"I am leaving myself this year to reflect," says Maxime Médard

• Maxime Médard is preparing the next Top 14 season with Stade Toulousain, while the previous one was interrupted due to coronavirus.
• It could be the last for the 33-year international back, at the end of the contract in June 2021 (with an optional extra year).
• Between a “sport-health” business and a rehabilitation center project at Ernest-Wallon, Médard is actively preparing for the post-rugby era.

Before touching a rugby ball again, Maxime Médard will have to wait "a week or two". For now, the back or wing of the Stade Toulousain is like his colleagues, divided into groups of four players. Three days a week, the 2019 French champions meet at the Ernest-Wallon stadium - at a good distance from each other - for weight training and support work.

The 2020-2021 Top 14 season is scheduled to start on September 4. If the Covid-19, which put an abrupt end to the previous one at the start of March, wants to… It may be the last lap for the 33-year-old international with 63 selections, which is already actively preparing for post-rugby.

How do you feel physically?

This period without a match allowed me to rest my body and enjoy the family. After the World Cup (in Japan), I was a little tired even if I felt good, with a huge desire. During confinement, I continued to train physically. We had challenges in groups, with a point system. Each week there was a ranking. It kept our competitive spirit going.

“The majority of players” at Stade Toulousain agree to lower wages https://t.co/kVxPibCRrW via @ 20minutes pic.twitter.com/YTNgYhaKKr

Like others, the Toulouse players agreed to lower their wages due to the Covid-19 crisis which weakened professional rugby.

In a club like elsewhere, communication is the most important thing. We exchanged and we agreed. Didier Lacroix (the president) explained the situation to us before and after the Covid. It's good to have told us the facts and the consequences…

What conclusions do you draw from this season ended very prematurely?

This is unheard of. But we have to accept the situation and thank those who helped protect us. We were not on the front line.

How do you see the 2020-2021 exercise?

For the moment, I have no opinion, because nothing is settled. Every week, every day, it changes. But we could have taken advantage of the period we are going through to rethink our championship model.

The 5 masterpieces of @MaxMedard, the Toulouse taulier 🔴⚫https: //t.co/7XCe4ZrY4V

That is to say ?

I am not a decision maker. There are people better placed than me. But when we see the number of matches of French players in club and selection compared to other nations, there is something to rethink. This is not new: ten years ago, we had the same problems.

And on a personal level? You have one contract season left, plus another optional one…

We'll see. In a post-World Cup season, it's always difficult to judge one's physical condition. I leave myself this year to reflect. Either I continue a little, or I move not to something else - because I would like to keep a foot in rugby - but to something different.

You have not announced your international retirement.

It is not up to me to decide. I train for my club. Afterwards, if there are things happening above, it will only be a bonus. I would be very proud. I'm not going to change my way of being and working ... It's not in my genes.

XV of France: "If someone calls me, I will answer this" assures Maxime Médard, who always sees life in Blue https://t.co/wvQZjlRW8p via @ 20minutes pic.twitter.com/2GBtQbkjY9

But when you see younger players like Sébastien Vahaamahina (28) or Jefferson Poirot (27) renounce the French team…

It's their choice, you have to accept it. This is how it is, life.

How do you see post-rugby?

With Louis Picamoles (now in Montpellier) and Jacques Boussuge (former rugby player converted to finance), I have a “sport-health” company called Fiters, based in Paris. We work with companies to do prevention around stress, obesity, a lot of things. We are in contact with the Ministry of Sports to build programs.

Finances, sports future ... Stade Toulousain sees the end of the tunnel https://t.co/JEVG81pk2v via @ 20minutes pic.twitter.com/VcTDmD8TBX

Didier Lacroix also announced that you are working on "a top-level rehabilitation clinic" which could see the light of day as part of the "city of rugby" which should be born in Ernest-Wallon. What about it?

I set up a team from the medical world to propose a project to Didier. The club is listening. It is a reeducation center to try to grow Stade Toulousain, for the first team but also for other categories. There would also be a consideration of concussions, as well as research… Lots of things that are not yet completely defined but which, little by little, are taking shape.

I have experienced periods of injury, which have been delicate. I would like to add additional things to what we can see now. I do not have infused science, I can delegate, surround myself with competent people. We, Stade Toulousain players, are fortunate to have an image, on a personal level but also thanks to the club, which allows us to have a network more easily than other people.

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• Top 14
• Toulouse
• Maxime Médard
• XV of France
• Rugby
• Toulousain stadium
• Sport