'Didn’t think I was going to make it': Stevenson's journey from Newcastle exit to Vannes folklore

A debut season in France that started with Ben Stevenson eating fish eyes while dressed in a bikini has ended with the former Newcastle wing becoming an instant Breton hero by scoring the try that sent Vannes back into the star-studded Top 14.

It was in July last year that Stevenson was given five days’ notice that his time in the North East of England was to be swapped for a new home in the North West of France where the recently relegated Vannes were going to attempt an immediate return to the glamour of the Top 14. Having been at Newcastle since he was 14, Stevenson was ready for a new challenge but the initiation into his new club, where England prop Mako Vunipola was one of the key players, was more like his Freshers’ Week at Durham University with fancy dress and a player’s court with everyone dressed in robes.

He explained: “The initiation was mental with some really weird things including eating fish eyes, pulling tractors in fancy dress – I had to wear a bikini – and the amazing thing is that the fans are also there watching with cameras out! I wouldn’t recommend the fish eyes as much as the croissants here.”

Stevenson, who dived in at the corner for the try to give Vannes promotion with an 18-14 win over Provence last weekend, had to pass a fitness test to make the play-off final. To score in the 66th minute, he had to survive a desperate last ditch tackle from Provence No.10 Caleb Muntz, the Fiji star, in order to get the ball down with his left hand before being bundled out of play. It triggered wild celebrations from the thousands of Vannes fans who had travelled to the Ernest-Wallon stadium in Toulouse and the party continued in the days that followed.

Stevenson said: “I damaged my quad against Dax in the final league game and was told it was a 9-12 week injury and didn’t think I was going to make it because I really couldn’t sprint that well. But I did a fitness test before the play-off final and took pain killers and cracked on because you don’t get those kinds of opportunities very often. I didn’t think Caleb Muntz was going to get to me but I managed to get the ball down for the try and we are still celebrating in the city. The club are taking all of the players to Seville for four days so there is plenty of celebrating ahead as well.

“The chance to play in the Top 14 is incredibly exciting and the players who went up last time told me the support we had at the away games was amazing. They put the Provence game up on a big screen near the famous ramparts in Vannes for fans to watch. We were on the ramparts celebrating promotion with so many fans below. It was incredible.”

Now, the Vannes players and fans will be able to savour the chance to take on the stars of Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier and nearest rivals La Rochelle again. Stevenson has another massively important match to look forward to before next season kicks off as he is marrying fiancée Beth in August in Northumberland. She completes her clinical psychology doctorate in September – just after the wedding – and will be moving to Vannes with their dog to a house that is only a short walk away from the stadium.

With Newcastle being bought by Red Bull, Stevenson, who scored 10 tries in 23 games for Falcons last season, was kept waiting last summer to discover if he was wanted by the new owners who will be bringing in more than 25 new players to replace the same number exiting Kingston Park next season. Last July, Stevenson was told he would be offered a two year contract but five days later he had signed for Vannes for a similar length of deal having spoken to Newcastle team-mate Sammy Arnold, who had previously played at Brive, about life in Prod D2. Stevenson knew so little about Vannes he had to use Google to get an idea of where it was and what the city looked like.

The sudden move meant time part from Beth who has travelled over at various times during the season and was in the city with Stevenson’s family and close friends for the extended post-match celebrations that saw the squad take over the most popular bar in Vannes with fans looking in from the street as the players enjoyed themselves. “Newcastle started offering contracts the week before pre-season was about to start and if they had offered one earlier I would have signed but it was pretty late,” added Stevenson.

“The season is really long in France but you get two weeks off at Christmas and there is also the travelling which can be tough as some away trips saw us getting back by coach at nine in the morning. Promotion is so important for the whole of Brittany and a mate lives two hours away from Vannes and comes to all the matches with his son. At every game we have bagpipes leading us out and the fans sing “Bro Gozh ma Zadoù” (Old Land of My Fathers) which has the same tune as the Welsh national anthem.

“Geordies are passionate about the region and being from England but here, while being just as passionate, they see themselves as almost separate from France.

“Training and playing at Newcastle seems a lifetime ago and being in a team that is winning every week is very different and now we are celebrating promotion to the Top14.”