Four Bordeaux-Bègles players were stopped at a UK airport the day before Gloucester. Attack coach Noel McNamara says this is what Louis Bielle-Biarrey was told:
“you’re actually not allowed into the country… because your visa is not up to date.”
McNamara told RTÉ Sport’s Howler podcast on Monday 19 October that the Bielle-Biarrey airport hold-up lasted five hours. It happened on Thursday 15 October.
Bordeaux drew 36-36 at Kingsholm the next night, ending their 16-match winning run in the Champions Cup. The game finished on a last scrum where Bordeaux drove Gloucester back and got no penalty.
Did the airport cost Bordeaux at Kingsholm, or is that an excuse? Have your say in the comments.
“I was here with Bordeaux last year”
By McNamara’s account, Bielle-Biarrey argued back. He is France’s first-choice left wing and was last season’s European Player of the Year.
“He’s like, well, I was here with Bordeaux last year and I was here with… France to play against England”.
“they ended up getting held at the airport for 5 hours until… we could clear up what exactly had happened.”
Will Greenwood, the 2003 World Cup winner, was the other guest on the episode.
“I love this. This is actually turning into a Brexit debate.”
“So yeah, it was logistically for us a bit of a challenge,” McNamara said, before turning to the game.
Why the Bielle-Biarrey airport hold-up happened
The Telegraph and AFP reported the hold-up on Thursday 15 October. The four held at Bristol Airport were Bielle-Biarrey, Romain Gardrat, Matis Perchaud and Toma Taufa. A fitness coach was stopped with them.
Their Electronic Travel Authorisations were linked to passports that had since been renewed, and nobody had applied for new ones.
“An ETA lasts for 2 years and is linked to your passport,” says the GOV.UK guidance. A new passport needs a new ETA. European visitors have needed one since 2 April 2025.
The club contacted the French embassy in London. A source told AFP, in a line The Telegraph carried: “The English authorities don’t want to hear anything about it.”
French reports said the group left the airport at about 9pm and reached the team hotel near Gloucester that night.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey still scored twice
Bielle-Biarrey started the next night, on his 100th appearance for the club, and scored twice against Gloucester. McNamara was blunt about the first half.
“the first half I think we you know 30% possession 30% territory just made so many errors. We just lacked intensity and you know we’re probably lucky only to be seven points down.”
The week was already short. Bordeaux had won 23-22 at Clermont in the Top 14 on Saturday 10 October, six days before Kingsholm.
“You got to go away from home and… you got to perform,” McNamara said.
Why two points matter to Bordeaux
McNamara named two costs. The first was the record: Bordeaux had won 16 Champions Cup games in a row and wanted it outright with a 17th. The second was a home tie in the knockouts.
“to do well in this competition, you know, you really need ideally to stay at home.”
“we’ve done… maximum points twice and… those two years we’ve won the competition because of the advantage that it gives you.”
He still called the draw “probably two points won”. The Stormers come to Bordeaux in round two, on Sunday 13 December.
The passport check clubs now have to run
The rule that caught Bordeaux applies to every club flying into the UK from Europe. The ETA is tied to the passport, so a player who renews his passport needs a new ETA as well.
GOV.UK puts the cost at £20 and says a decision usually comes within a day, though it can take up to three working days. Clubs have to check every passport against its ETA well before the flight.
Bordeaux’s next trip is in the Top 14, on Sunday, to La Rochelle, where Ronan O’Gara is rebuilding his squad.
You can watch the full Howler episode on YouTube.
Your turn: would Bordeaux have won without the airport?
By McNamara’s count Bordeaux had 30% of the ball in the first half and still drew away from home. Would that first half have gone the same way without five hours at Bristol Airport? Have your say in the comments.
Frequently asked
Why was Louis Bielle-Biarrey held at a UK airport?
His Electronic Travel Authorisation was linked to an old passport. GOV.UK says a changed passport needs a new ETA. Four Bordeaux players were held at Bristol Airport on Thursday 15 October, the day before their Champions Cup match at Gloucester.
How long were the Bordeaux players held?
Five hours, according to attack coach Noel McNamara on RTÉ Sport’s Howler podcast on Monday 19 October. French reports said the group left the airport at about 9pm.
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