It’s North 2, South 2 as French Top 8 kicks off

The north lines up against the south

With post-World Cup retirements and inter-club movements, the new French women’s championship was always going to be unpredictable – but the introduction of a whole new structure for “elite” club rugby this will make this a season to watch.

The Championship began on Sunday with a whole new look. Instead of an elite game consisting of a “Top 10” senior division and a ten-team “Armelle Auclair” second division, we now have a “Top 8” ahead of a two-pool 15-team “Armelle Auclair”.

As a result, on paper, the number of “elite” clubs in France has grown from 20 to 23. However, in long run the reform is most likely to lead to a concentration of leading players into just eight clubs (instead of ten) which, the FFR hopes, will increase competition for places in teams, improve the quality of play in the top division, and also – as there will be fewer games – allow for more weekends where squad players can be released for national duty.

It may take a while before everything settles down and we see if the plan has worked. A clutch of retirements following the World Cup has changed the appearance of many teams, giving younger players getting a first chance to play at the top level - with mixed results.

In addition French regulations effectively restrict the number of player transfers each season, though there have been some moves, most notably that of Christelle Chobet from Lons (who were relegated last season) to Perpignan, and Caroline Ladagnous also from Lons to Parisian team Bobigny, runners-up last season.

Ladagnous joins a squad that includes six current internationals, including captain Marion Lièvre, Coumba Diallo, Assa Koita, Pauline Biscarat, Lucille Godiveau and Lisa Guerin, It was a team that proved too strong for La Valette, Bobigny coming away from their visit to 1700 km round-trip with a 27-10 win.

Also winning on the road were 2012/13 runners-up Lille, who returned from a 2000 km return jouney to Perpignan with a tight 18-12 win. With four current internationals in their team -Hélène Ezanno, Shanon Izar, Yanna Rivoalen and Laura Di Muzio - Lille will also confident about reaching the play-offs this season.

Opponents Perpignan missed out on the semi-finals for the first time in nearly a decade last season, and the rebuilding has continued with a number of new faces joing established stars such as captainMyriam Loyez, Christelle Chobet,Christelle Le Duff, Elodie Guiglion, Julie Billes and Wendy Divoux. The attactions of a club with a tradition of successhas attracted new players not only from Frace by also Spain, Sweden and Georgia, and the Catalans more than matched the visitors throughout the game but failed to convert enough opportunities into points, leaving them chasing the game. Thegame was marred by an off-the-ball incident involvingthe Perpignan captain and one of the Lille flankers, andfinally turned in the last few minites when a penalty to Perpignan was overturned following backchat to the referee, allowing Lille to extend their lead from narrow three to a decisive six points.

Despite the reverse Perpignan are determined to return to the top, with the game also acting as a debut for a new coaching team lead by former Perpignan and Romania international Marius Tincu as the new head coach. Their thirty-player first team squad are also being paid for the first time (€200 to€300 per month), with free access to local gym and training facilities.

Rennes were also faced with a long trip south to champions Montpellier, but with less success. Following the retirement of Sandrine Agricole, Rennes leading players this season are Lenaig Corson and Marie-Charlotte Hebel and they put in an brave performance against a Montpellier team that can call on players such as Koumiba Djossouvi, Élodie Portaries, Safi N'diaye, Aurélie Baillon, Gaëlle Mignot, Aurélie Vernhet and Jennifer Troncy. Against the near Who's Who of French women's rugby Rennes defended well and it took a moment of genius from Poublan to finally break the deadlock with a try in the 30th minute. A second try came in the 55th minute thanks to the Montpellier pack, Portaries touching down, but that was the all Montpellier managed to get past the Rennes defence. In the end, though they failed to score, to come away from Montpellier with only a 10-0 defeat bodes well for the team from Brittany.

The largest score of the day (and the only bonus point win) came in Blagnac where Blagnac St Orens (BSORF) entertained Caen - and gave the Normans their biggest-ever defeat. In addition to two of the stars of the World Cup, Manon André and Marjorie Mayans, BSORF have recruited a number of promising young players and - after the opening exchanges when Caen took a brief three point lead - they simply overpowered the visitors.

Caen were even, perhaps, fortunate to only lose by 52-24 as BSORF were awarded three yellow cards during the game, which slowed down the BSORF charge a little and allowed Sandra Rabier's team to score their three tries, thus making the final score nothing like as bad as it might have been. Coach Stephanie Provost looked hard for positives at the end, pointing out that her team had lost a number players through retirement and that the young replacements had a lot to learn. Even so, for a team with a proud record of three finals in the last ten years, this will certainly not have been the start they would have wanted, or expected.