he ends up playing a final at Twickenham

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At 20 years old, Étienne would never have dreamed of ending his semester of studies in London with a rugby match in the legendary stadium of Twickenham. This oval ball enthusiast was not in the Rugby Temple as a simple spectator. No, he was, with fitted shorts and tight crampons, on the field to play a final. An extraordinary story.

A cup final at Twickenham

On May 12, 2024, Étienne, member of the Old Elthamiansleft the locker room corridor to enter the Twickenham pitch and play in the final of the Papa John's Community Cup, against Wigan. Nearly 3,000 people are there, the meeting is even broadcast on YouTube and followed by the cameras of the English Rugby Federation.

In the stands, Étienne's dad and brother wouldn't have missed the event for anything. Étienne is living a waking dream. Arriving for a semester of study in London, this student at the Amos Business School in Toulouse saw his fierce desire to play rugby rewarded in a very good way.

Coming into play, this opening half, who can play anywhere within the 3/4 line, participated in his team's clear victory (45-22) and created lifelong memories. 5 days later, his plane landed on French territory, and Étienne was left to tell his loved ones, or many other students, about his wonderful adventure.

From Bourges to London, via Toulouse

Let's rewind the thread. Player of Bourges in Juniors, Étienne must migrate to Toulouse for studies after obtaining his baccalaureate. A member of the Amos Business School, he cannot see himself putting aside his passion, rugby. The TOEC welcomes him, but Etienne also wants to play certain weekends with Bourges when he decides to return to Cher. The deal is impossible, and reluctantly, the young boy puts rugby on hold.

During his second year of study, the program includes a semester in London. In Étienne's head, it clicked: he got in shape for a few months and aimed to join an English team. “I told myself that it was stupid to go to London for 4 months and not play rugby there,” Étienne confided to At the time of Rugby.

The course is set for London. After a week of acclimatization, Étienne, looking for a “historical club, not necessarily at a high level, but with a soul”, met adults from the Old Elthamians club one Sunday. The magic happens.

Brilliant integration with Old Elthamians

“I saw adults training on a field. I introduced myself, I declared my interest. Right away, I was made very welcome. I was asked to come and do training on Wednesday to see what I was worth, while explaining how it worked. I was delighted,” remembers the man who also played in Rouen among the youth.

During the first training, the “Frenchy” seduces. And is accepted. “I thought I would be seen as a foreigner, but they immediately integrated me. The players, who were all between 20 and 25 years old, were surprised and delighted by my approach. For them, it was cool to have a Frenchman on the team. I became a sort of mascot,” says the person concerned.

Having some basic English, but not being bilingual, Étienne takes advantage of the fact that the captain of the Old Elthamians studied in France to make himself understood by others. “They explained combinations to me via a telephone translator,” laughs Étienne. “Even during a match, a coach, who thought that I had not understood the instructions, used the translator on his phone to explain to me. We thought the same thing, except that the vision of the game is totally different in England.”

Direction Twickenham

Having arrived in an undefeated team, with 50 licensees but where only 23 players have been used since the start of the season, Étienne thinks he will struggle to find his place. “I arrived in a team that won everything, which had its typical team in place, and they all had their benchmarks,” admits the “Frenchy”. But his 10-14-15 versatility pleases, and he manages to get on the match sheets as a substitute.

Old Elthamians won the Kent 3 championship, and after a perfect run, reached the final of the Papa John's Community Cup, against Wigan. The location: Twickenham. “It was a dream and a source of pride. It’s a stadium that I’ve seen since I was little,” says Étienne, still speechless.

Being considered the home team, Old Elthamians inherits the XV de la Rose dressing room. “It made them laugh that a Frenchman entered this locker room,” smiles Étienne, who specifies that the two teams had the privilege of entering through the main entrance of Twickenham, via the gate overlooked by the lion. “We followed the hall, and then we found our jersey lying in our place. It was magical.”

Étienne also reveals this anecdote: “Each locker room belongs to a jersey number and a player. I inherited from Richard Hill, former England number 9. It's funny because when I was younger, I played in Rouen, and at the time, he was coach of the RNR. When I saw that I had pulled this locker room, I saw it as a sign of destiny.”

Share your story

Obviously, in the Temple of Rugby, Étienne is impressed. “It’s a place where you don’t have the right to say or do anything. I made myself very small. I almost didn't feel legitimate, even though we had won it. You felt like there was a real story here.” On the other hand, he did not hold back from exulting during his team's victory.

If Étienne wishes to share his story, it is not “to tell it to himself”. No, the 20-year-old wants to send a message. “I would like to encourage other young people like me who are going to study abroad to look for a club to try to have an experience. I discovered a new culture. Do it too, whether it's rugby, football or something else. It could end on an improbable note like mine…”. There is no doubt that you will be heard Étienne!

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