Champions Cup final faces competition from new unique France vs England fixture
The Champions Cup has long been the pinnacle of European rugby and is often circled by many fans as they get to watch the best two clubs battle it out for the famous trophy.
Meanwhile, the England and France rivalry has long been one of the fiercest in rugby, thanks in no small part to the long history between the two nations from the Norman conquest of England to the Hundred Years' War and the Napoleonic Wars.
'Le Crunch' this year could see the pair battle it out for the Six Nations Championship in the final game of the competition this season.
Steve Borthwick’s side must first get their way past Andy Farrell’s Ireland this weekend at Twickenham, and he believes Henry Pollock will be key for England in this fixture before they have the challenge of Italy in Rome.
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France first have to beat Italy in the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy before they face Scotland at Murrayfield, and only then can they set their sights on their old rival, England.
Now, influencer Diego Sarthou is aiming to use this historic rivalry to stage a rugby match called the ‘Crunch Creator’.
What is Crunch Creator?
This is an event that is set to match French and English "content creators, rugby legends, and former professional players" against each other, with the game set to be a 10-on-10 game, with three 20-minute periods.
The event is set to take place on Saturday, May 23, at 9:00 PM at the Stade Atlantique in Bordeaux - the same day as the Champions Cup final, which is set to take place in Bilbao this year.
Sarthou has already announced that 20,000 of the 40,000 tickets were sold within two hours of them being released, with the cheapest that a fan could get one for being €20 (£17).
Crunch Creator is similar to the Eleven All-Stars, a football match between French and Spanish content creators, which has taken place in 2022 in Jean-Bouin before being held in Madrid in 2024.
Who could compete in Crunch Creator?
Several names have already been announced, including former French national team captain Thierry Dusautoir, actor Artus, and influencers Nogodi, Rivenzi, and Lebouseuh, within a French team led by former internationals Cédric Heymans and Laurent Ferrères.
England are set to be led by content creator Archie Curzon, but there has been no confirmation about who will be named in his team.
There may be an expectation that English creator Max Brown take part, while there may be hope that former British and Irish Lion Jack Nowell, who is growing his social presence after naming his rugby Mount Rushmore, could be involved.
However, with Nowell still being contracted to La Rochelle until the end of the 2027 season, he will unlikely be allowed to participate in this fixture, as there is a possibility he could get an injury.
Topics: Rugby, Rugby Union
Brendan McGilligan