France women's national rugby union team

For the men's team, see France national rugby union team. For the women's sevens team, see France women's national rugby sevens team. For the women's rugby league team, see France women's national rugby league team.

France

Union	French Rugby Federation
Head coach	Annick Hayraud
Captain	Gaëlle Hermet
First colours Second colours
World Rugby ranking
Current	4 (as of 23 November 2020)
First international
France 4-0 Netherlands (Utrecht, Netherlands 13 April 1982)
Biggest win
France 99-0 Japan (Edinburgh, Scotland 17 April 1994)
Biggest defeat
New Zealand 109-3 France (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 14 September 1996)
World Cup
Appearances	7 (First in 1991)
Best result	3rd place, 1991, 1994, 2002, 2006, 2014 and 2017

The France women's national rugby union team first played in 1982.

History

Source: "Des Filles en Ovalie", Éditions Atlantica (2005), Written by Jacques Corte / Yaneth Pinilla B. Foreword by Serge Betsen.

There are records of women's rugby being played in France as early as the mid-1890s, and in the 1920s a form of the game called "barette" was very popular, with national championships. However, after the 1930s the game had all but disappeared and was not revived until 1965 when groups of students in Lyon and Toulouse decided to take part in the great charitable campaign against world hunger. Most of them had brothers and friends who played rugby, so they decided to organise a charity game at Bourg-en-Bresse.

So successful was this that a regular series of games began, with clubs being formed as students graduated, initially mainly in the south. In 1969 a national association – the ARF [Women's Rugby Association] – was formed. Despite initial opposition to the game from both the government and the FFR (who briefly banned any FFR officials from officiating at women's games) by 1976 12 clubs were taking part in national competitions.

In 1982, by which time the number of clubs had more than doubled, the ARF signed a memorandum of understanding was agreed with the FFR which finally gave their official backing – and in the same year France took part in the first ever women's rugby international.

• French squad during 2014 Six Nations
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Results summary

Note: Although the FFR list all of the following as full internationals or "test matches" in their publications (including their website), they do not award caps for all of the games. In particular, no caps have been officially awarded for appearances before 1989 (when the FFR became responsible for women's rugby), and most matches in FIRA tournaments after 2004 are uncapped. As a result, there can be a significant difference between the number of appearances players may have made for France and their official number of caps.

(Full internationals only)
Correct as of 23 February 2020

France internationals since 1982

Opponent	First played	Games played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Success rate (%)
Australia	1998	5	4	0	1	80.00
Belgium	1988	1	1	0	0	100.00
Canada	1996	15	8	0	7	53.33
England	1991	47	14	0	33	27.79
Germany	1997	1	1	0	0	100.00
Great Britain	1986	4	3	0	1	75.00
Ireland	1994	28	24	1	3	85.71
Italy	1985	23	19	1	3	82.61
Japan	1988	3	3	0	0	100.00
Kazakhstan	1998	3	3	0	0	100.00
Netherlands	1982	12	11	0	1	91.67
New Zealand	1996	7	2	0	5	28.57
Scotland	1998	26	23	0	5	88.46
South Africa	2009	3	2	1	0	66.67
Spain	1989	19	14	0	5	73.68
Sweden	1988	4	4	0	0	100.00
United States	1996	13	10	1	2	76.92
Wales	1994	26	22	0	4	84.62
Total		237	163	4	70	68.78

Previous squads

Squad for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup

• Manon André
• Julie Annery
• Lise Arricastre
• Patricia Carricaburu
• Lénaïg Corson
• Annaëlle Deshayes
• Julie Duval
• Céline Ferer
• Audrey Forlani
• Romane Ménager
• Gaëlle Mignot (C)
• Safi N'Diaye
• Caroline Thomas
• Dhia Traore
• Audrey Abadie
• Montserrat Amédée
• Caroline Boujard
• Caroline Drouin
• Élodie Guiglion
• Shannon Izar
• Caroline Ladagnous
• Jade Le Pesq
• Marjorie Mayans
• Carla Neisen
• Chloé Pelle
• Élodie Poublan
• Yanna Rivoalen
• Jessy Trémoulière

Squad for the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup

• Head Coach: Christian Galonnier

Note: Flags indicate national union for the club/province as defined by World Rugby.

Player	Position	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Club/province
Gaëlle Mignot	Hooker	26 February 1987 (27)	38	Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Laëtitia Salles	Hooker	29 October 1982 (31)	86	RC La Valette
Lise Arricastre	Prop	17 June 1991 (23)	18	RC Lons
Christelle Chobet	Prop	22 April 1986 (27)	30	RC Lons
Hélène Ezanno	Prop	28 August 1984 (29)	30	Lille Métropole RC Villeneuvois
Élodie Portaries	Prop	9 December 1989 (24)	25	Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Marine De Nadaï	Lock	2 June 1988 (26)	22	Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Laëtitia Grand	Lock	26 July 1990 (24)	15	RC Lons
Assa Koïta	Lock	28 June 1991 (23)	21	AC Bobigny 93
Manon André	Flanker	22 September 1986 (27)	36	Saint-Orens RC
Coumba Tombe Diallo	Flanker	27 September 1990 (23)	21	AC Bobigny 93
Koumiba Djossouvi	Flanker	2 November 1982 (31)	14	Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Safi N'Diaye	Number 8	16 June 1988 (26)	23	Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Sandra Rabier	Number 8	1 March 1985 (29)	61	Ovalie Caennaise
Yanna Rivoalen	Scrum-half	10 June 1989 (25)	9	Lille Métropole RC Villeneuvois
Jennifer Troncy	Scrum-half	26 January 1986 (28)	43	Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Sandrine Agricole	Fly-half	13 March 1980 (34)	77	Stade Rennais
Christelle Le Duff	Fly-half	21 January 1982 (32)	63	USA Perpignan
Shannon Izar	Centre	8 May 1993 (21)	6	Lille Métropole RC Villeneuvois
Marjorie Mayans	Centre	17 November 1991 (22)	17	Saint-Orens RC
Élodie Poublan	Centre	13 April 1989 (25)	39	Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Camille Grassineau	Wing	10 September 1990 (23)	8	Stade Bordelais
Élodie Guiglion	Wing	28 January 1990 (24)	10	USA Perpignan
Marion Lièvre	Wing	10 January 1991 (23)	7	AC Bobigny 93
Caroline Ladagnous	Fullback	22 September 1988 (25)	38	RC Lons
Jessy Trémoulière	Fullback	29 July 1992 (22)	28	Ovalie Romagnatoise Clermont Auvergne

Notable players

• Nathalie Amiel

Results

See Women's international rugby for information about the status of international games and match numbering

See also

• Rugby union in France
• France national rugby union team (men's team)

External links

• (in French) Official website of the Fédération Française de Rugby
• News on Planet-Rugby.com
• France on IRB.com