The main person concerned had, until then, remained silent. A short week after the (much) criticized opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup at the Stade de France, Jean Dujardin, aka “Jean-Miche”, spoke on Instagram and regretted that this moment “didn’t should never have opposed us but brought us together.”
“I never thought that my participation in the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup would trigger such an outpouring of commentary, political and media,” said Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath. We wanted it to be beautiful, we wanted it to be festive, we had fun imagining it, we all got involved together, volunteers, craftsmen, artists, happy to prepare it with everyone’s enjoyment in mind. »
“The second degree has not been understood”
This ceremony, which wanted to show the French art of living, instead highlighted outdated symbols of our country. “The scooter, the tank top, the beret, the mustache, the loaf of bread, the little market of yesteryear, the little café tables of yesteryear, the little village square of yesteryear… it’s from yesteryear and it’s tempting, it’s a fantasy and a memory at the same time,” wrote Release.
“We wanted to celebrate our country, our know-how and the history of rugby,” explained Jean Dujardin, who co-wrote this ceremony. The “outdated” France of the 1950s? It was precisely in 1954 that France celebrated its first victory over the New Zealanders. “Rance France”? An opening ceremony is always the presentation to the rest of the world of the country where the celebrated event takes place. We are indeed also the country of the beret, of gastronomy, of culture, of education, no offense to some… The second degree that I have always liked to use has not been understood and I regret it. »