The oval ball and rugby fan kit take pride of place in a box in the presbytery. Mathieu Berger, priest of Poissy (Yvelines) and the parish stretching from Villen to Medan, has always been a fan of ovals. Since he discovered this sport of “communication, brotherhood and self-transcendence” at the Catholic college Saint-Jean de Bethune (now Saint-Jean-Hulst) in Versailles.
In 1989, in Marmande (Lot et Garonne), he even won the French Uxelles (free establishment) title against the armadas of the southwest. And you can’t make this up, when it came time to christen his two Breton spaniels, he chose the names Drop and Flanker… “When I talk about my vocation, I mention rugby, which has an important place in my understanding. Like scouting, this sport helped me build myself,” sums up the 53-year-old priest.
Source: Le Parisien
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a keen interest in sports and have written for many different publications. I am currently working as an author at 24 News Recorder. I cover mostly sports news but also write about other topics such as current affairs and politics. I have a strong interest in social media and how it can be used to engage with audiences.
