UBB makes its matches accessible to the blind

The darling of the Chaban-Delmas stadium, in Bordeaux (Gironde), is called Matthieu Jalibert. On December 13, the fly half, a child of the club, shines against the Scarlets, a Welsh club, in the European Cup. In the eleventh minute, he scored the first try for Union Bordeaux Bègles (UBB) after a short kick over the defense. In the very front row of the presidential stand, a few meters from the field, Didier Nicolas, cap screwed on his head and sunglasses, waves his flag and shouts: “UBB, go, go, go!” This 70-year-old rugby fan is blind, but that does not prevent him, like eight other members of the National Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired (Unadev), from enjoying the spectacle offered by the reigning European champion.

Because since the start of the season, the association – whose headquarters is in Bordeaux – has offered its members and their companions the opportunity to listen to rugby matches in live audio description using a small radio box. “I no longer went to the stadium at all, but now it’s the opposite, I try to come every time,” smiles Didier Nicolas. “The commentators are extraordinary, they describe absolutely everything, you don’t even need to see!”

At his side, Mathieu Escafre discovers the device with his blind son Léon. “We are subscribed supporters, but we did not know that this possibility existed. Today, we are here to test,” says the father, while the son, headphones on, remains focused on the match.

“A throw-in for the Scarlets on the Bordeaux 22 meter line, the ball is thrown straight, when it falls the Welsh take it… We form a maul, it’s a grouping around the ball, the objective is to make the ball inaccessible to the other team. The players oppose each other, busts parallel to the ground…” The actions are described without the emphasis that characterizes sports commentary, but with a concern for pedagogy and precision. Two audio descriptors located in the press box take turns, one for each team.

Passionate people at the microphone

One of them, Jérémy Tourneur, is the founder of the Nantes association All Terrain!which aims to develop stadium accessibility for visually impaired people. “I have been doing this job in the field of live entertainment for several years,” says the man who is also an amateur rugby player. It’s a real pleasure for me to share this passion with my partner Théo Français (also a former rugby player in Angers, editor’s note). It’s a team effort.” At half-time, Jérémy Tourneur comes down to greet the participants: “They congratulate us, but also give us feedback so that we can improve. Some asked me, for example, to systematically mention the names of the players, and to clearly indicate the position of the teams on the field each time.

If All Terrain! has already visited several Top 14 stadiums (La Rochelle, Racing, Stade Français), only Union Bordeaux Bègles has systematized the system for all the club’s home matches. The fruit of a happy combination of circumstances, as Sophie Duprat, coordinator of the Unadev sports division, explains: “I was discussing it with Olivier Escots, deputy mayor in charge of disability, and it turns out that he already knew the association since the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The project was set up very quickly: the town hall paid for the first two matches, then the president of the UBB, Laurent Marti, signed to finance the remainder of the 2025-2026 season via the club foundation, Cœur de rugby.” Cost of the operation: 1500 euros per match.

Ola, laughter and autonomy

That evening, Bordeaux celebrated with a great success: 50-21. The stadium throws an ola. “She’s coming to you in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… now!” warns Jérémy Tourneur into his microphone. The members stand up and throw their arms back.

Bursts of laughter erupt, the elders toast beer with the younger ones. “It’s much more than a simple rugby match,” said Vanessa Bettray Sorondo, director of communications at Unadev. This type of outing has deeper virtues: we create a link with the outside world, it is also a step towards more autonomy. For some of them, it can act as a trigger.” A first step before daring to go to the supermarket alone, for example.