From our special correspondent in La Seyne-sur-Mer,
“Glad to see you again in sunny weather, I see that all the jackets have been put away.” Like its press officer, the delegation of the South African rugby team is delighted to finally return to its quarters in La Seyne-sur-Mer, in the Var, after a visit to Bordeaux, and a big victory against the Romania (76-0), then by Paris and the narrow defeat against Ireland (13-8) in this 2023 Rugby World Cup. Each time, in the rain.
“We are all very happy to be back here. The way we are treated, it’s like coming home. We’re really happy to be in this hotel,” said Daan Human, South Africa’s scrum coach, as he put on his bucket hat flanked by a Springbok. And there is something to be said for it. The Grand Hôtel des Sablettes, a 4-star spa hotel, is just a few steps from the beach of the same name and its azure colors, typical of the Mediterranean. The peaceful retirees who indulge in longe-côte have also gotten into the habit of coming across a few South African players coming to take a dip in the morning.
“It’s South Africa who entrusted us with their World Cup”
The Springboks have already got used to it in November 2022, and a first stay to discover the infrastructures during a test match against the XV of France, at the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille. The Grand Hôtel des Sablettes is used to welcoming rugby players; it is not uncommon for Top 14 teams to come there for pre-season training. “A lot of players know us, like Cheslin [Kolbe] or Bryan Habana, we have a good connection with the South Africans”, executive Adrien Lelièvre, the young director of the hotel.
The iconic Boks captain, Siya Kolisi, also knows all the employees’ first names. “He has remembered it since last November,” confides the hotel manager, almost amazed by so much humanity and simplicity. Adrien Lelièvre and his teams did their utmost to make the South African delegation feel at home, with small duties imposed on his employees: “Beyond the sports team, it is South Africa which entrusts us with his World Cup. And we know that there, rugby is more than sport. We worked in advance, I sensitized my teams and we all watched Chasing the Sun [une série sur leur titre Mondial en 2019]. When the guys are there, we know who we’re talking to and they’re not just athletes,” he confides.
And the family atmosphere of the hotel rubs off on the players and staff. Like this weekend when the whole team called Adrien Lelièvre for his wedding, while the players were preparing for the clash against Ireland: “They all said a little word to me and Siya [Kolisi] took five minutes to congratulate me.”
A common mission: “to be hyper respectful of their calm”
A family atmosphere and an idyllic setting, to recreate a “cocoon”. Some families of players are also present, enough to almost feel like you’re on vacation when it’s time to go eat ice cream with the children. “Apart from the south and the good weather, there really is this home-like feel. They are not on vacation either, but it allows them to have moments of relaxation simply by looking at the sea,” says the director.
And he’s not the only one pulling out all the stops. South African flags fly everywhere on the small peninsula, just like the “Welcome Springboks”. With the “common mission of being all hyper-respectful of their calm”, recalls Adrien Lelièvre.
Like at the “Les Deux Frères” creperie, a few dozen meters further on the promenade overlooking the beach. “When they are here, we see them almost every afternoon. Sometimes they walk in groups of 30 or 40, and other times they go in groups of two or three. They are super accessible to us and the customers, they shake our hands, take photos, sign balloons,” confides Yohan, the boss. All this after having a good plate of pasta, or a few pancakes with the family.
“He came to say goodbye to us as if we were neighbors”
The wife of hooker Malcolm Marx had almost become accustomed to it, before her husband was injured. “When they came back on Monday, he came to see me to tell me that he had been injured and that he was going to return to the country. You realize ? He came to say goodbye to us as if we were neighbors. They even told me that if they won the final, they were going to come back,” Yohan can’t believe it.
Because the end of the Springboks’ stay in Var is approaching. If they qualify for the quarter-finals against Tonga on Sunday evening (9 p.m.), they will play their next match in Paris and leave the Grand Hôtel des Sablettes. “We’re going to give them a big hug, and I think they will too. We will be happy to see them leave because they will move on to their next stage, but we will have a pang in our hearts,” confides Adrien Lelièvre who is already psychologically preparing for the move. “We have to do everything in one day to reinstall another team that will come for the final stages. Six have visited the hotel but we don’t yet know what it will be,” he explains. Before seeing the Springboks return to celebrate their fourth world champion title?