100,000 players: The ambitious target for women's rugby in France

With just a day to go until the final crunch match between France and England at the Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux, the ambitions of women’s rugby in France are becoming clear.

In terms of attendance alone, the rise is promising, with more than 22,000 people expected to attend the match on Saturday 27 April.

“More people are following us, which is great,” smiled scrum-half Pauline Bourdon-Sansus (28, 56 caps). “We’ve also seen that we’ve broken records in our own league [Elite 1]. We think there’s a lot of enthusiasm around us and it’s growing all the time. That’s also thanks to our results and performances.

Women’s Rugby World Cup in France in 2037?

In Sud-Ouest newspaper, Brigitte Jugla, vice-president on charge of women’s rugby at the French Rugby Federation, confirms that the enthusiasm is not just in the stands, but also on the pitch.

“Women’s rugby has grown exponentially in the last three years,” she says. “We’ve increased the number of licences by 20% this year. Today we have 48,000 female licence holders and the aim is to reach 100,000 by 2033.”

100,000, a round and ambitious figure, more than double the current figure. 2014 was a pivotal year, with the Women’s Rugby World Cup taking place in France. That’s when the sport really took off.

Would the FFR like to organise another edition? After 2025 in England, 2029 in Australia and 2033 in the United States, the prospect of France bidding for the 2037 edition remains relevant and realistic.

The virtuous example of the English Championship

By then, women’s rugby will have gained a much higher profile, particularly through the Elite 1 championship, which will move to a single pool of 10 clubs from next season.

France is a long way behind in this respect, unlike the UK, where PWR matches are broadcast at weekends, notably on RugbyPassTV.

“It’s pretty cool because a lot of people come and watch,” says Rennes hooker Elisa Riffonneau (20, 9 caps), the only French international to play in the English league with Trailfinders Women, Abby Dow’s club, whom she’ll face in Bordeaux.

“It highlights our league, even if it’s just one game a weekend. But it’s already very good and we’re very happy. It doesn’t change the way we play, but it has a big impact on the development of women’s rugby.”

Canal + interested

The model seems to be one that the Federation could follow, as there is increasing talk of broadcasting Elite 1 matches. Indeed, there has been talk of including this in the Top 14 and Pro D2 rights package currently under discussion.

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“The LNR is also involved and interested in women’s rugby,” confirms Brigitte Jugla. “Today, for example, Canal+ is not indifferent to women’s rugby. But in order to do so, we need to offer matches that can be broadcast, that are of high quality and that appeal to the public.

“Today we have some great matches that have already attracted over 6,000 spectators in stadiums, so we’re starting to get a real audience for women’s rugby. These matches could be broadcast.”

FFR also has ambitions to transfer the federal contracts it offers to a small number of XV and 7s players to the clubs, which would gain in sporting and economic power.

Federal contracts transferred to clubs?

“Today it’s clear that the federation is gradually withdrawing its involvement in order to make a change with the clubs, so that they are the ones who will ultimately finance them. Why is that? Because we’ve created inequality and distorted the system.

“Girls are forced to work and compensate, because if they want to play their sport, they don’t have the means, and there are still too many inequalities. What we want to do, with the support of the clubs, is to find a balance and resources for all elite girls,” says the vice president.

Centre Gabrielle Vernier (26, 44 caps) is one of the beneficiaries and every day she appreciates the progress that has been made since she started.

“My day is divided between rugby (75%) and engineering (25%),” she told L’Equipe’s Crunch podcast. “A typical week consists of training in the morning, training with the Blagnac players at lunchtime, work in the afternoon and training with the Blagnac players in the evening.

“It’s a busy rhythm, but I like it. I am well aware that there’s a post-career phase to look forward to. At the moment I’m making a living, but it’s not sustainable.

“With the introduction of federal contracts, where you’re 75% employed by the federation, and clubs becoming more structured, we’re seeing clear progress. When I arrived at Blagnac four years ago, there were three training sessions a week from 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm.

“Now we can train at lunchtime, we have access to the gym whenever we want during the day, but we tend to train in the evening, trying to train between 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm. It’s complicated to manage, but we feel that everyone is pushing us to be more professional.”

The chance for the French women’s team

The financial balance must therefore be found, and for the time being that will depend on the performance of the French women’s team.

“We’re a bit of a showcase for French women’s rugby; it’s all about us, our performances and our results,” says backrow Gaëlle Hermet (27, 62 caps).

“We don’t see it as a responsibility. We see it more as an opportunity to take women’s rugby even further, to say to ourselves that every time we’re on the field we have a mission to help women’s rugby grow. We’re aware that this includes our performances.”

There’s no doubt that a win over England on Saturday, which would end the Red Rose’s impressive run of 28 wins and a tunnel of 12 consecutive defeats for France, would raise the profile of women’s rugby in France even further.

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