"Rugby is one of the only sports that creates such strong and deep bonds, between teammates of course, but also between opponents," says icon Jonny Wilkinson. This is the breadcrumb trail that director Benoît Pensivy has woven to make the fourth season of the web series "Terrain favorable", produced by Société Générale, a major partner of the World Cup. After having multiplied the trips during the first three seasons (viewed more than 3 million times on Youtube) in Brittany, in the North of France but also in Japan, this time the spectator is invited to the heart of the Basque Country, on the occasion of a boiling derby between the clubs of Ciboure and Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, the club of internationals Charles Ollivon and Maxime Lucu.
To discover
- The 2023 World Cup calendar
"On the occasion of the World Cup in France, we wanted to highlight the France," continues Benoît Pensivy, former journalist at Midi Olympique and Rugby Hebdo, recalling that the third season had been filmed only abroad. Once again, "Favorable Terrain" brings together a unique cast of stars from the oval planet: Jonny Wilkinson, Thierry Dusautoir, Matt Giteau, Siya Kolisi, Dan Carter and Christian Califano. And the idea of this fourth season is that the usual Basque rivals (the two pillars, the two strikers, etc...) participate in a unique trip in the world, to New Zealand, Madagascar or South Africa.
Dusautoir and McCaw got to know each other better
With a common denominator, a passion: the oval ball. The stars share their experience, in all simplicity, and the amateur rugby players - the look amazed at first - enjoy this unique experience in a lifetime. Between joy, surprise and emotion. Former opponents on the field, Dusautoir and McCaw got to know each other better, as did the Basque players on each team. Eternal boute-en-train, Califano and Giteau are regularly charging. "When we were both together, it was "one brain for two," laughs "Cali".
Rugby game on a beach in Madagascar. Photo Favorable terrain
The former pillar of the Blues had trouble hiding his emotion when he recounts his trip to Madagascar, where he met Marcelia, a courageous woman, who was a mother at 13 years old and then emancipated herself thanks to rugby and the association Terres en Mêlées. Absolutely not an overplayed emotion in front of the cameras, the links are strong and perpetuate after the shooting.
See alsoImmediate departure for an extraordinary journey across the oval planet
Thierry Dusautoir was surprised to find an Ivorian player, Zozo - whom he had met on the set (moving) of season 3 - at the club of Terrasson (Dordogne), whose president is none other than the director Benoît Pensivy. Califano asked a Scottish club - which he had also known during a shoot - to come and participate in France in the next World Cup of amateur clubs. Proof of the unique links that are created and endure during these privileged exchanges between stars and fans of the oval ball.
Find the six episodes of season 4 of "Favorable Terrain":