One of our most talked about profiles of 2002 was the breaking news on the sensational French rugby calendar. This year, the calendar has become fashion’s dirty little secret. Barely halfway through the year, it has been widely announced that the 100,000 limited copies have sold out, and shameless hunts for the nudie calendar (and the equally coveted making of DVD, and book with foreword by Madonna) continue at fever pitch. Fashionistas (who didn’t make early year trips to Europe) are burning up the phone and fax lines of Paris-based friends to hopefully score hard to locate copies. Last year we applauded Matthias Vriens’ envelope pushing “strapping and straddling” images depicting players in suggestive poses. This year, the Francois Rousseau lensed, Susanna Cucco art directed “Gods of the Stadium” themed calendar raises the temperature even higher on the hunky (and daring) fellows of the rugby team. Players are coaxed out of their skivvies to pose coupling up and double-teaming in several of the 30 images on show. We agree that the photographic quality is a tour de force (great lighting and all that) but take a glimpse at what all the fuss is really about…

-Jason Campbell

Photo: “Gods of the Stadium” 2004 calendar