Sevens star Carla Neisen and last-minute call-up Makarita Baleinadogo had been the shock inclusions in France’s 32-player squad for Rugby World Cup 2025, introduced by coaches Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz on Saturday.
Neisen, an Olympic silver medallist in Tokyo, and captain of Les Bleues squad on the Paris Video games final 12 months, was final concerned in a Rugby World Cup in Eire in 2017, and was a part of France’s Women’s Six Nations’ Grand Slam-winning aspect the next 12 months, however has restricted her 15-a-side exercise lately to her membership aspect, Blagnac, when she has not been on the HSBC SVNS circuit.
A number of weeks in the past, the 21-cap centre instructed Midi Olympique: “It’s a really particular feeling to be again. I wasn’t anticipating it. When David Ortiz known as me to inform me that I is likely to be within the prolonged squad, I assumed it have to be some form of ready record. I didn’t suppose I’d essentially be among the many 38 chosen for the preparation [squad].”
Hooker Laure Touyé, prop Clara Joyeux, skilled flanker Émeline Gros, scrum-half Océane Bordes, fullback – and, like Neisen, a France sevens common – Lili Dezou, and winger Mélissande Llorens Vignières had been the gamers who had travelled to a high-altitude coaching camp in Tignes in July to overlook out, because the prolonged squad was lower to 32 for the event in England; whereas backrow Romane Ménager made herself unavailable for choice in Could to get well from concussion.
One other notable absentee is loosehead prop Ambre Mwayembe. The previous Grenoble participant, who joined Toulouse on the finish of the season, suffered a damaged ankle in coaching on Thursday, two days earlier than the squad was introduced.
In her place, Mignot and Ortiz have known as up uncapped 23-year-old Baleinadogo, daughter of former Fiji centre Daniele Baleinadogo, and one in all 11 gamers from French champions Stade Bordelais within the squad. She was not within the authentic 38-player squad.
Baleinadogo’s Stade Bordelais’ team-mate Khoudedia Cissokho and Lyon’s teenage backrow Marie Morland are the opposite two uncapped gamers in a squad that options the spine of the workforce that completed second on this 12 months’s Women’s Six Nations, after shedding an exciting Grand Slam decider towards England at Twickenham 43-42.
Hookers Manon Bigot and Agathe Gérin are the one gamers aged over 30 within the squad.
Co-captains Manae Feleu and Marine Ménager will lead the workforce in England, whereas the Pauline Bourdon Sansus – Carla Arbez halfback partnership will likely be reformed, as soon as the scrum-half has served her two-match suspension for feedback about refereeing requirements within the home Elite 1 competitors on the finish of Could.
She is going to miss the warm-up match towards England in Mont-de-Marsan on Saturday ninth August, and France’s opening Rugby World Cup match towards Italy in Exeter on Saturday twenty third August.
Alexandra Chambon – the only other specialist scrum-half in the squad – will start those games.
France squad for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025
Forwards
Makarita Baleinadogo, Rose Bernadou, Axelle Berthoumieu, Manon Bigot, Yllana Brosseau, Léa Champon, Khoudedia Cissokho, Annaëlle Deshaye, Charlotte Escudero, Madoussou Fall Raclot, Manae Feleu, Téani Feleu, Agathe Gérin, Hina Ikahehegi, Assia Khalfaoui, Taïna Maka, Marie Morland, Séraphine Okemba, Elisa Riffonneau
Backs
Kelly Arbey, Carla Arbez, Emilie Boulard, Pauline Bourdon Sansus, Morgane Bourgeois, Alexandra Chambon, Joanna Grisez, Nassira Konde, Marine Ménager, Carla Neisen, Lina Queyroi, Lina Tuy, Gabrielle Vernier
