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Who are the surprise inclusions in France squad for 2025 World Cup?
Sevens star Carla Neisen and last-minute call-up Makarita Baleinadogo were the surprise inclusions in France’s 32-player squad for Rugby World Cup 2025, announced by coaches Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz on Saturday.
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Neisen, an Olympic silver medallist in Tokyo, and captain of Les Bleues squad at the Paris Games last year, was last involved in a Rugby World Cup in Ireland in 2017, and was part of France’s Women’s Six Nations’ Grand Slam-winning side the following year, but has limited her 15-a-side activity in recent years to her club side, Blagnac, when she has not been on the HSBC SVNS circuit.
A few weeks ago, the 21-cap centre told Midi Olympique: “It’s a very special feeling to be back. I wasn’t expecting it. When David Ortiz called me to tell me that I might be in the extended squad, I thought it must be some kind of waiting list. I didn’t think I would necessarily be among the 38 selected for the preparation [squad].”
Hooker Laure Touyé, prop Clara Joyeux, experienced flanker Émeline Gros, scrum-half Océane Bordes, fullback – and, like Neisen, a France sevens regular – Lili Dezou, and winger Mélissande Llorens Vignières were the players who had travelled to a high-altitude training camp in Tignes in July to miss out, as the extended squad was cut to 32 for the tournament in England; while backrow Romane Ménager made herself unavailable for selection in May to recover from concussion.
Another notable absentee is loosehead prop Ambre Mwayembe. The former Grenoble player, who joined Toulouse at the end of the season, suffered a broken ankle in training on Thursday, two days before the squad was announced.
In her place, Mignot and Ortiz have called up uncapped 23-year-old Baleinadogo, daughter of former Fiji centre Daniele Baleinadogo, and one of 11 players from French champions Stade Bordelais in the squad. She was not in the original 38-player squad.
Baleinadogo’s Stade Bordelais’ team-mate Khoudedia Cissokho and Lyon’s teenage backrow Marie Morland are the other two uncapped players in a squad that features the backbone of the team that finished second in this year’s Women’s Six Nations, after losing a thrilling Grand Slam decider against England at Twickenham 43-42.
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Hookers Manon Bigot and Agathe Gérin are the only players aged over 30 in the squad.
Co-captains Manae Feleu and Marine Ménager will lead the team in England, while the Pauline Bourdon Sansus – Carla Arbez halfback partnership will be reformed, once the scrum-half has served her two-match suspension for comments about refereeing standards in the domestic Elite 1 competition at the end of May.
She will miss the warm-up match against England in Mont-de-Marsan on Saturday 9th August, and France’s opening Rugby World Cup match against Italy in Exeter on Saturday 23rd August.
Alexandra Chambon – the only other specialist scrum-half in the squad – will start those games.
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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
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