Trent Robinson: Australian at heart of France’s rugby league renaissance

The changing nature of international rugby league might have centred on the rise of the Pacific nations but, while a French renaissance has not garnered the same levels of newsprint, the game in France is also very much on an upward trajectory.

France will host the 2025 World Cup and this Chanticleers outfit shapes as one of the strongest French sides of the last 50 years.

The man charged with leading that revival is astute Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson, who has taken on the important director of rugby position. Luc Lacoste and the French Rugby League could not have tapped a more qualified person than the three-time NRL premiership winner, who has not only a history with the French game but a deep affection for the country.

“France changed the course of my life,” Robinson says. “I went there and played and then had a bold president who gave me a [head coaching] job at 28 at Toulouse. Then Bernard Guasch gave me a Super League job at 33. It changed the course of my life as far as football goes but I also met my partner there and my kids are half French.”

There is a great deal of excitement about the French squad for this World Cup; it is a young team that has been building since Robinson came on board. The focus has been about creating a platform that can sustain an identity and a style from the national team down.

“Setting up a professional environment has been really important,” Robinson says. “Even a year ago, Catalans and Toulouse were more professional than the French team. Changing the attitudes has been important, ensuring that when you come into the national team you realise this is the pinnacle of French rugby league.

“It’s about putting systems in place that are going to last for the duration. That’s