UBB part ways with Christophe Laussucq, the defensive architect of two European titles

Christophe Laussucq is officially no longer a Bordeaux man. In a statement released on Saturday morning, UBB announced the end of its collaboration with its defence coach, who will not see out a contract running until June 2027. The man behind the defence of the club’s two Champions Cup titles leaves at a time when the club is reorganising its staff.

Christophe Laussucq is officially no longer a Bordeaux man. In a statement released on Saturday morning, UBB announced the end of its collaboration with its defence coach, who will not see out a contract running until June 2027. The man behind the defence of the club’s two Champions Cup titles leaves at a time when the club is reorganising its staff.

The only one of Bru’s assistants not to be kept on

“As part of the evolution of its sporting project and the reorganisation of its technical staff, UBB is changing its coaching set-up. Christophe Laussucq will no longer carry out his duties as defence coach at the club. We warmly thank him for his work, his commitment and his contribution to the club’s development”, the club said in its statement.

The departure looked inevitable: unlike Yannick Bru’s four other assistants (Noel McNamara, Shaun Sowerby, Jean-Baptiste Poux and Aurélien Cologni, all extended until 2029 back in May), Laussucq had not signed on again. According to Midi Olympique, the two parties are finalising an amicable settlement, and several Bordeaux players paid tribute to their coach on social media.

Three seasons in charge of the defence, two Champions Cups

Brought in during 2022 to work in the recruitment unit before taking charge of the defence in 2023, the former international scrum-half (4 caps in 1999 and 2000) played a large part in the first two European titles in the club’s history, the latest of them in May against Leinster in Bilbao (41-19).

The league numbers, though, tell a story of erosion, in a Top 14 that is becoming more and more attacking overall:

There is a European nuance: in the Champions Cup, UBB posted the second-best tackle success rate in the competition this season (81%), up on previous campaigns.

Perpignan, Castres… and France?

At 53, the former Stade Bordelais and then Bordeaux-Bègles player (2001-2003), who has coached at Brive, Stade Français, Mont-de-Marsan and Agen, should not be out of work for long. Approached by Perpignan and Castres in recent weeks according to Rugbyrama, he is also knocking on the door of France, where the succession to Shaun Edwards has been open since the Geoffrey Doumayrou option was dropped.