Following on from last month’s piece, as promised, some more useful advice from those with the relevant experience on how to acclimatise when playing rugby league in France and successfully adjusting to the way of life here.
LAURENT GARNIER is a former U21 international player, a former coach of various French first division teams, a NRL consultant for the BeIN sport channel and he has also been an active coach in Australia for years now. He arrived in Australia in 2007, and among other things, coached the Brisbane Tigers (women) as an assistant coach and he is now a scout for the North Queensland Cowboys. He has a two-way perspective as a coach of foreign players and also a foreigner himself.
The Catalan has a lot to say about French rugby league culture and some advice to give.
“First, you have to master the local language. At the beginning in Australia, with my approximate English, I wanted to be sure to be understood by my players. I would bring a clipboard on the field, not only to draw some diagrams but also to write the keywords to be assimilated by my team.
“Secondly, you have to avoid to “copy and paste.” Mentalities are different. What can work in France may not work elsewhere. Defence is vital in Australia, less so in France. As a foreign coach in France, applying what works in Australia may be a mistake because, after all, all the French teams follow more or less the same methods and so it’s not necessary to work permanently on defence.
“Then, the physical workload expected from a player is different in Australia.
“Consequently, French players coming to play in Australia will be judged on their defence skills and their physical fitness first.
“Another consequence, but this time for foreign players who would come to France: they will have to make do with limited resources and assuming various roles on the pitch.
“Thirdly, a piece of advice for foreign coaches arriving in France: Coaches will have to adopt the French way of life, to interact as frequently as possible with locals, to avoid sticking only to the players speaking their native language, because it creates clans and the situation can get worse when it’s getting harder for the team on the field.”
Garnier has also a funny way to sum up his pieces of advice. When he was the coach of the U16-U18 Wynnum Seagulls team, he would say: “When I see more faces than ears when I talk to the team, it will mean that they eventually understand me!”
Garnier refers to the fact that when players don’t understand, they turn head to their neighbours and ask them; “What did he say?”
Garnier also told me: “The other challenge for a French coach in Australia is facing that everyone will suppose that you know almost nothing about rugby league. You have to work three-times harder to be accepted in their world.”
As if almost one hundred years of French rugby league culture was forgotten!
After receiving these pieces of advice, you may feel yourself ready to play in France. Yet, you may also feel concerned about your spouses, partners, children or relatives. In France, your job will keep you busy all day long but what about them?
Living in a foreign country may be a challenge also for them.
This is where a countrywoman could come into play.
At first sight, Faustine Rebeyrol-Brimeur has nothing to do with rugby league. On the contrary, she’s got close links to the Union Castres Olympique Club (located in Tarn, a 40 minute drive south from Albi Tigers) where her partner works as a physical trainer. The young teacher, who is also a mother, knows well that living in a different country isn’t a cakewalk for athletes’ partners, regardless of the sport involved. To help them with their new French life she created “Women Speak French,” a French teaching solution for ex-pat spouses (you can find it online at womenspeakfrench.fr and there is a podcast on Spotify).
She gives people many pieces of advice to embrace their life in France including: “don’t isolate yourself, attend the games, the club gatherings and dinners, take part in the school life of your children, step by step, you’ll rebuild a social circle of trust.”
She also advises ex-pats to make France their home: “Adapt yourself to the French schedule, find your favourite café, take advantage of long meals to get acquainted with people, take part in the social events organised in your city or in the nearby villages. Feel free to ask questions to the other women, especially to cope with French bureaucracy!
She also urges her students to exceed the circle of ex-pats.
“Games are not the best place to get acquainted with people; they are too noisy. Places just like the school entrance, a fitness club or meetings around a table to have a cup of coffee will give you easier opportunities for that.”
She told me also a motto all ex-pats should follow: “Expatriation is not a waiting room, this is your moment, this is an opportunity you must grasp!”
Let me add something: as an active player or coach you probably have no time to promote the game. This is very understandable. But by playing in our country, you indirectly join our fight to make rugby league famous again not only in France, but also in places where people believe that French rugby league only exists in ancient books.
And be careful; you may stay for good!
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 510 (July 2025)