Elite 1 has now suffered its second club withdrawal in two seasons. In 2022 it was Bayonne, now it is Chilly-Mazarin, south of Paris. They have forfeited all their remaining fixtures. In a nutshell, the problem is that players in the national squad are contracted by the FFR. They are tending more and more to
A new Captain The big decision the new staff had to make was whether to retain the old structures, the familiar faces, or use a large broom to sweep the cupboard clean. Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz have answered the question with a major decision: Audrey Forlani replaces Gaëlle Hermet as captain. Hermet, appointed at
Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz have announced their first selection of 36 players to represent France this month. Julie Annery (Stade Bordelais), Carla Arbez (Stade Bordelais), Cyrielle Banet (Montpellier), Rose Bernadou (Montpellier), Axelle Berthoumieu (Blagnac Rugby Féminin), Caroline Boujard (Montpellier), Émilie Boulard (Blagnac), Pauline Bourdon (Stade Toulousain), Morgane Bourgeois (Stade Bordelais), Alexandra Chambon (Grenoble), Léa
On 8 February the following training squad of 40 players was announced: Forwards Julie Annery (Stade Bordelais), Rose Bernadou (Montpellier), Axelle Berthoumieu (Blagnac), Yllana Brosseau (Bobigny), Léa Champon (Grenoble), Annaëlle Deshaye (Stade Bordelais), Célia Domain (Blagnac), Charlotte Escudero (Blagnac), Madoussou Fall (Stade Bordelais), Manae Felue (Grenoble), Téani Feleu (Grenoble), Audrey Forlani (Blagnac), Emeline Gros (Grenoble), Gaëlle Hermet (Stade Toulousain), Clara Joyeux (Blagnac), Assia Khalfaoui (Stade Bordelais), Coco Lindelauf (Blagnac), Romane Menager (Montpellier), Ambre Mwayembe (Grenoble), Maëlle Picut (Blagnac Rugby), Elisa Riffoneau (Stade Rennais), Agathe Sochat (Stade Bordelais), Mabinty Sylla (Stade Bordelais), Laure Touyé (Montpellier)
Who wants a single national training centre? The French have a training centre, at Marcoussis, the so-called CNR (Centre National de Rugby); the English don’t. The English have a magnificent national stadium; the French don’t. A Project that failed Fifteen years ago the French Rugby Union (FFR) was desperate to find a stadium it could
New Contracts signed The two new head coaches of Les Bleues, Gaëlle Mignot et David Ortiz, have made their first statemernt of intent, outlining the programme for a new year through to the end of the Six Nations. Even more important, they have announced the names of 32 players who have signed new contracts. They
On the very last day of 2022 comes the momentous news of Annick Hayraud’s decision to retire from her position as manager of the French national team. From the day of her first appointment 2011 – with a short break in the mid-2010s – till today she has been the one fixed point in the
France have so much experience of finishing third at world cups that you have to wonder whether the coaches needed to exercise them at all pre-match. Tough and resourceful as the Canadians were, the French had the edge at all the decisive moments. They used a following breeze to build attacking positions. Emilie Boulard
Canada v France This is the match that many people suggest is quite unnecessary. Is it just to provide a curtain-raiser for the big event? In the light of recent evidence we may wonder how many Kiwis will bother to turn up for a match not involving their beloved Black Ferns. They haven’t done so
France v New Zealand World Cup Semi-final Eden Park Auckland When a team loses its biggest game of the season (of the decade?) by a single point, fingers tend to point to certain errors. In the most dramatic of games imaginable les Bleues came up one point short against the hosts. So their most unenvied
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