Content creators are once again reaching beyond the boundaries of the internet. On Saturday May 23, 2026, the Stade Atlantique in Bordeaux Métropole will host the first edition of “Crunch Creator”, an event where Internet personalities, English and French, will compete in a match that promises to be electric.
From 9 p.m., live on Twitch, a French team made up of creators, former professionals and rugby legends will face an English selection in a new format. In total, 32 creators and eight former international glories, four in each team, are expected on the pitch. “We’re trying to pull out all the stops so that it’s like a Top 14 final,” says Brice Beignon, co-founder of the Ambission influence agency, which is running the event.
Influencers and former rugby players
At the origin of the project, Diego Sarthou, alias Djayson Karavane, a rising figure in humor and the rugby scene on the networks. “The idea was born in 2024, but only came to fruition this year,” explains Brice Beignon. The organizers managed to bring together a team of content creators around Diego Sarthou: Lebouseuh, Ivan Bédé, Paul Dena, Nogodi, Rivenzi and Étienne Mustache. A workforce designed for the show.
For management, former glory Thierry Dusautoir, now a consultant for Canal+, will take the reins of the French selection. He will be supported by Cédric Heymans and Laurent Ferrères.
Opposite, the English will be led by the creator Archie Curzon. “It wasn’t easy to put together a team of English designers. We did not necessarily have contact, and there was no particular rivalry with English creators, as was the case with the “Eleven All Stars” between French and Spanish streamers,” explains Brice Beignon.
A format designed for the show
There is no question here of reproducing a classic match. The “Crunch Creator” adopts simplified rules to maximize the spectacle with 10 players per team on the field, four former professional players in each selection and three twenty-minute halves. A shorter, more rhythmic format, and accessible even to beginners.
The event will not be limited to the kick-off. From 6 p.m., an entertainment village will open its doors to immerse spectators in the atmosphere. The halftimes also promise their share of shows before a finale presented as spectacular.
“Rugby in France is not trivial. »
Behind the event, an almost symbolic ambition. Inspired by the historic rivalry between France and England, nicknamed the “Crunch”. In a video posted on Instagram, the creator of the event Diego Sarthou explained his motivations. “Rugby in France is not trivial. It is a culture, an identity and above all a mythical rivalry: France – England “the Crunch”. Generations of players, tense matches, victories engraved in history and defeats that we have never really forgotten,” explains the influencer followed by 1.1 million people on Instagram.
Faithful to the atmosphere that accompanies each match between France and England, Diego Sarthou took advantage of the announcement to increase the tension: “The Crunch Creator has one goal: to put an end to this rivalry”.
Some places still on sale
Participants had 100 days to prepare and be “combat ready” on May 23. “They will have had five training sessions in the end, which is not a lot, but some players train in parallel in professional clubs who wanted to participate in the project,” explains Brice Beignon. For his part, Diego Sarthou takes his community behind the scenes of the project. On his YouTube channel, the influencer documents the preparation of the “Crunch Creator”, between training sessions, team cohesion and first automatisms on the field.
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Tickets were priced between 20 and 60 euros, with VIP offers. On the ticket office, there are still a few hundred seats on sale today. Testifying to the enthusiasm surrounding the event, the official Top 14 rugby account provided its support by republishing the match poster on its social networks.
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