Gloucester Rugby welcome French Top 14 side Union Bordeaux-Begles to Kingsholm on Saturday 10 December (3:15pm KO). Here is everythging you need to know about our visitors.
History
(From Gloucester Rugby Heritage)
Rugby has been played in Bordeaux since the late 19th century, but loyalties were divided for several generations between two clubs in the city – Stade Bordelais and CA Bordeaux-Bègles-Gironde. Each enjoyed periods of success, Bordelais winning seven national titles before the Great War and Bègles two in 1969 and 1991.
The first decade of professional rugby saw both clubs based in Bordeaux suffering playing and financial problems, so a merger was proposed. Supporters were fiercely tribal and not in favour, but influential former players, notably Serge Simon and Bernard Laporte, pushed for a joint club. They were supported by local companies, previously reluctant to provide sponsorship, because they knew they would antagonise as many supporters as they would please by supporting one club or the other.
However, neither club was prepared to compromise on the name of the new joint club, so it started life in 2006 as “Union Stade Bordelais-C.A.Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde”. Two years of trying to cope with this mouthful resulted in the name being changed to “Union Bordeaux Bègles”. Both clubs have continued separately as amateur clubs.
Previous Meetings
(From Gloucester Rugby Heritage)
A tour by Bègles in September 1975 included a midweek game under the floodlights at Kingsholm, which became a feast of sparkling rugby. Bègles started strongly and built a healthy lead in the first half, but Gloucester stormed back in the second half, with Alan Brinn and John Bayliss scoring tries. The game finished with Eddie Pinkney crashing over in the corner, but the conversion was missed and Bègles won 21-20.
In August 1999, the teams met for the first time in Bordeaux, for a pre-season match. The Gloucester front row of Trevor Woodman, Neil McCarthy and Phil Vickery had plenty of motivation to perform, because Clive Woodward travelled out to watch them ahead of finalising his Rugby World Cup squad. There was only one point in it with a few minutes to go, but this time it was Gloucester who scored in injury time. Brian Johnson chipped ahead, gathered and scored, and Gloucester won 19-11.
Gloucester and Bordeaux Bègles were drawn in the same group of the Amlin (European Challenge) Cup in 2012-13. The first leg was played at Kingsholm in October, when two tries from Charlie Sharples, one from Will James and a try, a conversion and a penalty from Billy Twelvetrees, saw Gloucester 22-0 ahead at half-time and eventually win 25-13.
Content & Images from – Gloucester Rugby
