From 31 August to 8 September, a mixed rugby team will defend - for the first time - the colours of the European Union at the Parliamentary World Cup in France, an event bringing together ten other countries or nations and which will precede by a few weeks the World Cup for professional players in France (see EUROPE 12986/27).
“There is no better way to defend European values than through rugby”, said the MEP Anne-Sophie Pelletier (The Left, French) on Wednesday 1 March in Brussels.
The team, which trains on Mondays in Brussels, is made up of some 40 players, including 10 women, of around 15 nationalities and from several EU institutions. The captain’s armband was given to Pascal Durand (S&D, French).
Eric Andrieu (S&D, French) recalled that the competition was created in 1995 by the late South African President Nelson Mandela. “If there is a sport that carries these values of commitment, solidarity and humility, it is rugby”, he said, also insisting on the social and friendly dimensions of the upcoming matches.
Godmother of the parliamentary team, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola described the first time that an EU team is participating in an international competition as “quite simply historic”.
A friendly match will be held on Wednesday 8 March in Paris against the French parliamentary team, then at a conference on 8 June and a gala match against the Japanese diplomatic rugby team on 24 June.
For more information: https://aeur.eu/f/5k6 (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)