Joe Ellyatt - France Is The Way Forward

Former Bath University student and Rotherham Titan, Joe Ellyatt, has recently made the biggest decision of his career and moved to France, signing for Stade Rouennais in Federal 2.

Ellyatt made the decision over the summer, and eventually landed at his new home of Rouen in Northern France at the end of August.

“I’ve been here at the club for over a month now and I’m having a great time,” Joe said when he spoke to Talking Rugby Union.

“I didn’t really know what to expect when I first made the journey over here, but I settled in straight away. They’re a great bunch of lads here.

“I’m one of five newly signed English lads, so I didn’t feel completely alone when I arrived.”

Rouennais’s season begins this coming weekend with the opening round of Federal 2.

Joe and the club have just finished their pre-season, which the flanker described as “really tough. Richard Hill has implemented a very professional ethos about the club and that has been carried through since the start of the season.”

The typical training week “consisted of plenty of fitness, training, skills and continual weight sessions throughout the week.”

Unfortunately, after a team crying off last minute, Rouennais have only played one pre-season friendly so far this season, ahead of next week’s first league game. Although it is difficult to assess where the team currently is performance wise, they recorded an impressive victory of more than 40 points in their pre-season game.

Joe said that “it was a really good game. I played well and scored a try; it was good to get out and play a proper game with the boys.”

After only being at the club for a month, Talking Rugby Union asked just how Joe managed to wind up playing his rugby in France.

“I had been looking for a team over the summer and had always been very interested in playing my rugby abroad in France”, he explained.

“My agent notified me about ex Worcester coach Richard Hill’s move to a club called Rouen in France, where he was looking to implement a three year plan to improve the club.”

Joe did confess that “I’d never actually heard of the club, but after showing interest through my agent and being offered a contract by Richard Hill, I jumped at the opportunity.”

Ellyatt is based just outside of central Rouen in a flat with a number of his fellow teammates; including the English Ed Carne, Luke Cozenf and Ben Mercer, formerly of Cornish Pirates.

“With a fair few English boys in the team and of course Richard as coach our game plan is essentially English, so I feel like I have been able to quickly fit in with the team’s style of play.”

This said, though, Joe is thoroughly enjoying the French way of life: “I’m having a great time out here in France, the weather is great and it’s nice to look around the country and get involved in the culture on days off with a nice coffee and perhaps a pain au chocolat.”

With his English teammates and Richard Hill as coach, the language barrier is not as imperative as it might have been at other foreign clubs.

However, Joe did confess that he has “had to learn a fair amount of French, but you do pick it up pretty soon, especially in rugby terms. We call all our moves and lineouts in French, but that’s just basics really.”

After a career so far completely on home soil, with three years at Bath University, we asked Joe if he noticed much difference between the French and English game.

“Obviously with just the one game I haven’t had too much of an idea yet, but the club here and all the players are really professional; I’ve been really impressed with the quality and intensity of training.

“Although, I have heard that the French can play differently at home compared with away. Apparently they will put their body on the line and give it their all at home, but, sometimes, they tend not to give it their all away from home.

“I’m not sure how much truth there is in this, but we will just have to see how we get on over the season. Hopefully it’s just conjecture.”

Rouennais are in the fourth division of French rugby, but are actively pursuing promotion and improvements to the club.

They have focussed on promotion this year and hopefully again after that in the next few years. Combined with this, Rouennais are looking to re-build their stadium, the pitch and generally develop the whole club; making it a central name in French rugby.

“For me, personally, I’m just looking to have a get my head down this year and have a good season here in Rouen.

“I want to play rugby to as higher standard as I possibly can, whether that is back in England or here in France in the future, I don’t know.

“It’s all about what opportunities come up for me really, but I do know I am having a great time here in France so far.”

Rouennais open their campaign in Federal 2 this coming weekend with a home fixture to Auxerre.