By Priscilla Jepchumba

Manaé Feleu has made significant progress, both symbolically and physically, in recent years.

She is determined to secure France a place in the history books by winning the Rugby World Cup – a feat no French player, regardless of gender, has ever achieved before.

In eight of nine women’s final tournaments, Les Bleues experienced disappointment and failed in the semifinals.

Although they won a seventh bronze medal at the last Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2022, they are aiming for a better result at the upcoming championship.

France’s victory over the Black Ferns in New Zealand last year and their strong performance in the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations have boosted Feleu’s confidence in their prospects as they prepare for England 2025 and try to finally lift the Rugby World Cup title.

“I think we are in a good position,” she said. “We still have a lot of work to do. We have another year to improve our rugby and the team,” Feleu explained.

“So the goal is to win the World Cup. I think all the girls on the team are ready to get to work this year to be able to do our best and play our best rugby at the World Cup next year.”

In April 2023, Feleu played for the French team in a heartbreaking loss to England in the Six Nations tournament at Twickenham in front of 58,498 spectators.

At the time, a new world record was set for the highest number of spectators at a women’s rugby event.

However, the attendance record was broken at the Olympic sevens tournament in Paris last month.

The prospect of competing in front of an even larger crowd at the 2025 Women’s RWC finals inspires Feleu.

“I’m just so excited,” she says. “I was at the Twickenham game where there were 58,000 people and it was incredible.”

“Just knowing that we might be playing in front of even more people is really exciting. And I can’t wait to see even more people excited about women’s rugby.”

The upcoming second edition of WXV is just around the corner and Feleu will soon celebrate her first anniversary as captain of France.

Feleu made her Test debut as a substitute against England in 2020, but did not become a permanent fixture in the team’s second row until the 2023 Six Nations, making just nine appearances and four starts before coaches Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz put their faith in her.

The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup begins one year from today with an opening match at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland.

France hopes its calm captain can lead the team to unprecedented success next year, including a long-awaited Women’s Rugby World Cup title.