Zeeland-France: The little-known history of women’s rugby traced in the comic book ‘Combattantes’
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Cover of the comic book “Combattantes” by Isabelle Collombat.
Rugby – On November 12, the Women’s Rugby World Cup will end. While waiting for that final showdown, on Saturday, November 5, France Women’s XV (7:30 am CET) faces New Zealand in the semi-finals at Eden Park in Auckland.
If today we are no longer surprised to see women playing this sport born in 1823 in England, until the 1970s, players were playing illegally. in fightersa comic strip drawn by Sophie Buxom published last October by Actes Sud, Isabelle Collombat looks back at the long and turbulent history of this discipline.
Huffpost What is the genesis of your comic strip writing fighters ?
Isabelle Columbat : I am a journalist by training and today I am mainly an author of children’s literature. When my German editor—who thought rugby was a French sport—asked me to write a text about rugby, I told him I’d rather be particularly interested in the women who play the sport. At the time, I didn’t know France was such a great rugby country for women. During my research, I realized that there is a story that has never been told to the general public: the story of women’s rugby that intersects sport, feminism, and politics. I fell in love with the women who continued to practice it despite the obstacles to making it a discipline in which France excelled. With this book, I wanted to tell this story – that goes beyond sports – to curious teens and adults.
Specifically, how far does the history of women’s rugby transcend the sporting context?
What I discovered through the interest in women’s rugby was that in 1972, when women started playing rugby, they were banned. 50 years ago, until today, the Minister of State for Youth and Sports, Marceau Crespin, wrote a letter in which he pointed out that this sport is not reserved for women and that they do not have access to sports facilities. It’s totally incredible because the ’70s coincided with women’s liberation. Since then, the players have no choice: somehow they go underground and manage to practice. When we talk about confidentiality, it is not a matter of formula. Mayors would tell women who formed clubs that they could not lend them land, for example. Also, some referees no longer judge them for fear that they will not be able to advance in their careers. They will have to travel for miles to be able to play rugby, sometimes in the fields, without changing rooms. Today, it seems incredible.
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The comic strip “Combatantes” by Isabelle Collombat.
Was it rugby?
Yes. In football, for example, women were incorporated into the union in 1970, while in rugby, after the 1972 ban, there will be 10 years of hiding. It is the president of Violettes Bressanes, Henri Fléchon, who will help the women. He is a forgotten figure in the history of women’s rugby, but he will share in the recognition of the sport. In particular, he will try to impress Albert Ferras, president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), who does not want to hear about him at all. It would succeed in persuading him in 1982. Women’s rugby would not be integrated into the Football Association at that time, but this would be the end of illegality, which meant that they would be able, in particular, to have referees for matches.
How do you explain the exclusion of women and the delay in recognition?
Some of the pioneers told me that at first the men wanted to keep the sport to themselves. But there is also a woman’s body image. This sport gave them freedom: to have the bodies they wanted. You should know that in rugby, to have a good team, you have to be all sizes. There are those that run fast and are small, but also the stilts are much stronger. All these women together form a team of fighters. This is something some men have had a hard time accepting. What is interesting about women’s rugby is that it indicates the development of women in our society. I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s thinking we achieved a certain amount of equality, only to finally realize that we actually allowed equality only if we ” woman “ which remain in place, that is, feminine and maternal, for example. In rugby, women break the rules: If they don’t want to be feminine, they don’t have to. They’re muscular, they lash out, they roll in the mud, they fall down and they’re ready to not be what is expected of them. Finally, there was also an ulterior motive, which is that if we play rugby, it is because we are necessarily lesbians. In sports, homosexuality is often misunderstood when it shouldn’t be. As I mentioned, fortunately, throughout this story, the guys have been incredibly supportive, true allies who have really helped. When I argue with Claude Izurd, for example, of Team France, he’s someone who has never understood the exclusion of women.
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The comic strip “Combatantes” by Isabelle Collombat.
Did the players of champion teams like New Zealand or England have such difficulties?
Women everywhere have had to fight prejudice. In England, they will fight against the regulations that say rugby is a men’s sport. In New Zealand, although sport is part of everyday life, they also struggle. Claim “black” It was a struggle. They weren’t allowed to take the Black Ferns name until 1998, when it took Les Bleues a while to get the rooster on their jerseys. I think in all of these countries, women had to fight the same way. What really changed things was when rugby became an Olympic sport. For this to become so, there must be a masculine and a feminine practice. Suddenly, women’s rugby got interesting: if we wanted to be a rugby nation, we had to have a women’s team. Therefore, it is rugby racing that led the French Rugby Federation to sign professional contracts for female players in 2014. The French XV women signed their first contracts with the Football Federation from 2017. It is a very recent story to be done.
How is women’s rugby viewed today?
In France, rugby has a lot of prestige if it wins. When they lose, it’s even more complicated. They should always be the best on top. This explains why the fighting never ends. However, we see rugby gaining ground especially in the suburbs. It is a sport that gives girls self-confidence and responds to the need to assert themselves. Players also become models, role models for unafraid girls to follow. They are also examples for many women, not only for the juniors, because they are in the French national team on many fronts. Manae Feleu, for example, studies medicine while playing high-level sports. Others are caregivers. It’s incredible. And that’s also what’s interesting about women’s rugby. Even if they are going professional, these are the women who have it “double project” : They’re fun but they also have to prepare for the aftermath.
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The comic strip “Combatantes” by Isabelle Collombat.
Women’s rugby is now known in France with real champions facing New Zealand in the semi-finals this weekend. Are the differences persistent?
In reality. Today, we love women’s rugby because it’s what brings new licenses to the union. More and more girls are signing up. Media coverage is also fairly recent. That was only in 2012 France 4 I decided to broadcast a match. there, TF1 They decide to broadcast the matches because there is a package: If they want to get the rights to the 2023 World Cup, they have to take the girls too. There are also wage differences, at least twofold. But in the end, it is not at the level of money nor at the level of conditions that we feel the difference in, but at the level of supervision. Although Annick Hayraud is the XV manager in France, the coaches are still men because it has become prestigious to coach the team. In the eighties, when we wanted to punish a guy, we sent him to train girls. Now that it’s rewarding, there are no women.
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