Canada Column: Laetitia Royer on 'freedom to be yourself' in the team

Laetitia Royer is a second-row for Canada (34 years old, 14 caps) and shares her insights on what makes the world’s second-ranked team so strong.

Once again this year, I won’t be on the pitch with my club, ASM Romagnat, for the Élite 1 playoffs in France. And yeah, that stings a little. Last season, a neck injury kept me out of both the semi and the final. This time, I’m away on tour with Rugby Canada. It’s a big year, an important one, and I had to make a call: put the national program first.

Even from afar, I’m with the girls. I put together a short video for them ahead of the semi. The coaches asked me to send a few words of encouragement — of course, I spoke from the heart.

This spring also marks the end of a chapter. I’m wrapping up my time in France and getting ready to join a club in England. It all came together pretty quickly, I admit. I’ve had some incredible years with Romagnat — I’ve grown as a player and as a person — and I’m grateful for that. The club’s been nothing but respectful and supportive. Now it’s time to turn the page, step into a new league, and find my footing all over again.

💛Direction les demi-finales pour nos deux équipes ??? ????? ???????@Elite1Feminine Dim 25 mai à 14h30 au Stade Sainte-Germaine, Le Bouscat (33) 🆚 Bordeaux

Réserve : Stade Michel-Brun de Romagnat ce samedi 24 mai à 16h 🆚 Blagnac

👉 https://t.co/bzrMr2LjA0 pic.twitter.com/JwAYQnfJtf

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

— ASM Rugby (@ASMOfficiel) May 21, 2025

2025 really feels like a turning point for me. There’s a lot happening — things that, I think, will shape what comes next. Is the path I’ve chosen the right one? Do I need to adjust it? Like in any cycle, there’s a phase of learning, growth, and reflection, and I get the feeling this year will help me take stock of all that.

That said, every year matters. It’s not that 2025 is more important — it’s part of the progression. I’m moving forward, building step by step. The goal is to collect tools, to build a foundation that helps me on the field… and off it too. This goes beyond rugby. It’s not just about performance — it’s a mission, in a way. Personal, collective, and human.

The Pacific Four Series tour is going well. The trip from New Zealand to Australia was a bit long, but we handled it — some rest, some video review, we eased the brain back into gear before pushing the body again. Once we were back in rhythm, we had a big training day: technical drills in the morning, a bit of contact in the afternoon. Then a rest day, followed by our Captain’s Run, and then it was game time against Australia.

Steppin’ into week 3 of PAC 4 like… 😎#RugbyCA | #OneSquad | #MWRWC | #PacificFourSeries | @nfpca pic.twitter.com/IZUokdhydj

— Rugby Canada (@RugbyCanada) May 20, 2025

The turnaround between matches is short, but we’re well prepared. At this stage, it’s all about the details. We’re sharpening the axe. We’re focused, but we’re not putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves either. Managing fatigue, intensity — that’s part of the process. It’s exactly what we’ll face at the World Cup, so in many ways, this is like a dress rehearsal.

We enjoy ourselves so much. We really do love being around each other. These past few days, we’ve been making the most of our time together — spending as much of it as we can as a group. We know there’s a long break coming up after this, so we’re soaking it all in.

Yes, the bodies are tired, and of course, that plays on the mind a little. But even with the fatigue, we’re here, we’re together, and we’re fully aware of how lucky we are. We’re in Australia, the sun’s out, it’s beautiful — and we’re taking the time to appreciate it.

Before the tour, during the Six Nations break, I went back home. The French league was on pause, so I took the opportunity to return to Canada. I’d been living in France for five years, and long-distance with my partner had started to take a toll. He’s always been incredibly supportive, but I needed to be with him — physically, mentally, emotionally. Just to be present.

I flew back in early March. Took some time for myself, for my loved ones, to recharge. Two weeks with barely any rugby, a lot of nature, peace, simple things. It really helped. I needed that, and it did me a lot of good.

This tour is a big one. I’d even say it’s essential, especially with the World Cup on the horizon. We’ll be away for seven, maybe eight weeks. And honestly, you don’t fully grasp the weight of a tour until you’ve been through a full one.

Once you have, though, you gain a real awareness — of yourself, but also of the group. You learn to take stock: where are we, as a team, in terms of energy? And me, personally — how am I feeling? Do I need to take a bit of space to reset? Or am I in a place where I can give back to the group, bring some positive energy?

Those adjustments are constant. On a long tour, you go through all kinds of phases — some really positive, others more challenging. You have to learn how to navigate through it all. And for that, you start building tools, personal strategies. There’s a lot of sharing between us too. Some will suggest going for a walk, taking some quiet time… We talk about what helps, what restores energy. Sometimes it’s emotional, sometimes mental, sometimes social.

There’s also a real sense of empathy that we learn to develop. Everyone experiences things differently, and you need to stay aware of that. When you feel that a teammate has had a tough day — or when you’re the one going through a rough patch — you know others are picking up on it. This group is really attentive. There’s a kind of balance that forms naturally. That’s what makes us strong.

We know each other well. Even the quieter ones, you can tell when something’s off. And often, you realize you’re not the only one having a dip. There’s a genuine collective awareness.

I had a tough day recently. Took a stud to the head at training, blood everywhere — ended up needing stitches. Nothing serious, but I was already on edge. I was overwhelmed, and honestly, I cried. In another context, I probably would’ve kept it all in. But here, I know I can let it show.

In this group, there’s no need to pretend. No one expects you to be strong all the time. We know why we’re here, we’re chasing the same goal. And that collective mindset includes everyone — players, coaches, staff. If something’s not right, you can say it. You’re allowed to show it. And you know someone will be there to help you through it, whether it’s today or tomorrow.

That’s the real strength of this team: the freedom to be yourself — with your strengths, and with your struggles.

This tour couldn’t have come at a better time, in every sense. We need tough matches — games that push us and let us test our character. To see where we stand as a team, but also individually. It’s also a chance to test our confidence. To say, yes, we’ve become the team to beat. We need to establish that, to make it clear where we stand.

We still get looked down on sometimes, from the outside. But even so, we stay humble. That’s part of who we are, part of our values. It matters to us. At the same time, we want to stay strong in what we believe in. We’re doing this for us — not to prove anything to anyone else. It’s about confirming that the process we’ve committed to is working. And when we look at what’s starting to come out of it, we know we’re on the right track.

Fixture

Pacific Four Series

New Zealand Women

27 - 27

Full-time

Canada Women

All Stats and Data

That draw against New Zealand was a milestone. An important one — a kind of reassurance. Compared to last year, we could already feel we’d made progress. From the very first minutes, it showed — in the way we operated, in our level of commitment. It should’ve been a win. The score doesn’t reflect what we put into that match or what we showed. But when you look at the performance itself, it’s clear. You can feel it, you can see it.

They scored first, but throughout the game, we stayed composed. There was calm, control. And there was also a lot of positive energy between us. When you play top teams, that’s when things become clear. It’s in those moments that you truly see the strength of the group. And what we saw in that match confirmed that we’re genuinely strong together.

Fixture

Pacific Four Series

Australia Women

7 - 45

Full-time

Canada Women

All Stats and Data

I couldn’t say exactly when the team really started to shift, but since Kevin (Rouet, our head coach) came into the cycle, we’ve seen real progress. His approach, his vision — if we manage to fully take that on board, we become hard to read, hard to disrupt. We’re capable of adapting to so many different styles of play.

We saw it again against England at the first WXV. On the board, they won. But honestly, that match could’ve gone either way. And I think they felt it — that it wasn’t as comfortable as it might’ve looked.

Moments like that remind you that what you’re building actually works. That you’re on the right path. And that you want to keep pushing all the way.