On May 8 and 9, 2026, the Marcel Communeau Stadium, as it does every year, became the true European capital of student rugby. For its 31st edition, the Ovalies UniLaSalle brought together 108 teams from all over France and four European countries (Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, and Switzerland) united by a single promise: to make sports a catalyst for solidarity. At the end of two days of rare intensity, it was UniLaSalle Beauvais that secured the best possible outcome by winning the 15-a-side rugby tournament, marking a historic victory on home turf. A look back at an exceptional weekend.

A tournament unlike any other in Europe, with staggering statistics

As the continent’s largest university rugby tournament with a charitable mission, the Ovalies UniLaSalle reaffirm their status as a staple of the student sports calendar year after year. This 31st edition was no exception. In total, 1,800 players competed in seven separate competitions: 15-a-side rugby, women’s and men’s 7s, wheelchair 7s, cheerleading contests, fan contests, and mascot contests, with over 250 matches played throughout the weekend.

Wheelchair rugby sevens, which debuted at Les Ovalies in 2023 as part of an initiative to promote inclusion through sports, took on a new dimension this year with sixteen teams participating. This momentum now places Les Ovalies among the world’s largest tournaments of its kind.

Behind the scenes, 84 student organizers and 550 volunteers, spread across 12 hubs, kept the event running for many months. On-site, 18,000 meals were served to participants and visitors, and nearly 7,000 people visited the villages each day decked out in the colors of the Land of the Rising Sun, the theme chosen for the 2026 edition.

Prestigious sponsors and organizations at the heart of the project

For this 31st edition, Les Ovalies received support from four iconic figures in French sports. Yann Delaigue, a former fly-half, 2003 European champion, and three-time French champion, who is now vice president of Rugby French Flair, took on the role of patron. Joining him are Anne-Cécile Ciofani, Olympic silver medalist and the world’s best women’s rugby sevens player, as well as Alexanne Arlot, 2024 world cheerleading silver medalist and cheerleading ambassador. For the first time this year, a para-sport patron was also appointed: Alice Marceau, a member of the French junior para-ski team and former UniLaSalle student (Food & Health 2022), accompanied by her guide Chris Chislard, a senior officer with the Paris Fire Department.

Two surprise guests also left their mark on the event: Nelson Monfort, an iconic sports journalist for France Télévisions and a leading voice in French sports since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and Gaël Fickou, center for Racing 92 and one of the most capped players in the history of the French national rugby team.

Beyond sports, Les Ovalies remains first and foremost a charitable initiative. Since 1995, the tournament has raised €810,000 for public causes and supported 45 community projects. This year, all proceeds will be donated to three organizations: Rose Up, which supports women affected by cancer; Les Agriculteurs ont du Cœur, which fights poverty; and Rugby French Flair, which promotes education and social integration through sports.

A historic victory for UniLaSalle Beauvais

The highlight of this 31st edition will undoubtedly be Beauvais’ victory in the final of the rugby union tournament. In front of an electric crowd at the main stadium, the UniLaSalle Beauvais team defeated ECE Paris 12–10 in a match of rare intensity. A historic victory, as this is only Beauvais’s second rugby union title since the creation of the Ovalies, following the one won in 2010–2011. That’s two titles in 31 years of existence.

This success is the culmination of a full year of work, carried out hand in hand with the coaches and the rugby communications team. A loss at the French Championships last March served as a wake-up call for the team, which then chose to refocus on its weaknesses and return stronger and more determined to the Ovalies. Mission accomplished.

The UniLaSalle Beauvais cheerleaders also shone on the court, securing a magnificent second place in the competition, behind USAMV Cluj-Napoca and ahead of USV Timisoara. A performance celebrated by an enthusiastic crowd, in the face of numerous Romanian teams.

The complete list of winners for the 2026 edition: Rugby Union: UniLaSalle Beauvais (12-10 vs. ECE Paris) Men’s Rugby Sevens: University of Angers (26-14 vs. ENSAM) Women’s Rugby Sevens: UT3 Médecine Toulouse (34-0 vs. Médecine Dijon) Wheelchair Rugby Sevens: ECAM (17-10 vs. ESILV) Cheerleading competition: USAMV Cluj-Napoca Fan competition: IPSA Mascot competition: USV Timisoara Best shepherdess: Aurore Couttenier

Such a success would not have been possible without the dedication of hundreds of people. UniLaSalle Beauvais would like to extend a warm welcome to all the delegations from France and across Europe, their players, fans, cheerleaders, and mascots, who make the Ovalies a lively and friendly event year after year. A special mention goes to the families, friends, and supporters who made the trip, sometimes from very far away, to cheer on their loved ones.

The institution also extends its sincerest thanks to the partners and sponsors who, through their loyalty year after year, make the event possible and allow it to grow, as well as to the technical staff, emergency responders, medical personnel, and security forces mobilized on-site throughout the weekend to ensure the smooth running of both days.

See you in the spring of 2027 for the 32nd edition of the Ovalies UniLaSalle.