Wrote by Tristane on Friday, September 21st 2007 at 2:50 pm

Last Sunday, for a brief moment, I thought that rugby fever had got me! After leaving my humble abode at nine in the morning, France Inter (radio station) had already mentioned three times the sporting event that’s making Paris (what am I talking about, I mean France, the world even!) buzz at the moment. So, after half an hour of listening to talk about an oval-shaped ball, I was passing in front of the Eiffel Tower when I saw, in the middle, a huge rugby ball - normal, it’s the rugby world cup after all!

When I got to Marne la Vallée, the car next to me was sporting the Springboks’ colours. So here I was, pursued by a competition about which I had only managed to note one thing: France wasn’t likely to win! So, put yourself in my shoes - when I got to the Resort and I saw seventeen of the South African rugby team’s players, I almost called my shrink for hallucinating!

There they all were, at the Resort, to celebrate, with Mickey, their
brilliant victory of the previous Friday against England (0-36 for
those who don’t know!) A great place for relaxing, you have to admit,
with all those gentle characters. Come to think of it, even in my
distant memories of childhood cartoons, I don’t remember even once
seeing a Disney representative playing rowdily on a pitch (I don’t mean
to say that’s the case during the rugby world cup either, but still!).

Anyway, I’m sure the break was welcome relief before taking up training
again for next Saturday’s match against Tonga.

And because such moments
should be recorded on paper, the players and their families had a
collective photo taken on the lawn in front of Sleeping Beauty’s
castle. Naturally Goofy wanted to be in it too, being a rugby fan. No
need to add that Resort visitors were overjoyed to see in the flesh the
team that’s been named as favourite to win the Cup.

My own personal victory: they may be big and strong, but these men built like brick houses confessed they were at least as scared as me on
leaving the Petit Train de la Mine. Such small pleasures!