10th "Entente Cordiale" Build up
The 12th of March 2022 will see the Royal Navy Senior Women travel to Vannes, France, for their 10th meeting with the Marine Nationale for the “Entente Cordiale” Trophy.
The trophy has already grown a rich heritage and is a highlight of the season for both Navy's Women's Rugby sides. A long way has been travelled by women's rugby generally since the two sides met on the HMS Drake picth in 2011 for a twelve a side encounter, with both sides having developed greater depth of talent and a catalogue of milestones. The trophy has been competed for annually ever since with the fixture alternating between the UK and France ever since up until 2019, which was the last time the French team travelled to Plymouth due to COVID.
In 2015 the fixture gained equal status with the Inter Services matches and became a “capped” fixture for the RNRU Women, meaning that the players now have 3 opportunities to achieve an RNRUW cap, the result of this change was even stiffer competition to be in the squad. Whilst the RNRU Women have never won a fixture against La Marine Nationale they have continued to recruit new players and retain many of the senior squad players during the pandemic. The result of which is a quietly confidence amongst the squad and coaching staff that they may taste success on the 10th time, albeit on French soil, .
Lt Cdr Charlotte Fredrickson, Head Coach and former Captain who represented the RNRUW in this fixture up until 2019 said “The MN fixture is always a highlight of the season and I am pleased to see it back in the programme. The French always play hard, physical and free-flowing rugby so this is exactly the test we need as we prepare for the start of the main IS competition. This year the RNRUW has a lot of exciting new players. We have had a good build up to this fixture and I am confident that the team will deliver a comprehensive performance".
Line Up
1. Lt Cdr Katie Ives
2. SLt Rebecca Addis
3. AET Lucy Honeybell
4. LAET Abi Sondack (Vice Captain)
5. Lt Sammi Smale RN
6. ET Elona Bythell
7. OCdt Rowann Sinclair
8. MA Megan Musgrave
9. SLt Rhian Perry
10. Lt Cheryl Goodwin RN
11. ET Sian McLaughlin
12. LPT Suz Badger
13. LH Rose Dixon
14. SLt Abi Ashby (Captain)
15. OCdt Rebecca Bestwick
Replacements
16. PO Emily Park
17. AB Heather Addison-Prout
18. LA Yvonne Mealy
19. Mid Abi Pearce
20. Lt Olivia Critchley-Peddle RN
21. AET Chloe Sopp
22. CPO Billie Staite
23. PO Sam Alderson
