In May 2023, the town of Capbreton also welcomed the French women’s 7 development team for a training camp. The aim was to identify and give as much experience as possible to the gems of tomorrow’s women’s rugby (7-a-side and 15-a-side). They were able to offer themselves as a great opposition to the Canadian National Rugby 7s team who came to prepare the tournament of the French stage of the World Rugby Sevens at the Stade Ernest-Wallon in Toulouse. It is no coincidence that the Canadian team was awarded the prize for its fair play, which rewards the values of rugby: integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect.

What is the objective of the training course?

Justine Pelletier (Member of the Canadian 7s and XVs teams): To train, to be in a team, to be in a bubble, a bit of competition before the last stage of the HSBC tournaments in Toulouse next week. It’s a time for us to get back together as a team, to have some quality training and to be in a French environment that will be the same as next week.

Romain Huet (France 7 women’s development coach): Several objectives and an opportunity which was to make a common training course with Canada which prepares the World Series in Toulouse and which is part of the best teams of the world. And to be able to confront our best hopes, our best young people who are in our development team, but also to complete with a lot of under 18 years old. To come and play against a world-class team.

What about the equipment and facilities?

Justine Pelletier: Yes, it’s a beautiful centre. The quality of the pitch is important for us. I think that’s the biggest point. The first thing I noticed when I arrived here was that it’s quite big. The weight room is new. I think the welcome we got here was good and you feel that you are the priority. What we want to achieve. We have all the tools to do it. It’s cool, the availability to reach our goal, we feel at home.

Romain Huet: And immediately surprised by the beauty of the landscape, the setting and obviously the infrastructure with the ground which is already our work tool and which is of an incredible quality, as we have in Marcoussis, we know that the people of Marcoussis, also of the CNR, worked with the city here, for that. The proximity, the framework of having facilities that allow us to really be in the high level and in an environment that changes a lot for us compared to Marcoussis but which is very beautiful.

Why Capbreton?

Justine Pelletier : It’s a beautiful town. We won’t hide the fact that the landscapes on the beach are beautiful. Then we are lucky to have good weather so it makes the experience magnificent and complete but I know that it is a centre that is very well known and by several national teams that come, including the French national teams.

Romain Huet: I know that the men’s 7s come here very often. We have facilities like this and this proximity to be able to cycle from the hotel to the beach, from the hotel to the field, to the gym, which gives a certain autonomy to everyone and of course, which has the advantage of changing a lot from what we usually do. Routine is also something