2023-09-21 18:00:08
The giant screen at the Stade de France, during the opening match of the Rugby World Cup, September 8, 2023, in Saint-Denis. JEE/SIPA
The opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup was intended to be a tribute to France. Jean Dujardin in a tank top and wearing a beret delivering his loaves of bread on a scooter across the lawn of the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis… The twenty-minute show celebrated gastronomy, perfumery and the bal musette at the French. The reactions were mixed, but the message was clear: the international competition, which takes place from September 8 to October 28, is taking place in France.
However, on the large banners of the Stade de France, on the pennants installed in the host cities, on the official tournament website, the English inscription « Rugby World Cup France 2023 » is omnipresent. On the French version of the site, « opening match » replaced “opening match”, « pool » replaced “pool” and the next match is announced as « next match ». Strangely, a few days after the questions from M The magazine of the World at the ministry of culture on this subject, some of the terms in English have been translated into French…
The French XV jersey in English
This intrusion of English, into an event held in France, worries the defenders of the language of Molière. “The status of the French language should be respected when France is the organizer of major international sporting events, deplores Loïc Depecker, former general delegate for the French language and the languages of France at the Ministry of Culture. During this 2023 Rugby World Cup, organized in France, the [texte du] French team jersey is written… in English. » This looks bad when Emmanuel Macron has made the defense of the Francophonie one of the major challenges of his mandate and he is preparing to inaugurate, on October 19, the International City of the French Language, at François’ castle. Iᵉʳ in Villers-Cotterêts, in Aisne.
On August 8, at the National Assembly, the deputy for Doubs, Annie Genevard (Les Républicains), « alert[é] », in a written question, the minister of culture, Rima Abdul Malak, “on the importance of avoiding excessive use of English in signage, advertising, ticketing, announcements, refereeing, results display boards, as well as pitchside advertising strips” . She asks: “Is this issue taken into account, is it worked on? »
The general secretary of the Republicans underlines “an incomplete application” of the Toubon law. The law of August 4, 1994 relating to the use of the French language indicates, in article 3, that “any inscription or announcement affixed or made on the public highway, in a place open to the public or in a means of public transport and intended for public information must be formulated in French”.
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