He was one of the few to be able to enter the locker room of the XV of France after the cruel elimination on Sunday evening. Visiting the headquarters of the organizing committee for the 2023 World Cup on Thursday afternoon in Paris, Emmanuel Macron took the time to discuss the setback of the Blues in the quarter-final (28-29) of the World Cup against the Springboks at Stade de France.
“We were all bruised, disappointed after this quarter-final. We all found it unfair, some by arbitration, some for other reasons,” underlined the President of the Republic at the Maison de la Mutualité, evoking without dwelling too much on the decisions unfavorable to Fabien Galthié’s men. taken by New Zealand referee Ben O’Keeffe.
He spoke in the locker room on Sunday evening
“But it’s the law of sport and we have to accept it. Above all, we must be proud of this French team and what it has achieved over the past four years,” underlined the tenant of the Elysée. Sunday evening, Emmanuel Macron, who had already attended the Blues’ matches against the All Blacks in Saint-Denis and against Uruguay in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, went to the players a few moments after the elimination. And even spoke in the locker room, giving a speech appreciated by the players.
During his visit Thursday afternoon, the Head of State also congratulated the employees of the organizing committee. “Everything was delivered on time and since the start of this Rugby World Cup I have witnessed a magical choreography in all the host cities,” said the President. We also talked a lot about failings in Bordeaux and Marseille, but behind that, the collective responsiveness was fantastic. The heads of state that I was able to welcome all told me how wonderful this event, which I never considered as a trial round (before the 2024 Olympics), was. »
