Antonin Blaque, 35, Club Technical Adviser for the Normandy Rugby League

Antonin Blaque, Club Technical Adviser for the Normandy Rugby League

A rugby fanatic since childhood, Antonin Blaque chose the STAPS degree in Sports Training at UPPA in Tarbes to build his future career. In 2019, he joined the Normandy League as a club technical adviser. A job in the field!

In 2008, you started a STAPS degree on the Tarbes campus. Why this choice? 

After leaving secondary school, having passed my Sciences and Technologies of Management Baccalaureate, I did one year of an Advanced Vocational Training Certificate in International Trade at Lycée Marie Curie in Tarbes, but I quickly realised that it wasn't for me. At the same time, I was really into rugby, playing for the Entente Sportive des Coteaux de l'Arrêt in the Federal 2 league. Having gained in maturity, I took time out to study the STAPS degree programme and change direction. I immediately loved the course, which introduced me to a whole new range of sports, including dance, gymnastics, climbing and basketball, disciplines that might seem far removed from rugby but from which I still draw a lot of inspiration to develop what I can offer on the pitch and in training. The STAPS degree allowed me to step out of my comfort zone, discover sports other than rugby and strengthen my game. I was able to join the Tarbes Espoirs, take part in the university championships and pass the federal assessment required to work as a volunteer coach in clubs. I chose the “Physical Preparation” pathway because I felt it connected perfectly with rugby. 

How did you start working life after your STAPS degree? 

I've always seen the STAPS degree as a foundational training programme, the base of a pyramid to be completed. I continued playing rugby at Federal 1 level in Nantes, where I also studied for a vocational training certificate in fitness, before becoming a physical trainer at the club and then head of the training centre for three years. I also took the opportunity to add another qualification to my CV: a state diploma in rugby union, which is essential for becoming a professional coach. In 2017, after five seasons at Nantes, I coached a senior team in Federal 3, in Strasbourg, and took a diploma in mental preparation. Ever since my STAPS training, I've always wanted to maintain as broad a view of sports as possible. In 2019, I joined the Normandy League as a club technical advisor. It was yet another profession, with a diverse range of targets and human relations! My STAPS training is still useful in areas such as creating synergies with other sports and being able to build, lead and present projects.

What words do you spontaneously associate with UPPA? 

Discovery, springboard, project

What advice would you give to a young person starting a course at UPPA?

I would tell them to be curious and step out of their comfort zone. STAPS training, like many other university courses, allows you to decompartmentalise skills. You need to seize this opportunity. I would also tell them to do as many work placements as possible, with different people and in different regions to build up an idea of what they really want to do, because there are so many different career paths in sport. This will also enable them to build up them professional network, which is so important in our field.

Want to find out more?  

→Normandy rugby league: https://liguenormandie.ffr.fr/