This year, the tournament has more than 2,000 players, “and it increases every year! adds Pierre Nouqueret. He adds: “Now people come from all over France. We even have a few Anglo-Saxon teams. On July 23, for example, 96 teams competed, including 32 women’s teams, in 272 matches, lasting an average of eight minutes.
A youth sport
The Anglet Beach Rugby Festival has lost none of its luster, despite its thirty candles blown out. The reason ? The fact that beach rugby is “a sport for young people”, as Pierre Nouqueret explains: “It is a very physical sport. It takes great cardio and being able to run in the sand. It’s all about speed and skill, it’s not a rough sport at all! he smiles. And then there are those who come back every year, and who pass on the passion for beach rugby to their children, who themselves take part in the tournament. “In 30 years, we have seen people pass by! », concludes the organizer.
DJ sets and activities are also part of it. Sunday afternoon is the mascot tour, where animators don disguises of bears and other mammals to the delight of children, despite the temperature which is around 35 degrees. On Saturday July 23, the artist The Avener was able to heat up his turntables and get the public dancing on the roof of the Vent d’Ouest bar, a few hundred meters away.
Pierre Massac, creator of the tournament, and Pierre Nouqueret both supervised the organization of this 30th edition.
Nicolas Mollo/SOUTHWEST
Nolann le Garrec, the godfather
The Anglet Beach Rugby Festival has seen many young talents and hopefuls, such as Nolann le Garrec, 20, and player at Racing 92 and is the godfather of the 30e editing. This year, two teams are the big favorites of the tournament: the Seventies for the boys, and the Euskadi seven for the girls.
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