Crowded train to the stadium, Colombes, 1920s

This is one of my very favorite rugby photography... even though there are no ruggers nor balls !

It shows the crowd at the train station, on a day of international rugby at Colombes, 10 km away from Paris... No date, but early 20s, I guess...

A double-decker train which carries a whole society... men and women... middle-class and workers... soldiers and seamen... young men and elder people... in a period when rugby was among the most popular sports in France.

The V Nations tournament resumed in 1920 after the turmoil of the WW1, and rugby met tremendous popularity in France... also because French rugby had proved to be competitive (sometimes...) against Home Nations... People rushing to stadiums in Paris (quite dilapidated Parc des Princes or Colombes stadium) on every appearence of the French side... See this 40,000 attendance in Colombes (France v Scotland 1922)...




Nota : I have an issue with my first picture... I cant find it again in my memorabilia... I'm not even sure that this picture is mine... does someone know where it could come from ?

rugby, colombes