The draw for the 2025 Women’s World Cup has taken place and the France team knows its four opponents: Italy, South Africa and Brazil. A lenient draw for the Blues, who notably avoid the United States.
The French women are fixed. In a year’s time the 2025 World Cup will take place in England (August 22 – September 27), and the draw for the four groups took place this Thursday.
The Blues inherit Italy (8th team in the World Rugby rankings), South Africa (12th), and Brazil (42nd). Next step: October 22 with the revelation of the schedule of all meetings.
It’s rather a good draw for the Tricolores, who could have fallen on Ireland, or Australia, or even the United States. At the last 6 Nations Tournament where Romane Ménager’s teammates finished in 2nd place behind the untouchable English, the Blues largely beat the Italians (38-15) by scoring six tries.
A year to recover
In the other three groups, note that England, the host country, will face Australia, the United States and Samoa. While Canada will face the Welsh and the Black Ferns will play the Irish.
If the players of the Mignot-Ortiz duo finished the last Tournament in 2nd place behind England, they missed out on their WXV and left this young competition played in Canada by the back door with a sluggish victory and two corrections . Including the latest against New Zealand, quite worrying, which clearly showed that the Blues were no longer invited to the table of the three best nations in the world (England, Canada and the Black Ferns).
To respond to the wish of co-selector Gaëlle Mignot a few weeks ago: “Last year, we were still in a development phase. This year, we are really here to perform,” the French now have a year to raise their level of play, regain the top positions and gain momentum for the big English match.
The next Tournament will be particularly anticipated, even if we remember: in European women’s rugby, there is England, the France team and the others. The mission of the Bleues will therefore be to try to make up for the deficit accumulated against the formidable Red Roses.
The complete draw
Pool A:
England, Australia, USA, Samoa
Pool B:
Canada, Wales, Scotland, Fiji
Pool C:
New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Spain
Pool D :
France, Italy, South Africa, Brazil
France
