French champion in 1979 with the Racing Club Narbonnais and successful entrepreneur, Christian Trallero is releasing an autobiography, full of anecdotes.
A cross pass from Lucien Pariès, a sharp run followed by a pass after contact from Didier Codorniou and Christian Trallero scored a corner try, during the 1979 final, against Bagnères de Bigorre, the only try in a game which saw Racing Club Narbonnais win its second Brennus Shield (10-0). 45 years later, the man who wore the number 11 on his back during this match at the Parc des Princes, released an autobiographical book, to look back on his journey.
“The young people, it's certain that they don't know me, but in the places where we are today, at the Halles de Narbonne, at Bebelle's, where there are all my friends, all the old people from Narbonne, all the everyone knows me as the one who scored the try in the final, well served by Didier Codorniou after a brilliant breakthroughsays Christian Trallero. Narbonne is magical for me, it cannot be explained.”
“At 350 pages, we had to stop”
Leaning at the “Chez Bébelle” counter, in the Halles de Narbonne, the 72-year-old man did not stay alone for long, quickly meeting old acquaintances. This Saturday morning, some come to buy foie gras, capon and seafood for New Year's Eve, others come to meet the “Bison of the Cévennes”, his nickname and the title of his work.
“It's a project that I had 2-3 years ago, I had already written 80 pages, and then I had stopped a bit, I wrote down little anecdotes from time to time… confides the former winger. And then, 3-4 months ago, I said: “This time I’m going to do it for good.”
Talking about your sporting, professional and family life in 350 pages, not one more, a real challenge. “I had to limit myself, because I'm a little excessive, to 350 pages, I had to stophe explains. On the other hand, I already have 350 more pages behind, for next year, I will tell anecdotes that I could not put there.”
350 pages, it took at least that to tell the story of more than seven decades between Villemagne-l'Argentière, Bédarieux, Mazamet, Narbonne and even Sète. “I think I have an unusual life, I come from a small village of 300 inhabitants, near Bédarieux, nothing could have predicted that I was going to have the life I had,” specifies the one who discovered Rugby at just 19 years old.
“Rugby still lives within me, it’s my passion”
The young Christian instead starts with a round ball at the end of his foot, before making his first tackles by following a friend, a scrum half at Bédarieux. He was talented and was offered his chance at Mazamet, in the National division, before trying his luck at Narbonne, in the summer of 1977. “I wanted to try the adventure at a higher level and without being asked, I came knocking on doors in Narbonne and I managed to make my mark”recalls Christian Trallero.
“In the years 77, 78, 79, we were the best team in France, we won everything, continues the ex-winger. I was lucky enough to win the Du-Manoir in the first year and keep it the next, before becoming French champion in 1979, and calling it quits there.”
Stop? Not quite, Christian Trallero returned home to Bédarieux and set up an ambitious project which saw his club move from the 2nd series to the gates of the first division during the 1980s with stars, ex-internationals like Jack Cantoni and François Sangalli.
He hung up his Bédarician crampons at the age of 38, but went to lend a hand to Valras, then to AS Puisserguier and Hérépian, as well as to Saint-Jean de Védas, where he managed to win a Languedoc championship title. 4th series at 50 years old. Still active, with the veteran team Os de Vies, in Sète, “we no longer play tackling, we play touching, rugby still lives in me, it’s my passion”confesses the one who now lives on the banks of the Etang de Thau.
A successful entrepreneur
Alongside his rugby adventure, Christian Trallero quickly developed entrepreneurial skills, founding “La Maison Cévenole”, based on his studies in construction. “This job allowed me to be independent and set up on my own as soon as I was 20, and then to develop this villa manufacturing companysays the entrepreneur. In 1986, nearly 1000 houses were built from Toulouse to Nice.”
Creator of a radio station, owner of a nightclub, a private detective channel, a 4×4 track, karting, roller skating rink, restaurants, bars, having worked in Moscow and in Azerbaijan, Christian Trallero recounts all his lives in his autobiographical book, “rugby only represents 10% of the work”he notes.
Where to get the book?
While waiting for the national release with a publisher first quarter 2025:
– in Bedarieux, press house
– in Hérépian at the tobacco press.
– in Béziers, at the restaurant, Cynic, 6 rue Guibal, 50 m from the Municipal theater at the top of the alleys.
– in Sete and by correspondence an SMS to 06 50 37 05 12.
