Frédéric Benazech, former confirmed first division player (Narbonne, Agen, Grenoble…), is on the other side of the spotlight this evening. Indeed, if he is in Poitiers for the Miss France 2025 ceremony, it is to support his daughter, Jade, who is participating in the supreme title as Miss Languedoc.
So who is more stressed today, your daughter Jade or you, the dad?
It’s us! (he laughs) We parents are much more stressed than our daughter. We spoke to her on the phone and she is relaxed and serene. It’s nice!
Are you there in Poitiers?
Yes, we touched on what that represented last night (Friday)going to rehearsals. They record the regional costume parade in advance because it’s too difficult to do live. As parents, we were invited and we were able to really feel and be fully involved in this adventure.
Did many of you go to support her?
Right away, we are next to Poitiers Cathedral, there are 25 of us, as a family. We got in the van from our respective regions, Toulouse for the in-laws, and Bédarieux. My wife and I left Thursday morning but we all met up in Poitiers. And now we are looking forward to tonight’s party!
If you have more stress than your daughter, maybe she is prepared for it? How does she experience these last moments before the big moment?
We worry because we don’t experience the thing. In fact, when we spoke to her on the phone, she told us: “But we are prepared, we train every day for this, and frankly I have no particular apprehensions.” For my part, I think of the full room, of the nine million people in front of their TV… But I try not to share my stress. I admire her, she is only 19 years old and started the adventure at just 18 years old. Obviously, Jade will not be the most mature of all and we were worried about that. She doesn’t have the same interests, not the same culture as other 24 or 25 year old girls, that’s normal. But it’s slipping, I think that the new generations no longer have this apprehension.
Is this something that transpires in his daily life?
To draw a parallel with the matches, my daughter plays handball, at a nice level, in Nationale 2. Well it’s the same: even before a big match, we talk about it a little the day before, she thinks about it, there has a bit of stress and pressure, but on the day of the event it slides. An oilcloth (he laughs)! It’s crazy.
We say more or less the same thing about emerging young talents. You, who played for many years in the elite, do you find a similarity there?
It’s real, they were raised on it. In Rugby yes, because there is the training center, they evolve little by little, with the selections, the courses in Marcoussis, etc… Despite everything, it is generational. Before playing a match, we played the match in our heads thirty times, we had all this stress and anxiety about the event. When you play in front of 15 or 20 thousand people, it’s still impressive. These young people, it seems like they are used to that. If she’s wrong, it doesn’t matter, nothing matters. It’s a philosophy of life that I love. So she is comfortable.
Is she aiming to win, having gone this far, or on the contrary will she be satisfied in any case?
She is indeed, and we are too, proud of the magnificent journey she has accomplished. Because it’s work. We saw it last night, we feel that behind it, it’s a lot of work and pressure. At first, she did this a bit out of personal revenge, compared to her younger past where she was a bit bothered (she admitted to having been the victim of teenage harassment, Editor’s note).
And recently, what has been his state of mind?
She had a downturn two weeks ago, when she returned from Ivory Coast. “It’s annoying me, it’s long…” And now she’s been at it for a week! Whatever happens is fine. This morning she messaged me to say she had received the themes for the five finalists. And that she was going to revise, “you never know”. She believed in her chances. Between fatigue, rehearsals, it all depends on the mood of the moment I guess.
Is this adventure so engaging?
Yes, it’s still a month in isolation, we can no longer see her. Yesterday, I didn’t see her, at least on stage, we saw her from afar but we couldn’t greet her. She’s only 19, it’s been a month since she left home. She studies in Toulouse, is not at home all the time. She emancipates herself but it’s funny! She took on a human dimension, in a month, she changed, asserted herself, doesn’t speak the same way, is more sure of herself… There has been a real change. It’s a great adventure for her!
After your playing career, did you keep one foot in rugby?
I still follow rugby, only through the Rugby French Flair association, which does humanitarian work with rugby abroad. We are with Yann Delaigue, Emile Ntamack, Franck Comba… Of course, I always like to go see a few matches and reconnect over a beer!
And Bédarieux in all this?
My father, who was president for many years, is still a manager and my nephew plays there. Among my in-laws, my nephew plays in the Paris region. It’s not me directly but it still continues (he smiles).
