It is an enticing poster at the start of August, still weaned from competitions. The XV of France female receives this Saturday, August 9, at 9:10 p.m., at the Guy-et-André-Boniface stadium in Mont-de-Marsan, the team of England as part of its one and only preparation match before the World Cup, which will take place, precisely, in England, from August 22 to September 27, 2025. An appointment for which the Blue of Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz nourish ambitions.
But an appointment in which no Landes player will participate. The wing Mélissande Llorens Vignères, trained in rugby south coast Landes and selected in 2022 for the previous World Cup in New Zealand, was one of the 38 players who participated in the beginning of the preparation but she was ultimately not retained in the selection of 32 players who will take the direction of Exeter, in the south of England, August 15.
+ 35 % licensees
Unsurprisingly, it is the French champion, the Bordeaux stadium, which provides the largest contingent of elements: 11, including the native of Biarritz Carla Arbez. FC Grenoble Amazons (6), Blagnac (5), Stade Toulousain (4), Montpellier and Lyon or (2), Romagnat and Stade Villeneuvois (1). With a single Landes club, the Dax Pachys, in the anteroom of the French elite, which he will also leave after a galley season, the chances of seeing locals under the blue tunic were objectively slim. But even in the elite clubs, they are rare. “Marie Ibanez, who plays at the Bordeaux stadium, and Léa Murie, in Toulouse, both wing, were selected from the U18s at seven and the U20s,” counted Guy Villenave, president of the Rugby Landes Committee.
“Clubs have bet a lot on women’s rugby. The level has been raised and a gap has been created ”
Which can only see the evidence. “The Herm Pachys were real spearheads of the category in the years 1990-2000 by playing the national leading roles, with many players who wore the jersey of the French team. Today we pay a hole in the workforce that has widened several years ago. We also pay the performance of other clubs that have bet a lot on female rugby, such as the Bordeaux stadium or Grenoble. The level has risen and a gap has been created. »»
However, if it remains realistic on the situation, Guy Villenave wants to be positive, by advancing a figure: ” + 35 % of licensees in the Landes all categories combined between 2022 and 2024. The development of the workforce is increasing and they currently represent 12 % of all licensees in the department, a percentage compliant at the national level. The stake is simple: you have to manage to stabilize or even densify the base and retain the players ”. For this, the Landais committee launched several axes of development with conviction.
Gather the U18s?
“We organize discovery days to the address of young girls not licensed during the first quarter of the school year in order to arouse vocations. We also joined the federal project ” Rugby for them ”: this season, we had formed seven 100 % female collectives which faced other collectives of neighboring departments during dedicated days. Finally, we would like to manage to bring together different Landes clubs for the U18 category in order to pool the forces and allow the girls to be fixed in the department rather than let the players with potential migrate, like today, to other bordering departments clubs. »»
It is certain, “all this will take time, we will have to be patient”. But seeing a Landes, blue outfit and rooster on the chest, singing the Marseillaise in Boniface is at this price.
The 32 blue group selected
Front Makarita Baleinadogo (Bordeaux stadium); Rose Bernadou (Montpellier); Axelle Berthoumieu (Blagnac); Manon Bigot (Blagnac); Yllana Brosseau (Bordeaux stadium); Léa Champon (Grenoble); Khoudedia Cissokho (Bordeaux stadium); Annaëlle Deshaye (Bordeaux stadium); Charlotte Escudero (Stade Toulousain); Madoussou Fall Raclot (Bordeaux stadium); Manae Feleu (Grenoble); Téani Feleu (Grenoble); Agathe Sochat (Bordeaux stadium); Hina Ikahehegi (Villeneuvois stadium); Assia Khalfaoui (Bordeaux stadium); Taïna Maka (Grenoble); Marie Morland (Lyon); Séraphine Okemba (Lyon); Élisa Riffonneau (Grenoble).
Rear Kelly Arbey (Stade Toulousain); Carla Arbez (Bordeaux stadium); Émilie Boulard (Blagnac); Pauline Bourdon Sansus (Stade Toulousain); Morgane Bourgeois (Bordeaux stadium); Alexandra Chambon (Grenoble); Joanna Grisez (Bordeaux stadium); Nassira Kondé (Bordeaux stadium); Marine Ménager (Montpellier); Carla Neisen (Blagnac); Lina Queyroi (Stade Toulousain); Lina Tuy (Romagnat); Gabrielle Vernier (Blagnac).
