Toulouse is the rugby capital of France.
"Everyone loves rugby here, not just men," says former Sydneysider Owen Chadwick who lives in the city.
He is experiencing first-hand the locals' excitement as they gear up to host their first ever Rugby World Cup, and says church friends are scrambling to buy tickets to the matches there. Four group games will be played in Toulouse; the highlight for locals will be their beloved 'les bleus' taking on Namibia on September 16.
"Traditionally the south-west of France is a rugby stronghold," Owen explains.
"People love it and schoolkids play it. It is seen to be a sport which affirms particular values which are sought after. It is seen quite differently from football [soccer]. Supporters are viewed as being non-violent and there is no hooliganism associated with the sport."
Toulouse is also the leading university town outside Paris, home to three universities and about 140,000 students. It is the strategic importance of student ministry that has brought the CMS missionary to France's fourth-largest city.
Owen's long-term aim is to train leaders for the church in France, and with this in mind, he coordinates one-or two-year internships for students interested in pursuing Christian ministry.
After a visit to Toulouse last September for student orientation week, the Rev John Bales, General Secretary of CMS-NSW, labelled it as the toughest missionfield he had ever seen. French students, Mr Bales said, seemed totally uninterested in discussing Christianity.
This month, the beginning of the university year coincides with the Rugby World Cup. With thousands of rugby tourists – mainly New Zealanders – flocking to the beautiful 15th-century 'pink city', the dynamic is sure to be different. Can rugby be a hook to spark the students' interest in Jesus Christ?
Owen believes so. "During the month of September we are holding a two-week outreach program to coincide with O week, when students arrive," he says.
For four months Owen and 20 local pastors have also been working together to promote three evening meetings at a well-known bar in Toulouse featuring Christian rugby stars giving their testimonies.
"It is a place for 100 people to come together - Christians inviting their friends," he said. "We have lined up South African and New Zealand players to speak."
Almost a world away in Paris' suburbs, Xavier and Libby Lukins minister at an Evangelical Free church, and see the World Cup as a way of building on relationships with neighbours.
Both their sons play rugby, and the sport's growing popularity is sure to bring the Lukinses in contact with new friends.
"We are happy to take our children to a rugby match as the ambiance is friendly, which can not always be said for the big soccer matches. Many parents are choosing rugby as an after school activity as it promotes a good team spirit," Libby says.
"Please pray for our witness to those we come in contact with."
republished from your.sydneyanglicans.net article by Joseph Smith | 3 September 2007