Trent Robinson is known as one of the shrewdest coaches in rugby league, but will face a challenge like none before in his career at this year’s World Cup.
The Sydney Roosters coach has taken on a role as Director of Rugby with France, working alongside the national federation and the French national team coach Laurent Frayssinous to help build a culture for the side ahead of their hosting of the next World Cup in 2025.
Robinson brings a wealth of experience from the coaching ranks, and now must marry that to one of the most complex rugby league cultures on Earth.
France quickly became one of the great rugby league powers when the sport exploded into life there in the 1930s, but was banned during the puppet regime of Marshal Petain, aided by collaborators from French rugby union.
Now, Robinson is tasked with taking his experience from years of playing and coaching in France, add his expertise from the NRL and then build a national team culture that can sustain from this year’s tournament to 2025 and beyond.
“It’s interesting,” he told The Roar’s Rugby League World Cup podcast. “For me, I have my understanding of it because I’ve been involved with Toulouse and Catalans, the two professional teams, but I haven’t been involved with the French team.
“I’m interested to even to see what the values are when I go in, and how I can affect that from my understanding of the professional teams but also from the history of rugby league.
“I’m a big believer that the DNA gets passed down through the jersey, whether we consciously know it or not, so the history of French rugby league and the struggles through the Vichy regime and the banning of the game in 1946, and then the taking of grounds and clubs off rugby league.
“That was a big part in the history of rugby league and that stems to even when I was there in the early 2000s. I could feel that tension from way back then.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
“The glory days of the 1950s and 1970s were the last bastions of the great French rugby league teams, so holding onto that tradition but also that fire that comes with the French and the history of rugby league. They’ve had to fight for their history the whole time.
“But how do we transfer that into a modern day successful national team. That’s the question that I have to work out as well.
Robinson, who has a French wife and deep connections to the country, is set to be the bridge between the day-to-day role that coach Frayssinous performs and the more strategic, high-level planning of the game in France.
“There’s a slight separation,” he explained. “Laurent is the coach, his job is to coach the team and he’s on the ground there. I have a lot of contact with Laurent.
“A part of that is my discussions earlier in the year around setting up a program, what are the different areas outside purely coaches and players that need to improve for us to be a better international team.
“The contact between the board, the federation and Laurent is my role and to give them perspective on that. I’ll be assisting the coaches and players and the team when it comes to the World Cup, but also observing what needs to happen from a medium term perspective.”
World Cup Chasers is our new Rugby League World Cup podcast and will be released weekly all the way through to the final at Old Trafford in November.
It features exclusive interviews, plus expert analysis from The Roar rugby league writers Mike Meehall Wood and Mary Konstantopolous, as well as Michael Carbone from Chasing Kangaroos, the original international rugby league podcast.
Tony
Roar Guru
Darius Boyd followed that tradition
Pickett
Roar Rookie
It was the French who started the RLWC in 1954, 33 years before the RWC. And it was they who were the last country to beat the Kangaroos in a test series (1978). The Roo's were jaded after a 2-1 win over GB in the Ashes and their minds were on holidays. Robbo is the perfect choice to be coaching director - French wife, speaks French and used to coach Toulon. Allez les Chanticleers. (The Roosters :happy: )
Frank from Geebung
Roar Rookie
Would be great to have RL thrive in France again. Traditionally RL has attracted the working class, so plenty of opportunities in the south of France for working class and migrant kids to take up the game. Robbo great choice. Unforgivable what happened under Vichy reign. Good signs with toulouse and Catalan.
Megeng
Roar Rookie
From wiki; "Aside from his playing skill, he developed a reputation based on his somewhat eccentric attitude or charismatic manner. He was known to not tackle a player if he believed it would demonstrate the fault of his team-mates for not previously making the tackle,[5] a cause of some controversy during his career."
sheek
Roar Guru
When world war II ended, the French rugby league team hit the ground running. Up until the mid-50s, they were often the best country in the world. It's worth remembering that until the mid-70s, despite there effectively being only 4 countries (5 if you separated GB into England & Wales), they were intensely competitive, knocking each other off quite regularly. Despite having all their resources given to rugby union by the Vichy govt during the war, it can't be used as an excuse for France's implosion, because as pointed out, they overcame that very quickly in the beginning. In the 70s, French rugby began reprising the 'under the table' shamateur arrangements, offering good French league talent more money & inducements to convert the other way. The French rugby team also became exceptionally good in the 70s through 90s. The French rugby league couldn't compete. It's the opposite to what is happening here in Oz, where rugby union can no longer compete with the rugby league largesse. If Robinson can help France RL back from the wilderness, it will be a tremendous boost for the code.
criag
Roar Rookie
I remember a French player scoring a 'try' by diving onto the ball from behind the dead ball line with his body half in-goal and the other half over the dead ball line. The French ref was standing right over him and instantaneously and very enthusiastically awarded a try. Fulton, I think it was, just stood there and put in his hands on his face in disbelief. Possibly the last time the French beat the Kangaroos.
Redcap
Roar Guru
Sounds like the 1978 series, John. There certainly seems to have been some dodgy officiating, but I also think the Kangaroos were mentally on holidays after winning the Ashes in England.
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
I vaguely recall the Kangaroos playing in France after Tests in England & the biased match officials there made Barry Gommersall appear to be “neutral”.On one occasion, a French player was over the sideline, ran back in & “scored” a try which was awarded. C’est la vie.
Redcap
Roar Guru
I'm not surprised, Jimmmy. For a certain generation of league supporters, the '51 French team were rockstars - rugby league's equivalent of the Beatles. I highly recommend Mike Rylance's books on French league to everybody. I wrote an article picking the all-time French XVII recently, including a brief bio on Aubert. The editors weren't too keen on it but, if you like, you can read it here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x-YN3z2-73n_mtXQhk6jh4IWczGHcbORWjMzq6uIGk0/edit?usp=sharing
kk
Roar Pro
The return of Les Chanticleers (Roosters) would be a great thing for Rugby League. I still recall the joy of watching Brouse and Ponsinet live on the 1951 French tour. WOW! Wish you every success, Robbo.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
You know David . Puig Albert is a truly mystical figure to me. I had a junior coach who idolised him. He would tell us all the Stories of ' Pipette.' If one of our backs had an outstanding game he would call them Pipette for a week.
Redcap
Roar Guru
"the Vichy regime and the banning of the game in 1946" Rugby á treize was officially banned in December 1941. Vichy was long gone by '46. I've got an old magazine from that year with Puig Aubert in action on the cover.