Laurent Depret
Journaliste rugby, spécialiste du Top 14 et du Pro D2.
Recent activity
-
PublishedGirardi en Ovalie: Is recreational rugby a false good idea for our clubs?
Is touch rugby a false good idea for clubs? While the FFR pushes non-contact "recreational rugby", coach Lionel Girardi is sounding the alarm. Between a loss of DNA and unfair competition for fifteen-a-side rugby, the analysis of an oval-ball paradox.
-
PublishedJosé Madeira (Portugal): “We managed to stay tight together to bring Georgia down”
Crowned European champions after slaying the Georgian ogre, Portugal are confirming their emergence on the international stage. José Zé Madeira, the FC Grenoble flanker and spearhead of the "Lobos", breaks down that historic feat and the ambitions of a nation that has no intention of stopping.
-
PublishedHervé Padioleau: the banker of Loire rugby who tackles the numbers
From banking to the pitches of Clisson, portrait of Hervé Padioleau, the man who turns rows of figures into hard cash grants for the Pays de la Loire league. Between health rugby and a passion for numbers, meet a volunteer with a "black belt in Excel".
-
PublishedAussie Froggy – Episode 1: “Nightmare, nightmare, nightmare” for World Cup tickets in Australia
After Elliott in New Zealand, the "Aussie Froggie" column lands in Brisbane. Rémi, our man on the ground, gives us an unfiltered account of what is going on behind the scenes of the 2027 World Cup: a ticketing system already under strain and a rugby union game shoved aside by league and "soccer".
-
Published“Down Under” – Episode 2: From pulling pints at the bar to pushing in the scrum, Eliott has launched his New Zealand season
We left Eliott, the RC Baulois prop, finding his bearings in the postcard setting of Wanaka. A few weeks later, the bartender at Charlie's Corner has swapped the apron for the Upper Clutha jersey. Between chest-high tackles and a relentless tempo, the story of his first steps on New Zealand grass.
-
PublishedRugby Kreiz Treger: the menhir of Breton rugby that refuses to topple
Between granite country and the oval ball, Rugby Kreiz Treger (RKT) cultivates its rural identity in the heart of the Côtes d'Armor. From the benches of the agricultural college to the boots of Gaétan "Chabal" Le Pennec, the story of a Breton club that never lets go, watched over by its ambassador Lénaïg Corson.
-
PublishedWhat a Championship, and building sites under a wide blue sky: the no-holds-barred verdict
Crowned champions of Europe after an epic finish against England, Fabien Galthié's France now switch their focus to the World Cup. Between Louis Bielle-Biarrey's historic record (9 tries) and the lingering doubts over the pack's power, France are savouring their 2026 Six Nations title but remain a vast building site with the roof off. Analysis of a triumph in chiaroscuro.
-
PublishedA hell of a coronation for the U20s
Twelve years after the class of 2014, Cédric Laborde's France U20 are back on top, sealing the second Grand Slam in the history of the French U20s. At the end of a breathless Crunch at Marcel-Deflandre, marked by a crazy script and a heroic defence, France floor England (31-28) and round off a weekend of celebration for French rugby.
-
PublishedGaël Dréan: the irresistible rise of Lorient’s “Road Runner”
From Fédérale 3 in Lorient to a first international try against Italy, Gaël Dréan is living a waking dream. Portrait of Toulon's "Road Runner", the Breton arrow shaking up the France pecking order.
-
PublishedRugby Union Pays de Lorient: the secrets of a collective success story
With 600 registered players and an identity forged through cooperation, Rugby Union Pays de Lorient (RUPL) is shaking up the rules in Brittany. Between pooled resources and boundless passion, its president Sabine Guerlais lifts the lid on a club that keeps on growing.
-
PublishedÉlite 1 and France: the final sprint and the great European leap
Between Stade Toulousain's dominance, the resistance of the three-time Bordeaux champions and France's rejuvenated new cycle, the Élite 1 is delivering a gripping verdict before the Romagnat-Bordeaux showdown.
-
PublishedGolden goose or financial bubble: can the Six Nations survive its own millions?
1823, William Webb Ellis runs with the ball. 2026, the unions run after growth points. In a century and a half, the Championship has gone from folklore to pure business.…
-
PublishedRozenn Ngassa: rugby in the heart, the oval ball in the blood
From classical dance to the pitches of the Élite, Rozenn Ngassa has embodied the soul of Stade Rennais Rugby since it was founded in 1999. A primary school teacher by day and a figurehead of Breton rugby by night, she heads a genuine oval-ball "dynasty" in which husband and children fly the flag for Brittany and for France. The portrait of a woman of conviction for whom rugby is not just a sport, but the cement of a life and of an extraordinary family.
-
PublishedAnatomy of a rise: 20 years of France U20
Unlike Justine Triet's film, there is no fall here: the story of France's U20s tells of a methodical climb. From the world summits of the Piqueronies era to the artificial pitches of Cardiff, French rugby is dissecting the competition thanks to a development system that has become the absolute benchmark.
-
PublishedValentine’s Day: studs, haymakers and “je t’aime moi non plus”
While hearts waver between red roses and candlelit dinners, rugby would rather celebrate its "best enemies". From the first derby of 1892 to the heroic tackles of over-excited dads, a dive into that all-consuming passion where love is measured in stitches.
-
PublishedErwan Le Coadou: rugby as a citizen’s case for engagement
Rugby does not sit outside life, and a rugby player is not a citizen outside society. On the contrary, he can help, why not, to improve it. Erwan Le Coadou, 38, is a good illustration: he discovered rugby in Saint-Brieuc at the age of 16, and 22 years on the passion has never wavered. A journey that reads like a genuine case for oval-ball commitment at the heart of the community.
-
PublishedFrance-Ireland: What to take away before the rest of the tournament?
Perhaps not since the 2003 World Cup quarter-final had France so thoroughly "twisted" Ireland. With a 22-0 lead at the break (against 27-0 back in the days of Magne, Harinordoquy and Betsen), Fabien Galthié's men sent out a strong signal. Historic discipline, a solid scrum despite the absentees and a Thomas Ramos on another planet: a breakdown of the lessons of the showdown with the analysis of Laurent Depret.
-
PublishedFabien Galthié, the unbreakable, the unplaceable
The France head coach is a complex puzzle. From his beginnings at Colomiers to his mad-scientist glasses, he has walked a tightrope through thirty years of rugby. Portrait of a man that fate often tried to push aside, but who ended up taking everything.
-
PublishedSacha Coris, the referee who never wanted to be a vigilante
At 19, Sacha Coris doesn't just love rugby: he commits to it. A second-year student at an engineering school in horticulture and landscaping in Angers, he has made refereeing far more than a sideline passion. It is a demanding path, built on rigour, learning and constant self-questioning, one he approaches seriously… and with a smile. Between a desire for fairness, a feel for the game and openly stated ambition, here is the portrait of a young referee for whom rugby is above all a responsibility.
-
Published“2026 is the new 2016”: does French rugby really want to turn back the clock?
Is France reliving its old demons? As the "2026 is the new 2016" trend floods TikTok and Instagram, the parallel with French rugby is becoming unsettling. Between a galactic Top 14 breaking every attendance record and a France side searching for a second wind after the Galthié era, history appears to be stuttering. Between the ghost of the final at the Camp Nou and the enforced rest given to senior men (Penaud, Alldritt, Fickou), we dive into a bold comparison: simple digital nostalgia, or a genuine growing crisis for our game?
