Castres Olympique & Montpellier: A Sweet Love Story in Rugby

They may bring together around sixty muscular men who are adept at fighting between them, but they are nonetheless very cute. “They” are the Top 14 clubs of Castres Olympique and Montpellier Hérault Rugby, who, on the occasion of Valentine’s Day, once again had fun with the “love story” between the two teams.

The MHR has in fact sent a small Valentine’s Day card to the CO, on which we see one of the Hérault players holding a blue rose, with a little note on the back. “Two months have passed since our last meeting (the last meeting between the two clubs) and I miss you,” write the Montpellier residents. “So I am writing you this card on the occasion of this very symbolic date to remind you that in my heart, there is only you.” And, referring to the return match, in Castres, on May 16, writes: “I can’t wait to come to your place”, before looking ahead to the final stages spent together “in Marseille or Paris, in June” and signing: “your MHR”.

A nice touch between the two clubs who have shared strong ties for several years. The two cities are relatively close and, for 15 years, the two teams have very often faced each other in the final stages, to the point of becoming a “classic”: play-off in 2011, 2012 and 2013, semi-final in 2014, play-off in 2016, final in 2018 and 2022… The two clubs have also collaborated on extra-sporting operations, particularly around solidarity, organizing several times a cycling challenge between the two cities for a good cause.

Already, at Christmas, the people of Montpellier had sent a nice message of friendship to the Castres, by repeating the famous “signs” scene from the film Love Actually. With this Valentine’s Day declaration, the sporting friendship between the CO and the MHR cannot be denied. The reunion in May will only be more brilliant.