Rugby: reduced workforce, opportunities for young players, recruitment… How do Elite 1 clubs manage the absences of their internationals?

It is a well-known and identified period for Top 14 supporters, which also impacts women’s rugby. The Elite 1, the top division of women’s rugby, will resume on Saturday, May 23, with a weekend of fake doubles, no international matches on the program but with many international players resting.

With the arrival of spring, Elite 1 also has to deal with these famous doubles, delicate periods characteristic of French rugby during which championships continue and clubs play without their international players, who are selected for international tournaments (Six Nations, Rugby Championship, Pacific Four Series…). This was particularly the case for the 10 Elite 1 teams during the 15th matchday, on the weekend of April 11-12, marking the entry of the France XV in the Six Nations Tournament.

This season, doubles have punctuated the entire championship since its kick-off in early October, while several international players were still resting after the World Cup, which ended on September 27 in England. This has daily consequences, in training and in matches.

For the clubs, the challenge is to learn to play without the absent players, in squads much smaller than Top 14 teams. “I don’t have 40 players under contract, we are an association, we don’t have players under contract at Bordeaux,” details Laurent Treille, one of the co-presidents of Stade Bordelais, a major supplier of national team players. “Today, I have six girls under federal contract, paid by the Federation, and the others are mostly students or working women,” he continues.

With fewer players available overall, it is more difficult to compensate for the weight of absences. “It’s complicated, our squads are not as extensive as in the clubs. When players leave, it’s difficult for the clubs, and it’s not easy for the girls who stay in the club either,” adds Safi N’Diaye, France TV consultant, former international player, and former manager of women’s rugby in Montpellier. “It’s a transition phase, the international window.” Especially when doubles turn into triples, with the schedules of the Six Nations and the Pacific Four Series overlapping.

These doubles have caused clubs to search for ways to manage them better. “We tried to anticipate this scenario in managing the squad when we, with my colleague Vincent Fargeas, set up our recruitment and succession plan. So we weren’t worried in terms of quantity,” explains Fabrice Ribeyrolles, coach of ASM Romagnat, which had five French and one Italian players called up for national duty. Laurent Treille also mentions a “consequent recruitment” last year in Bordeaux.

Tackling these challenges also presents an opportunity for individuals to shine, especially among the younger players. “Those with less playing time know it’s an important time in the season to expand the match sheet and get more playing time, showcasing the qualities of others who have not yet been seen in Elite,” details Fabrice Ribeyrolles, mentioning specific examples in Romagnat in recent weeks.

In conclusion, these doubles present a unique opportunity for clubs and players to navigate this special period in women’s rugby.