LThis match will be a landmark. Never has a women’s rugby match brought together so many spectators in France. And history will remember, at least for some time, that it was played in Bordeaux, in a sometimes incandescent Chaban-Delmas stadium, the stands often covered with thousands of blue-white-red flags. For this “final” of the Six Nations Tournament for women in Gironde, this Saturday, April 27, there were exactly 28,023. Despite a one-sided game and a logical defeat (21-42), the family audience welcomed is shown to be implacable, giving voice for two hours.
On this rainy Saturday, the Marseillaise resumed in unison, the jets of flames at the edge of the pitch and a miraculously returning sun quickly warmed hearts before kick-off. Add to that a few beers and the tension of a Crunch as we like them, and the atmosphere clearly has no reason to be ashamed of the comparison with that of a gala match of the Union Bordeaux-Bègles in Top 14. To the south, a banda set the tone. The great standards of the oval, “Peña Baiona” in the lead, continued non-stop. Around the corner, Damien came with his wife and child, “the opportunity to bring the kid back” and to hallucinate “the power of the English forwards”. Caught in the game, the forty-year-old did not even glance at his cell phone to inquire about the UBB score. That says it all.
“It hits hard”
If very quickly, the stadium understood that the exploit of the Bleues, defeated twelve times in a row against the “rosbifes”, was going to be difficult or even impossible, it remained united. And even noisy with one, two, three or four – we don’t really know anymore – additional Marseillaises intoned in the enclosure. In the second period, especially, the blue waves may have crashed inexorably against this damn white wall, but the clamors and songs never subsided. And when Marine Ménager flattened the attempt of a timid and foolish hope (70e), the force of the hurray undoubtedly woke up one or two people sleeping in the Mériadeck library.
The Chaban-Delmas stadium was often covered with tricolor flags throughout the match.
Fabien Cottereau/SO
For this major international match, an entire region gathered in Bordeaux, which has become the capital of women’s ovals. The Lot-et-Garonnais Christophe, 43, notably transported his daughters from the Entente Layrac-Caudecoste. “A few years ago, we had one or two girls per group,” explains the trainer of an U12 team. This season we have eleven. This must continue for our sport in general, for girls obviously. And then, in the game, we can clearly see the evolution of women’s rugby. It’s hitting hard now! It’s much faster, much more violent in the impacts. It’s reminiscent of rugby from the old days, more technical and flowing. In fact, it’s clean rugby! »
Fabien Cottereau/SO
Among the more than 28,000 spectators, a few hundred English supporters made the trip this Saturday.
A little further on, Tessa and Agathe say nothing else. Players in Périgueux-Trélissac, the girls in their twenties, who came to encourage the Bleues, hope that this rugby that they love, “more technical”, will continue to attract people. “It took quite a few years for this craze to take hold but there is still a long way to go, we must continue! » urges Agathe, front line in Dordogne. A few minutes later, while mass is said for the French women’s XV, Pessacais Fabien, just 50 years old, holding a child in each hand, does not give up: “We will come back to see them. And there will be more than 30,000 of us! »
