It's crunch time for adidas

Dating back to 1906, The Crunch - one of rugby’s oldest rivalries, between England and France - pits the neighbouring nations with a history of fiercely contested, often unpredictable clashes.

Celebrating this in a cheeky, fashion-led film for adidas, agency Gems and production company BIRTH portray the clash as a broader moment, blending rugby tradition with a neat contemporary style.

Directed by Tom Dream, the film uses current players, including Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Charles Ollivon, alongside footballers Hugo Ekitike and Djibril Cissé; portraying them as cultural figures rather than just mud-covered loons.

“This campaign is about more than just a match; it’s about a century of intensity," explains producer Mahé Parisse. "Working on this project allowed us to treat rugby not just as a sport, but as a cultural monument. By blending Tom Dream’s cinematic flair with Ines Manai’s raw photographic eye, we’ve captured the essence of a piece that is already sold out – a testament to the power of storytelling when heritage meets modern execution.”