This remarkable collection of candid nude photos of France’s
national rugby team goes beneath the uniform to reveal what real
jocks look like underneath it all. Each image taken by leading
French photographer François Rousseau depicts the rugby
player?alone or with teammates?undressing, lounging on the bench,
showering. Locker Room Men is at once a celebration of athletes
and the beauty of the male form as well as the fulfillment of
the fantasy of going behind the scenes in a winning team’s
locker room. Sure to appeal to both gay men, these photos are
unusual because the men are not models. They don’t work out
just to look good?and look good they do?their bodies are sculpted
by winning victories on the field. They aren’t made up, shaved,
or prettified in any way. These are some of the world’s best
rugby players?brawny, tough, competitive.
Since 1999, the French national rugby team has posed nude or semi-nude
for an annual calendar. The purpose behind the calendar was to
get wider “exposure” for rugby and the team. In 2004,
François Rousseau was selected as photographer, and he
successfully brought out the sensual beauty and sexiness inherent
in the rugby players’ rough and tumble exterior. The calendar
became a cult hit, and thus the book was born so that even more
of these unparalleled images could be savored.
Whether
or not rugby will become more popular in this country remains
to be seen, but this book will certainly raise the game’s
profile…
French National Rugby Team - The Players
Pierre Albaladejo
Jean-Pierre Bastiat
Jean-Michel Benacloï
Abdelatif Benazzi
Pierre Berbizier
Serge Betsen
Serge Blanco
André Boniface
Guy Boniface
Olivier Brouzet
Christian Califano
Thomas Castaignède
Jérôme Cazalbou
Fernand Cazenave
Marc Cécillon
Éric Champ
Michel Crauste
Benoit Dauga
Christophe Dominici
Jacques Fouroux
Jean Gachassin
Fabien Galthié
Imanol Harinordoquy
Stéphane Glas
Constantin Henriquez De Zubiera
Raphael Ibanez
Adolphe Jauréguy
Yannick Jauzion
Mani Kula
Thierry Lacroix
Patrice Lagisquet
Bernard Laporte
Olivier Magne
Yves du Manoir
Roger Martine
Jo Maso
Frédéric Michalak
Guy Novès
Émile N'Tamack
Alain Paco
Robert Paparemborde
Fabien Pelous
Alexandre Pharamond
Jean Prat
Jean-Pierre Rives
Philippe Sella
Pierre Villepreux
Dimitri Yachvili
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