A rugby press conference, a presidential question
He was supposed to talk about the Springboks. He ended up talking about the Élysée.
Fabien Galthié faced the media on Wednesday, two days before France host South Africa at the Stade de France on Friday night. One question had nothing to do with scrums or the fly-half shirt. Teddy Riner, the five-time Olympic judo champion, confirmed earlier this week that he will stand in France’s 2027 presidential election. What did the France coach make of it?
Galthié could have shrugged. He didn’t. He took his time, and he was warm.
“He is getting involved, he is a great sportsman,” Galthié said, as reported by RMC Sport. “He is an example for French athletes, for young French people.”
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“He surprises us”
The coach was careful to draw a line first. His job, he said, is to stay in his lane and look after the national team. But he admitted he follows French politics closely.
Then he went further. Galthié praised what he called Riner’s courage and sense of commitment, and suggested the move had probably been thought through for a long time. “He surprises us, but maybe on the tatami he surprised people too, and that was his strength,” he said.
Most of his answer was about sport itself. Rules, training, learning to lose, learning to suffer, respecting the opponent. Galthié framed those as lessons that reach well beyond a pitch or a mat, and said he believes Riner inspires a lot of young people, young judokas in particular.
Back to the Boks
Galthié is not the first figure in French sport to weigh in. The sports minister has already defended the legitimacy of the bid, while former France centre turned politician Didier Codorniou warned Riner he is stepping into a very hard world.
For Galthié, the focus now swings straight back to Friday. Antoine Dupont starts at 10, Grégory Alldritt returns at No. 8, and France are chasing a first win over South Africa since 2022. The coach closed on that note: rugby, he said, is about bringing people together at the Stade de France.
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