“Rugby is one of the only sports that creates such strong and deep bonds, between teammates of course, but also between opponents,” planted icon Jonny Wilkinson. This is the Ariadne’s thread woven by director Benoît Pensivy to produce the fourth season of the web series “Terrain favorable”, produced by Société Générale, a major partner of the World Cup. After having multiplied the trips during the first three seasons (viewed more than 3 million times on Youtube) in Brittany, in the North of France but also in Japan, this time the spectator is invited to the heart of the Basque Country, to the occasion of a boiling derby between the clubs of Ciboure and Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, the club of internationals Charles Ollivon and Maxime Lucu.
“On the occasion of the World Cup in France, we wanted to highlight France”, continues Benoît Pensivy, former journalist at Midi Olympique and Rugby Hebdo, recalling that the third season had been shot only abroad. Once again, “Favorable Ground” brings together a unique cast of stars from the oval planet: Jonny Wilkinson, Thierry Dusautoir, Matt Giteau, Siya Kolisi, Dan Carter and Christian Califano. And the idea of this fourth season is that the usual Basque rivals (the two pillars, the two scorers, etc.) take part in a unique trip around the world, to New Zealand, Madagascar or South Africa.
With a common denominator, a passion: the oval ball. The stars share their experience, in all simplicity, and the amateur rugby players – with amazed look at the start – take advantage of these unique moments in their lives. Between joy, surprise and emotion. Former adversaries on the meadow, Dusautoir and McCaw got to know each other better, like the Basque players on each team. Eternal teasers, Califano and Giteau carry each other regularly. “When we were both together, it was ‘one brain for two'”, laughs “Cali”.
The former pillar of the Blues had a hard time hiding his emotion when he recounts his trip to Madagascar, where he met Marcelia, a courageous woman, who became a mother at 13 and then emancipated herself thanks to rugby and football. Association Terres en Mêlées. Absolutely not an overplayed emotion in front of the cameras, the bonds are strong and continue after the shooting.
Thierry Dusautoir was thus surprised to find an Ivorian player, Zozo – whom he had met on the moving filming of season 3 – at the Terrasson club (Dordogne), whose president is none other than director Benoît Pensivy. Califano himself asked a Scottish club – which he had also known during a filming – to come and participate in France in the next Amateur Club World Cup. Proof of the unique links that are created and last during these privileged exchanges between stars and fans of the oval ball.
Find the six episodes of Season 4 of “Favorable Ground”:
