Europe's biggest university rugby tournament for solidarity took place in the presence of sponsors Damien Traille, Marie-Alice Yahé and Myrième Labeau.
A great game, crazy cheerleaders, bright sunshine, stars... All the ingredients were there to make the XXIXth UniLaSalle Ovalies a real success!
The 2024 edition of Europe's biggest university rugby tournament for the common good once again lived up to its promise, with a high level of competition in both rugby and cheerleading.
The competitions kicked off on Friday morning, May 10, after an opening ceremony marked by the lighting of the cauldron by three of the four patrons of this year's event: Damien Traille and Marie-Alice Yahé (former members of the French national team) and Myrième Labeau, bronze medallist at the world cheerleading championships. Sébastin Verdin, double European wheelchair rugby champion, was unfortunately unable to attend the ceremony.
Air Force helicopter and Isabelle Ithurburu as guest stars
After a first day dedicated to the group matches, it was time for the finals! The cheerleaders opened the finals on Saturday morning, May 11. The 6 qualified teams competed under the watchful eye of Myrième Labeau, godmother of the cheerleading tournament, and in front of a capacity crowd of fans from all over France, as well as from Romania, the Netherlands and Spain!
The sound of clinking chairs took over the stage. Four teams were competing in the youngest of the tournaments organized during the Ovalies UniLaSalle. Created last year, the armchair rugby tournament is a way of highlighting disabled sports, in an inclusive approach that is particularly close to the organizers' hearts.
In the afternoon, it was the large rugby field that was the focus of attention. After the finals of the women's rugby sevens and men's rugby sevens tournaments, which saw the victory of the Toulouse Faculty of Medicine and STAPS Cuffies (UPJV) over ENV Toulouse and the Dutch A.S.R.V. ASCRUM respectively, it was time for the show of the men's XV final.
Once again this year, the final ball arrived by air, thanks to the support of the French Air Force. On board was a young boy whose dream of flying in a helicopter was fulfilled. The young man then kicked off the event, surrounded by Damien Traille and Isabelle Ithurburu (TV presenter), who was on site on Saturday in her capacity as patron of L'Estelada, one of the 3 associations supported by the XXIXes Ovalies UniLaSalle.
A solidarity event benefiting 3 associations
Beyond the sporting aspect, the Ovalies UniLaSalle is above all a solidarity event. Profits made throughout the event will be donated to 3 associations:
- Agir pour le cœur des femmes, which works to prevent cardiovascular disease in women;
- L'Estelada, whose mission is to improve the living conditions of sick and disabled children in the Béarn region;
- Solidarité Paysans, which defends and supports farmers in difficulty and their families.
The cheque will be presented to these 3 associations next autumn.
Since their creation, the Ovalies UniLaSalle have donated nearly 500,000 euros to associations.
Sporting highlights: victory and a podium finish for UniLaSalle!
On the sporting front, the Lasallians distinguished themselves by winning the wheelchair rugby tournament and finishing a very fine 2nd in the cheerleading tournament. The men's XV from Beauvais and the women's VIIs from Beauvais and Rouen made it all the way to the quarter-finals, before losing out to the eventual winners of the tournament.
Wheelchair rugby
1. UniLaSalle Beauvais
2. ECE Paris
3. Léonard de Vinci University
Women's Rugby VII
1. Toulouse University - Faculty of Medicine Faculté de médecine – Université de Toulouse
2. ENV Toulouse
3. Dijon University - Faculty of Medicine
Men's Rugby VII
1. STAPS Cuffies
2. A.S.R.V. ASCRUM
3. ESSCA Angers
Men's Rugby XV
1. KEDGE Bordeaux
2. ICAM Toulouse
3. Léonard de Vinci University
Cheerleaders
1. ENV Toulouse
2. UniLaSalle Beauvais
3. ECAM LaSalle
Nearly 600 UniLaSalle students mobilized to organize the event
It takes more than a year's work to organize such an event. While the Ovalies UniLaSalle association, with its 80 members and 30 years of experience, has acquired real know-how in organization, it can also count on the support of volunteers. Catering, security, logistics, support for players and teams... more than 550 student volunteers are involved on D-Day and the days before and after to ensure that everything runs smoothly over the 3-day tournament. This commitment is part of the IES - Innover - Engager - Servir (Innovate - Engage - Serve) scheme, which is a perfect illustration of the Lasallian educational project.
For the organizing team, the culmination of such a project is particularly formative and will be greatly appreciated when it comes to finding an internship or a first job.
In 2025, it's time for the XXXth Ovalies UniLaSalle
UniLaSalle would like to congratulate Joséphine Lefort, president of the XXIXth Ovalies UniLaSalle, all the members of the association and the volunteers involved in the organization of this wonderful tournament for their professionalism and the quality of the work carried out.
After making the final logistical, accounting and financial adjustments, the students will shortly be handing over the torch to the XXXth Ovalies UniLaSalle team for what promises to be a packed anniversary edition.
See you in May 2025 at the Marcel Communeau stadium in Beauvais!
