The friendly brothers | Metropolis Rouen Normandy
For more than ten years, the Briet brothers, Baptiste and Thibaud, have continued their ascent to the highest level of French handball. A shared ambition, without rivalry.
Two years separate them. A few centimeters and a few kilos too… Apart from that, the Briet brothers, Thibaud and Baptiste work in harmony and walk on the same line, the one that leads to the summit. The story of these two young handball players from Bondeville began at the Déville lès Rouen club, a dozen years ago. Thibaud the eldest enters the field first. He is 10 years old. “Dad wanted a team sport for us, with good values. We hesitated for a while with rugby and then finally it was handball. Excellent intuition!
In the footsteps of his brother
Baptiste will follow in his brother’s footsteps, a year and a half later. “On a set always doing sports. All sports, basketball, cycling…”, insists Thibaud. It’s obvious. Just looking at them, we quickly understand that these two are very close. “Between us, there is good competition, very healthy, without any rivalry. A desire, a need to share all the emotions of sport”, says Baptiste. It is up to Thibaud to lead the way. After Déville, there will be Rouen Handball for three years where he will evolve up to N3 with the senior team. And then in 2019, it’s the big leap! Thibaud arrives at the Nantes Handball Club (HBC). In Nantes, we say the “H”, a local institution but above all one of the biggest clubs in the National League. “When I arrived there, in the pros, I rediscovered my sport. From a tactical point of view first and then there was a big physical march to overcome. Mentally I felt ready but it took me two months to reach a technical level that would allow me to bring something to the team. One year also to arrive at a correct weight. And now I’m really working on the details. Thibaud switches in a few months in the big leagues and finds himself playing with the pros in the Champions League. In 2022, here he is in the national team, replacing Nikola Karabatic for his second selection during a Euro match. At the same time, Baptiste does not demerit. In July 2021, he in turn left the Rouen cradle to join the training center of the Toulouse club, the Fenix. “After a year of Covid and almost no training, it was a difficult start. But I managed to level up and make my place in the team. I had signed for a year and since last March I know that they keep me. I’m extended for two years. So here is Baptiste in N1, in turn rubbing shoulders with the pros. “I train with them and I already play with them.”
Always one step ahead
Fully committed to their sport, Thibaud and Baptiste Briet also spare no effort when it comes to studying. “The double project is part of the contract with our parents too. A high-level sports career, you never know how long it can last. Everything can stop overnight on an injury. We are well aware of this. The two brothers therefore ensured their backs. In 2020, Thibaud obtained a DUT in thermal and energy engineering. For his part, Baptiste still has to complete a semester in order to obtain his DUT in physical measurements. Again, Thibaud and Baptiste follow each other closely. A flawless run so far. But other challenges await them. Because one thing is certain, these two will soon find themselves side by side… or face to face on the pitch, for the first time in their lives. And no one can guess what will happen then.