The French women's rugby team failed to win the bronze medal this Saturday at Twickenham. Beaten by New Zealand (42-26) in the third-place match, Gaëlle Mignot and David Ortiz's players left the 2025 World Cup without a medal, three years after their podium finish at the previous edition. Despite a burst of pride at the end of the match, Les Bleues were overwhelmed in intensity and speed by the vengeful Black Ferns, the reigning world champions who were eliminated in the semi-finals by Canada.
A failed start and a lack of efficiency
Facing a New Zealand team that was still as explosive in its movement game, the French quickly came under pressure. From the opening minutes, the Black Ferns imposed a frenetic pace, alternating between quick play and passing after contact, true to their attacking DNA.
Les Bleues did have a few opportunities in the first quarter of an hour, thanks in part to the work of their pack. But as is often the case in this tournament, a lack of realism in the scoring zones proved costly. A series of blunders and a sometimes overly passive defense allowed the New Zealanders to extend their lead by halftime (26-7).
A late awakening
Despite the magnitude of the score, the French women didn't give up. At the end of the match, they showed a much more enterprising face, free from the pressure of the result. Three tries scored in the last quarter of an hour helped reduce the deficit and give a more positive note to this one-sided encounter that lasted nearly an hour.
But the reaction came too late to hope to overthrow a much sharper and more clinical New Zealand team. The Black Ferns, two-time defending champions (2017 and 2021), therefore leave with bronze, a consolation prize after a surprise elimination in the semi-final against Canada (34-19).
A frustrating end to the tournament
This fourth-place finish marks a regression for Les Bleues, who finished third at the last World Cup in 2022 in New Zealand. The run had started well, however: two convincing victories in the group stage (notably against Australia) and a controlled quarter-final against Wales. But the heartbreaking semi-final defeat against England (35-17), after a battle of rare intensity, seems to have left its mark mentally and physically.
Four years before the next World Cup, France will have to continue its progress in consistency and management of major events...
What is the main fact?
The French women's rugby team failed to win the bronze medal this Saturday at Twickenham. Beaten by New Zealand (42-26) in
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