Denis Lalanne

As an adolescent, Lalanne attended boarding school in Seine-et-Oise, where he befriended Michel Bouquet. He then wrote for L'Équipe, a French daily sports newspaper. In this time period, he wrote several books on rugby, including Le grand combat du XV de France and La peau des Springboks.^[2][3]

In 1978, Lalanne led the commentary for the France-Scotland rugby match with Georges de Caunes, and the French Open.^{[citation needed]}

His book Le grand combat du XV de France was adapted into a documentary film in 2006 by Serge Tignères and Étienne Bellan Huchery. A limited edition box set was released by the French Rugby Federation.^{[citation needed]}

In 2011, Lalanne founded the Festival Singe-Germain in Saint-Germain-des-Prés with Jean Cormier, a sports and cultural festival.^{[citation needed]}

Novels written by Lalanne include Un long dimanche à la campagne and Le devoir de français,^[4] the latter of which was adapted into a film.^[5]

He still had a weekly column for Midi olympique until his death.^{[citation needed]}

In 2012, an award in Lalanne's name was founded by the French Tennis Federation called the Prix Denis-Lalanne. The prize is given to the best French-language article written during the French Open.^{[citation needed]}

In April 2019, Lalanne published his last novel, Dieu ramasse les copies.^{[citation needed]}

Denis Lalanne died in his home in Anglet, France on 7 December 2019.^[6]

• Jean Borotra - Roger Courtois - Jean et Maurice Prat (1955)
• La mêlée fantastique (1961)
• Le Grand Combat du Quinze de France (1962)
• Le Tennis (1963)
• Les Coquelicots de Cardiff (1965)
• La Girouette en deuil (1968)
• Géants du Rugby (1970)
• Les conquérants du XV de France (1970)
• Les nouveaux géants du rugby (1974)
• Dauga (Podium) (1975)
• Grand Chelem (1977)
• Nous reviendrons à Eden Park : le fabuleux roman de la Coupe du monde de rugby 1987 (1987)
• Golf 1987 : le roman de l'année (1987)
• Le grand combat du XV de France (1993)
• Un long dimanche à la campagne (1995)
• Le temps des Boni (2002)
• Rue du bac : Salut aux années Blondin (2002)
• Une table chez Romanoff (2003)
• Élissalde de pères en fils (2006)
• Dicovale : Le dico non officiel du rugby (2007)
• La peau des Springboks (2007)
• Chronique Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2007 (2007)
• Bergougnan : Un génie du rugby (2008)
• Le rugby est ma patrie (2009)
• Trois balles dans la peau (2011)
• Allez les gazelles (2012)
• Lignes d'avant(s) et lignes d'arrivée (2015)
• La Famille Rugby (2015)
• Rugbymania : French flair attitude (2016)
• Dieu ramasse les copies (2019)