Former legendary player of Biarritz Olympique and the XV of France, Serge Blanco will be Europe 1 consultant for the next Rugby World Cup which will take place in France from September 8 to October 28. He will comment exclusively on the matches of the Blues and will appear regularly on the program “Europe 1 Sport”.
On the occasion of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, organized in France from September 8 to October 28, Europe 1 will be able to count on the expertise of Serge Blanco. The legendary former player of the XV of France will be a consultant during the competition and will comment exclusively on the matches of the Blues. At the same time, he will regularly appear on the daily program Europe 1 Sports from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. and will be the exceptional guest of the podcast series “Les Géants” before the World Cup around Jacques Vendroux and the Europe 1 Studio team.
A true living legend of rugby and French sport in general, the man nicknamed “the Pelé of rugby” wore the jersey of the XV of France 93 times between 1980 and 1991 and still holds the record for the number of tries scored in blue (38). In the jersey flanked by the rooster, he won the V Nations Tournament six times, even achieving the Grand Slam in 1981 and 1987. On the continental scene, he reached the final of the Australian and New Zealand World Cup in 1987 where the Blues had to bow against the All Blacks.
A career as a leader after the green rectangle
A spectacular winger, endowed with technical qualities well above average, Serge Blanco has spent his entire career at Biarritz Olympique. By swearing loyalty to the club of his childhood, the native of Caracas in Venezuela did not have the opportunity to build the flourishing record that some predicted for him. Under the red and white tunic, he had to settle for a final of the French championship in 1992 – lost to Rugby Club Toulonnais – when he was at the twilight of his career.
Once the crampons hung up, Serge Blanco married a career as a leader in the authorities of French rugby. Between 1995 and 1998 and then between 2008 and 2015, he served as president of Biarritz Olympique and was also elected head of the national rugby league (LNR) between 1998 and 2008. That year, he became a member of the committee director of the French Rugby Federation before leaving his post in January 2023 after the resignation of President Bernard Laporte, convicted of corruption. The former winger is also known for having launched his own ready-to-wear brand in his name as soon as his career ended in 1992.