Photographer Roland Maurin immersed himself in the intimacy of the players of the Rugby Club Mende Lozère

Roland Maurin (center) took his place in the Rugby Club Mende Lozère team. Midi Libre – Lucas Manouvrier

An exhibition of portraits of RCML players and staff can be discovered, until June 29, 2024, on the third floor of the Lamartine media library, in Mende.

It took a year and a half and some 9,000 photos for Roland Maurin, a photographer by passion, to put together an exhibition entitled Gueules de Rugby. Among these thousands of photos, he selected around fifty which are displayed on the third floor of the Lamartine media library, in Mende, until Saturday June 29, 2024.

"I didn't think I would exhibit here one day, but Laurent Suau, the mayor of Mende, suggested it to me, I thank him" , explains Roland Maurin, during the opening, Wednesday June 19. He also thanked the Atelier Design Bois et Dérivés, which printed the photos free of charge.

For around fifteen matches, he followed the senior R2 team of Rugby Club Mende Lozère (RCML), as close as possible to the pitch, and even into the locker room. The genesis of the project ? "Rugby, I was around it when I was little, at my grandfather's house, when we watched the Five Nations tournament on television, confides the one who has recovered in photography for 15 years. I loved seeing those rugby faces. I wanted to reproduce them."

Complete immersion

Laurent Pradier, president of the RCML, accepted his request and, over the course of the matches, Roland Maurin was able to get closer to the players. "I have always made myself very small. I didn't want to bother or disturb them, he continues. At first I felt like they were unnatural but they got used to seeing me with my camera, eventually forgetting about me."

Gauthier Aguilhon, rugby player on the team, experienced this immersion of Roland Maurin. He tells. “It's always special to have someone from outside in the locker room because it's often closed. A lot of things happen there and it's an entry into our privacy. But Roland has always been very discreet.”

Roland Maurin has almost become a member of the staff. He has participated in the trips and has become attached to the team. “Sometimes, I was too caught up in the match. I was 200% invested and I forgot to take pictures,” he jokes. Laurent Pradier adds: ““It's one of the links that allowed us to have a good season this year. It strengthened the team's cohesion.”