At the Rugby World Cup, the French women’s team has seemingly developed two habits. The first is positive: It has reached the semifinals in eight out of nine tournament editions. The second, however, is far less glorious: The French have always lost at that stage. As it prepared to start its 2025 World Cup campaign on Saturday, August 23, against Italy in Exeter, England, the French team was determined to break the cycle.
“We’re doing everything we can to win the competition,” said former captain Gaëlle Mignot, who became co-head coach with David Ortiz at the end of 2022. Her words echoed those of many of her predecessors. France has long been one of the top rugby nations in the world, currently ranked fourth by World Rugby, the international governing body, and has been considered a credible title contender for years.
During the 2022 edition in New Zealand, which was delayed one year due to the pandemic, Les Bleues narrowly missed the final, losing by one point (24-25) to the host nation, which went on to become the champion. Although they managed to bounce back and claim third place, their journey to the other side of the world was still painful. “There was a rift between the players and Thomas Darracq, the coach. He ended up stepping back as the tournament progressed,” said Marjorie Mayans, who was playing in her final international tournament.
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