France's AXA Elite 1 Championship: Get to know the teams

Ten teams. One goal. France’s newly titled AXA Elite 1 Championship kicked off with a big-match bang on October 12th, as last season’s losing finalists Toulouse hosted defending champions Stade Bordelais, just two weeks after England lifted the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

The holders then lost at home to ASM Romagnat in their second outing of the season, while the Auvergne side, as well as Toulouse, Montpellier and Blagnac all marched on unbeaten.

Here’s a brief history of the 10 clubs in the French top flight, as the FFR’s reform of the women’s game at all levels gathers pace.

AC Bobigny
Key players: Gabrielle Tanga Mangene, Julie Coudert, Tara Bougenot, Juliette Fregier, Aménis Khaldi Legriel, Micol Cavina, Guilia Cavina
Coach: Clémence Gueucier
Ground: Stade Henri-Wallon

Bobigny, a club in the Parisian suburbs, has been a conveyor-belt for French international talent since the women’s section was founded in 2003.

Les Bleues’ legends Sandrine Agricole, Madoussou Fall Raclot, Coumba Diallo, Anne-Cécile Ciofani, Nassira Konde, Joanna Grisez — and more — have all come through club ranks in the 22 years that have followed.

Their one championship final appearance, in 2014, ended in defeat to a then-dominant Montpellier side, while their sevens squad won the Elite Rugby Sevens titles in 2013 and 2015, and the inaugural women’s SuperSevens championship in early 2025.

ASM Romagnat
Key players: Assia Khalfaoui, Yllana Brosseau, Alexandra Chambon, Lina Tuy, Jessy Trémoulière, Francesca Sgorbini
Coaches: Fabrice Ribeyrolles, Vincent Fargeas
Championships: 1994, 1995 (both as AS Romagnat), 2021
Ground: Stade Michel-Brun

Founded in 1974 by nurses and physiotherapists at Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital, the club that would become ASM Romagnat was one of the powerhouses of the game in France in the late 20th century, winning back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995, and reaching the final in 1989, 1996 and 1998.

One more title, in 2021, and one more run to the final, in 2024, followed for a proud club that boasts French legends Natalie Bertrank, Annick Heyraud, and the Duchess herself Jessy Trémoulière on their honours board.

Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 players Yllana Brosseau, Alexandra Chambon and Assia Khalfaoui have been recruited to strengthen the club’s title challenge in the 2025 /26 campaign, which opened with a convincing 49-7 win over Lille at Stade Michel Brun on the opening weekend, beating champions Stade Bordelais a week later to kick off their campaign in style.

Blagnac
Key players: Gabrielle Vernier, Emilie Boulard, Carla Neisen, Clara Joyeux, Coco Lindelauf, Mélissande Llorens Vigneres
Coach: Éric Escribano
Championships: 1990, 1993 (as Saint-Orens)
Ground: Stade Ernest-Argelès

Like ASM and Bobigny, Blagnac, near Toulouse, has a storied past. As Saint-Orens, they lifted the French championship in 1990 and 1993, and reached the final in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997, and 2002.

Following a merger with Blagnac Sporting Club rugby in 2013, the club — which has produced players of the calibre of Laure Bourdon Sansus, Audrey Forlani, Marjorie Mayans, Nathalie Amiel, Laure Touyé, Gaëlle Hermet and Manon André — reached consecutive finals again in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Blagnac, a club without the resources of Montpellier, Toulouse or Grenoble but who still supplied four players to the France Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 squad, opened their push for the 2025/26 Elite 1 title with a hard-fought 20-27 win on the road at Toulon, following up with a 28-18 victory at home against Bobigny.

FC Grenoble Amazones
Key players: Manae Feleu, Lea Champon, Elissa Riffonneau, Taina Maka, Teani Feleu
Coaches: Leo Brissaud, Jean-Noel Perrin
Ground: Parc Des Sports Lesdiguieres

New president, new board of directors, new season, new hope for Grenoble, following a period towards the end of last season when players turned out in pink kits as they sought “answers regarding the future of the club” amid finance concerns, according to local news outlet Ici Isère.

Fears of an exodus of key players — Grenoble supplies several French internationals — proved unfounded, however, as the likes of Bleues’ captain Manae Feleu, sister Teani, and backrow Lea Champon decided to stay. In the end, Alexandra Chambon and Ambre Mwayembe were the major departures.

But shorn of their World Cup players, who are taking a break after the tournament, Grenoble kicked off their campaign with a 12-22 loss at home to Montpellier, before getting into gear with a 22-18 derby win over Lyon.

Lyon
Key players: Séraphine Okemba, Marie Morland, Chloé Jacquet, Aura Muzzo, Alissa Ranuccini, Noelia Pauls Guash
Coaches: Jean-Matthieu Alcalde
Ground: Plaine des Jeux de Gerland / Stade Gerland

Four names for rugby posterity in Lyon: Corinne Grégoire, Carine Rudigoz, Carole Philippe and Charline Picaud. In 2008, they convinced the Lyon Olympique Universitaire (LOU) Rugby association, of which the men’s Top 14 side is a part, to set up a women’s section. The rest, via a Federale 1 title in 2013, and an Elite 2 crown in 2019, is history.

Or almost. Three years ago, LOU launched a project to develop its women’s rugby programme. This year, French insurance giant Matmut has become sponsor of the women’s section as well as the men’s squads.

The ambition is clear. Lyon aren’t content with being Elite 1 stalwarts, they want to challenge for the top four, the play-off places. A title by 2028 is the goal. That’s how fast Lyon want to move in the women’s game – and they kicked off this season with a 12-12 draw at home to Bobigny, but lost their second outing at Grenoble.

Montpellier
Key players: Rose Bernadou, Giada Franco, Morgane Peyronnet, Caroline Boujard, Cyrielle Banet, Suliana Sivi, Nina Poletto, Emeline Gros
Coaches: Armand Mardon, Cyril Bouladou, Alex Tulou, Jean-Baptiste Chariot
Championships: 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019
Ground: Stade Sabathé

The Ménager era at Montpellier is as good as over. Marine retired after the Women’s Rugby World Cup third-place play-off defeat to New Zealand, while Romane has said she plans to focus on sevens on her hoped-for return from a six-month brain injury break.

But the second most successful team in domestic history in France, behind Toulouse, and the most successful in the 21st century doesn’t plan on living in the past. An opening day 12-29 win on the road at Grenoble – with a squad featuring seven of their 12 summer recruits – only serves to reinforce the point. They then beat Toulon at home 34-7 to go two from two early in the season.

Montpellier’s last appearance in the French championship final was their last victory in 2019. They will want to right what they see as an overlong wrong this year.

Rugby Club Toulon Provence Méditerranée
Key players: Clémence Rypen, Ashlynn Smith, Beatrice Veronese, Sofia Stefan, Chloé Vial, Lucie Filitika, Chloe Rollie
Coach: Stéphane Beyt-Gamonet
Ground: Stade Guy-Môquet

The merger of several women’s clubs led to the formation of Rugby Club Toulon Provence Méditerranée (RCTPM) in 2022. Three years later, after two consecutive Elite 2 final defeats the club beat La Rochelle to win promotion to the French top flight at the end of last season.

The club promptly recruited veteran Scottish international Chloe Rollie, and Italians Sofia Stefan and Beatrice Veronese for their first campaign at the highest level.

And they proved that they expect better than merely making up Elite 1 numbers this season by putting up a serious fight in their opening match — at Stade Mayol — against French women’s rugby royalty Blagnac, eventually losing 20-27, but picking up a deserved bonus point late on via the boot of Loanne Dubuche.

But they were brought back down to earth when they lost 34-7 at Montpellier in their second match in the top-flight.

Stade Bordelais
Key players: Justine Pelletier, Hina Ikahehegi, Emma Coudert, Carla Arbez, Agathe Gerin, Madoussou Fall Raclot, Nassira Konde, Joanna Grisez, Annaelle Deshay, Morgane Bourgeois, Makarita Baleinadogo, Cissokho Khoudedia
Coaches: François Ratier, Fabrice Nivard, Rose Thomas, Alexandre Pilati
Championships: 2023, 2024, 2025
Ground: Stade Sainte-Germaine

Change can come quickly in French rugby. Prop Assia Khalfaoui left Bordeaux with a third consecutive French championship winners’ medal in her bag at the end of last season to team up with fellow international Yllana Brosseau at ASM Romagnat.

In her six years at the Gironde club, Khalfaoui told regional newspaper Sud Ouest recently, she “experienced everything”, from “80-0 defeats every weekend” to back-to-back-to-back titles, beating Blagnac, ASM Romagnat and Stade Toulousain in successive finals.

Head coach François Ratier signed a contract extension at the end of last season, but a sizeable turnover of experienced players in the summer, including the departures of Khalfaoui and Brosseau, the retirement of US second row Alycia Washington, and sporting breaks for Fabiola Forteza, scrum-half Margaux Ducès, and second row Manon Durand have left him short of leadership. That has showed early on as they lost their opening two matches — against Toulouse and Romagnat.

The expected arrival of Axelle Berthoumieu, meanwhile, is on hold as she serves a lengthy ban for biting Ireland’s Aoife Wafer during the Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final. But the champions hope Italian second row Sara Tounesi, prop Alessia Pilani, and Canadian recruit Taylor Price will compensate for those departures.

Stade Toulousain
Key players: Pauline Bourdon Sansus, Charlotte Escudero, Lina Queyroi, Kelly Arbey, Ian Jason, Amalia Argudo, Amalia Bazola, Ambre Mwayembe
Coaches: Olivier Marin, Laure Bourdon Sansus, Céline Ferer
Championships: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985 (all as Toulouse Fémina Sports), 2022
Ground: Stade Ernest Wallon / Stade Gammas

In its current guise, Stade Toulousain was founded in 2014 — but predecessor club Toulouse Fémina Sports was the most decorated side in French rugby history, winning nine titles between 1975 and 1985 before it was absorbed by Avenir Fonsorbais, which later merged with Stade Toulousain.

Two tries for ex-France captain Gaelle Hermet guided Toulouse to a 29-19 win over Stade Bordelais at Stade Ernest Wallon on the opening weekend of the Elite 1 season on October 12, in a match broadcast on French pay-TV channel Canal Plus. And they doubled down with a 58-3 home win over Lille second time out, with a squad featuring several of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 stars.

Coach Olivier Marin will, no doubt, see that as a promising start, as he awaits the return of several of his internationals, several of whom have taken a well-earned post-World Cup break.

Stade Villeneuvois Lille Metropole
Key players: Justine Paris, Lea Collet, July Bernard, Victoria Wilson, Alizee Delhaye
Coaches: Louis Mitchelle, Antoine Ruel, Paul Auclert,
Championships: 2016
Ground: Stade Emmanuel-Thery / Stadium Lille Metropole

Founded in 1993, as a new section of Villeneuve-d’Ascq club, the women’s rugby section is today the most successful and biggest driver of the wider rugby organisation in the northern city.

But they’re going through a tough run. They avoided the drop to Elite 2 last season by the width of a losing bonus point – courtesy of a late Lucile Contal penalty – against the side they condemned to relegation, Rennes, on the final day of last season.

So the club that has given France the Ménager twins, Yanna Rivoalen, and Laura Di Muzio survived to play another campaign in the French top flight.

But the one-time champions and three-time finalists – who faced Montpellier in four showpiece matches between 2013 and 2017 – got off to a difficult start this season, losing 49-7 on the opening weekend, then shipping 58 points and scoring just three at Toulouse second time out.

They host stumbling Stade Bordelais next, before hitting the road back to south-west France and Blagnac. Then, they face Montpellier at home. It’s, quite possibly, the toughest start imaginable.