The history of Malagasy rugby is exported beyond borders. From September 8 to December 8, the National Overseas Archives of Aix-en-Provence are hosting an exhibition on Malagasy rugby from 1900 to 2023.
After Antananarivo in 2021, Antsirabe and Tuléar in 2022, the exhibition on the history of rugby in Madagascar is at the Overseas National Archives in Aix-en-Provence from September 8 to December 8, 2023. The exhibition was organized during the organization of the Rugby World Cup in France to discover Malagasy rugby. And in conjunction with this exhibition, since September 7, the book History of Rugby in Madagascar (1900-2023) has been available in bookstores. The book tells 130 years of history through the practice of rugby in Madagascar and especially the Malagasy national team, the Makis. The coach of the Blues, Fabien Galthié, and the captain of the XV of France, Antoine Dupont are in possession of the work. They received a copy from Fabien Bordeles. “ The aim of this exhibition is to reflect as faithfully as possible Malagasy rugby, from its origins to the Makis. Highlight its long history, full of exploits and drama. I am happy that the French public can see and know the history of Malagasy rugby » explained Fabien Bordelès, organizer and curator of the exhibition, rugby player and archivist. Fabien lived in Madagascar from 2001 and 2008. Former player of Bordeaux Etudiants Club (BEC), he continued playing rugby with Olympique de Madagascar and XV Sympa with Berthin Rafalimanana. And this is where the project between the two oval ball enthusiasts was born, supported by the French Embassy in Madagascar. For the publication of the work, Fabien Bordelès collaborated with Sahondra Sylvie Andriamihamina-Ravoniharoson, Faly Andriantsietena-Bouchez, Camille Goussé and Berthin Rafalimanana. Having written works on rugby in the Malagasy version “Tantaran’ny rugby malagasy” and “Dimy amby folo taona miaraka amin’ny Makis”, Berthin Rafalimanana, general curator of the exhibition, worked with Fabien to finalize the publication of this work in order to make Malagasy rugby known beyond the country. “ This work will serve as a resource for students of the ANS, ENS Sports, and communication students. We have consulted all stakeholders, families of former players, current players. In Madagascar, the exhibition lasted 3 months at Tahala Rarihasina in addition to tours to Antsirabe and Toliara. The project could have continued with exhibitions in the alliances but due to lack of resources, we were not able to continue the exhibitions. It is a pride to be able to contribute to this project and now it is exported to Aix-en-Provence in France and why not to Paris ? “, emphasized Berthin Rafalimanana.
4 spaces
Throughout the exhibition, portraits of places (stadiums), clubs and people: players, coaches, referees and a manager, are presented to the public to better understand the spirit of Malagasy rugby. The exhibition is made up of a set of very different objects and documents: press, art or archive photographs and drawings, sound and audiovisual documents (films), posters, match tickets , books, newspapers, letters, balloons, jerseys, trophies (cups, medals), flags and pennants. The exhibition route is divided into four spaces/themes. Photographs and a comparative chronology of the history of sports and rugby in Madagascar and around the world allow the visitor to better situate the period and the evolution of its practice over time. The first space (19th century – 1957) talks about the period before and during French colonization. The second theme concerns the period from Independence to the Makis (1960-2019). The beginning of this sequence is illustrated, in particular by the photographs of Daniel Rakotoseheno alias Dany Be, for the “black” years of 1970 and by the Malagasy press and portraits of players and clubs, followed by the birth of the Makis and the ” hiaka” in 1999, their coronation in Yverdon-les-Bains (Switzerland) as junior world champion group D, then their victory as African rugby XV champion, group B, in 2012 in Mahamasina, until the Coupe d Africa 2020. Space 3 is dedicated to women’s ovals in Madagascar, from the early 1990s, with the pioneer Elise Raharimalala who organized the first meetings, up to the international and African Sevens tournaments from 2008 in La Reunion, then XV in 2019.
Finally, the last space allows you to see the exploits of Malagasy rugby players and to hear them sing, thanks to the film from the exhibition “Lalan’ny Rugby Gasy” (The path of Malagasy rugby), directed by Hadrien Bels, in 2021; a montage of photographs, films, summaries of Makis matches in 1957, 1971, 2005, 2012, 2019 and women’s matches in 2019. In Madagascar, rugby is one of the most popular sports, especially in the capital.
T.H
