will tell her that her dad was a very respectable and upright person. Now we have to help this little guy.
At Chartres Cathedral, three hundred athletes pay tribute to James Théodore, the young rugby player who died last week
Is this your “mission”?
His father was my friend, I loved him very much. If I can help. I’m not the only one wanting to help him.
A surge of solidarity appeared, spontaneously.
Yes, it is impressive. At the ceremony at the cathedral, there were a lot of people, athletes from other clubs in Chartres. We, in rugby, we already had a good cohesion, it is even stronger today. The world of rugby helped us, the French team autographed the ball which was on Monday at the bottom of James’s portrait. Internationals donated money from the Leetchi pool that we opened. 400 people donated for Jayden and his family.
The whole team is motivated to offer him a last tribute.
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Is it a surprise for you?
No, the world of rugby is very family-oriented. We could see that James was a lovely person, he always exuded good humor, he never complained. And yet he could have. He had a triple life. He became a father at 17. In the morning, he took care of his child, he took him to school, he went to work. In the evening, as soon as training was over, he went to pick him up at school. He was a very devoted father. He had custody of his son, he was a bit of everything. He gave a very good education to his son.
Drama at C’Chartres Rugby: James Théodore, a hope flies away
The match against Limoges will be very special!
It will be very emotional. The whole team is motivated to offer him a last tribute. We are ready for anything, we will give everything for James on the pitch. We will have to be strong in our heads.
He commanded respect. James was going to achieve his dream, to become a professional. He had more willpower than many players. He transmitted his energy to us.
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Especially for the player who will be the right pillar.
Yes, whether it’s Nzuvukile (Sofisa) or Leo (Halavatau), who had taken him under his wing a little, it will be special. The position of right pillar is very technical, very psychological. At 22, we are not yet mature, James worked very hard in each training to learn. Beyond the scrum, James was a fighter on the field, he didn’t miss a lot of tackles, and the ones he did, it left its mark. I never saw him back down with the ball. He was very hardworking. He commanded respect. James was going to achieve his dream, to become a professional. He had more willpower than many players. He transmitted his energy to us. Before the matches, it was he who launched the cry. He was sometimes even told to shout less loudly.
Chartres – Limoges: the match after
It is without pressure, without any particular sporting objective, that the Chartrains will approach this confrontation against Limoges today. Of course, this meeting, the match after, will be charged with emotion, like all the afternoon, with a series of tributes paid to James Théodore. “We met at the beginning of the week, very slowly. It was necessary to resume the path of our common lives, recalls Renaud Gourdon, the coach of the CCR. Facing Limoges, we will be focused on us, we need to find ourselves, together. I hope that the boys can give the best of themselves, that they are not taken by emotions, to simply play, to have fun on the field, to restart our machine and to honor his memory. James left us with a victory, we would like to pay tribute to him with a victory at home in front of his family. »
CHARTRES (Claude-Panier stadium)this Sunday, March 13 at 3:30 p.m. (hopes at 1:30 p.m.).
The group : Vos, Alamartine, Halavatau – Tematafaarere, Snyman – Massyn, Tafili, Hamiaux – Aboumejd Le Berre, Roche – Kosse, Camara, Bocquillon, N’Diaye, Leclerc. Replacements: Bertolino, Keita, Legrand, Coulibaly, Benmegal, Kitutu, Martel, Sofisa.
Coach: Renaud Gourdon.
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Hervé Paraut
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