The Rouen Huskies: ‘We’re not just here to be French champions.‘
In recent months, the clubs of Rouen and Montpellier have added a cricket section! They join the clubs of PUC and Valenciennes. Is this the start of a new trend?
Interview with Frédéric GUERN, head of the new cricket section of the HUSKIES de Rouen, a flagship baseball club in France.
BTVF: What stood out to you about discovering cricket?
F.G.: It’s the same sport as baseball, with variables like the field and positioning. Our players find cricket interesting, and our cricket players are interested in baseball. We’ve had joint training sessions. The cricketers were in stitches watching the positioning of their new teammates’ cricket bats! But I find that in cricket, it’s calm, whereas in baseball, it’s all noise from the dugout.
BTVF: What motivated you to add a cricket section to your baseball club?
F.G.: It came from France Terre d’Asile, who contacted us; they already had a group playing. It’s part of the Huskies’ culture—we didn’t hesitate, even though we were starting from scratch. It’s no problem; these are people who want to blend in. We invited them to celebrate our title, and they were delighted to come. They’re different but lovely people. We have a young player who arrived at 15; two years later, he speaks French and is training as a chef. They’re resourceful; cricket is a way for them to exist, and they’re eager to share.
We’re not just here to be French champions.
BTVF: What does this section bring to your club?
F.G.: An open mind and a mix of people. When we have the king’s cake, we have our D1 players, softball veterans, adapted sports, cricket, and the baseball school.
BTVF: Do you have any advice for a baseball club that wants to open a cricket section?
F.G.: We don’t know much about the culture of the players’ countries; we have to get Afghans, Indians, Brits, and Pakistanis playing together. You need the right person to bring everyone together.
BTVF: How do you see your cricket section in 4 years?
F.G.: I hope it will be connected to the club but autonomous, like our other sections, even if they’re already resourceful for some things. We’d like to have a field and maybe a cricket school. In 20 years, like this, we could have 150 members. I’m convinced there are as many people who want to play cricket as there are who want to play baseball, and that all baseball clubs could have a cricket section, provided they have volunteers who can dedicate the time.
Interview by James WORSTEAD
