Le Montpelliérain Liam Delamare, 20 ans, s’est déjà imposé avec l’équipe de France à 7 FFR
Liam Delamare, a 21-year-old from Montpellier, is part of the new generation chosen to guide the French rugby sevens team to gold at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
There are unpleasant phone calls, like the “09 48” or “04 24” that pollute our phonebook every day. And others, rarer, bring good news. The one Liam Delamare received at the end of August belongs to the second category. “Do you want to be part of the French rugby sevens team ?”, said the voice on the other end of the line. Without hesitation, the Montpellier resident signed with both hands. “I still don't realize everything I've been through for the last three months”, assures the man who has just finished three years at the MHR training center.
This 21-year-old (1.83m, 93kg) was therefore chosen by the Federation to be part of the next generation of Olympic champions last July in Paris. And the objective displayed by the FFR is clear: to retain its title in Los Angeles in four years.
As for the Paris Games, a special system has been put in place. A core group of nine players has committed to dedicating themselves to the French Sevens team for the next four years. These are called federal contracts. Delamare is part of it, as are the executives Paulin Riva, Stephen Parez and Jordan Sepho. He notably replaces leaders who have left to try their luck in the Top 14 (Grandidier, Timo, Joseph, Rebbadj).
In three months of experience with the big boys, the Montpellier native has already established himself as a potential starter. His flights of fancy, his pep and his tries are already making the rounds on the networks. His face appears in large format on YouTube videos. During the last tournament in South Africa, he went for his exploits in the quarter-final against the All Blacks and against Fiji in the semi-final. “I have never faced such robust players”, he says. It was not seen.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000“We never felt nostalgia for the Olympics”
Liam has adapted perfectly to his new life as a sevens player. “One week a month, I go to Marcoussis for a training camp. The rest of the time, we are in tournaments all over the world or in individual training at home. I am lucky to be able to take advantage of the MHR facilities when needed. After each session, I send my data to the French team staff”, explains the native of Rouen, who arrived in the area at the age of 9, in Arles, before being discovered at 15 by Montpellier.
Rugby sevens is not new to this former XV winger. Like the newcomers (Artaud, Dabo, Désert), he was spotted by the talent scout, Nicolas Le Roux, at the Supersevens tournaments organized each year by the National Rugby League. Then, they all went through the nets of the French development team, the antechamber of the 1st team. “What made our integration easier at the start of the school year was that we had the same game system as the “A” team. The Federation prepared the generational renewal a while ago. We immediately formed a homogeneous group”, Delamare analyzes.
The transition was therefore ideal. “Then the guys immediately took us under their wing. We never felt nostalgic for the Olympics. They don't necessarily talk about it. We're just proud to play with Olympic and world champions.”
But still, isn't Antoine Dupont's legacy too hard to bear, he who was one of the great architects of this spotlight on rugby sevens ? “I don't think there was a real chasm after him. I think it showed in the results”, assures Liam. Indeed, after two tournaments, the Blues are already third in the world. Don't panic, the next generation, embodied by Delamarre, is already there.
What has become of the French team sevens since its Olympic title ?
Last June, the French team became world rugby champions à 7 for the first time. A month later, she won her first Olympic medal, and what's more, the most beautiful one, gold. A reward for a group led by the best XV player in the world, Antoine Dupont.
After the Paris 2024 madness, a transition phase was necessary given the changes to come. Jérôme Daret, the coach, gave up his place to Benoît Baby. Several players decided to try their luck in the Top 14 such as Aaron Grandidier (Pau), Jefferson-Lee Joseph (Perpignan) or Andy Timo (Stade Français).
The handover was successful. In the first two stages of the season, in Dubai and Cape Town (South Africa), Paulin Riva's Blues finished 5th and 2nd. They notably had prestigious victories against the All Blacks (47-15) and Fiji (19-17) last week. Results that rank them 3rd in the world. “We are the team with the most renewals and we perform”, Baby savors. The “Los Angeles 2028” adventure is launched.
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