Courtney Lawes’ X-rated message after getting ‘pre-season number 19 done and dusted’

Courtney Lawes has given his verdict on the 19th pre-season of his career, explaining how different things are done in France compared to the UK.

The 36-year-old England international finished up at Northampton in June 2024 by lifting the Premiership title, and he has since embarked on a French adventure where the ambition is to lift Pro D2 club Brive back into the Top 14.

Last season ended in massive disappointment for his team as they were ambushed at home in the semi-finals by Montauban following a second-place finish.

They now begin their latest 30-game regular season with a Saturday night home clash with Vannes, the side that was relegated from the 2024/25 top-flight.

‘A tightrope walk’

Ahead of this high-profile opener, Lawes, the forward who won 105 caps for England, has been reflecting on his second summer in France. “Pre-season number 19 done and dusted and honestly thank f*** for that,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

“As much as I do enjoy parts of pre-season, for me it’s now just a tightrope walk between getting ‘fit’ and staying ‘fit’ (injury free)

“Luckily, pre-season in France is quite a bit different from the UK. There is much more emphasis on fitness games over fitness drills, which suits me down to the ground.

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“Aside from having some hanging sessions in 40+ degree heat, it’s been pretty class. Now, all that’s left to do is fly into another season, always striving to make it better than the last.”

Lawes, who moved to France in the summer of 2024, had retired from Test rugby with England at the end of Rugby World Cup 2023. However, he retained ambitions of getting selected on the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour, a hope that went unfulfilled for the 2017 and 2021 tour pick.

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