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By lifting the first-ever regional championship trophy in the history of women’s rugby in the Northern Islands, the Entente Rascasses of Saint Barth - Archigirls de Saint-Martin, having defeated Good Luck 41–33 on Saturday evening in Goyave, made history in Caribbean rugby by having their team’s name engraved on the trophy. A title that rewards the connection between the players from Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin.
It took all three regulation periods for the Entente des Iles du Nord to become the champion team it wanted to be. “At first, we thought we were going to repeat last season’s performance. At the end of the first quarter, down 5-28, nothing was going right and everyone looked lost because we’d just had one of the worst starts to a game all season, but despite everything, we were only down by three tries... We then took a two-minute timeout to let the players speak their minds and channel their will to win,” said Fabien Maurel, one of the coaches. And so the women from the North staged a comeback; by sticking to their offensive game plan and doubling down on their defensive aggression, they managed to close the gap, then took the lead on the scoreboard and weren’t caught again after that. “We stayed disciplined, united, and focused until the very end. It was really our teamwork that allowed us to secure this victory,” assures Elise Howard, who scored the winning try for Entente. Her teammate Noémie Delpech-Millet agrees, “After the match against Bruc, we swore to stay calm and united no matter what happened; we didn’t want to go through the same situation again.”
What was the key to success in this match? Everyone has their own take: “Denying the opponent the ball to stay in control of our game,” suggests Fabien Maurel. “Our fans who came from Saint-Barth and Saint-Martin were incredible. It was a real boost to hear them cheering us on like that throughout the game. It’s thanks to them that we had the determination to win,” boasts the experienced Marine Cantatore. Noémie Delpech-Millet also points to another, rather significant factor: “For me, it’s the perseverance of all the players. There are girls who didn’t necessarily know much about rugby but who were there for every practice. Girls for whom coming to practice, with their jobs, wasn’t easy, but who managed to work around their weekends to play the matches. We’ve all made huge personal efforts, both on and off the field.” A collective spirit of solidarity that drove this team to never give up until the final whistle.
“We’re going to shock them!”
A sense of relief for the players, staff, fans, and volunteers, who erupted into collective hysteria—a mix of shouts, joy, tears, and relief. “Between the moment our captain kicked the ball out of bounds and the moment the referee blew the whistle to end the match, time seemed to drag on forever, and then came the relief. Amid all that joy, I could hear my mom (Florence, the club’s vice president, ed.) expressing her happiness. Being able to share that moment with her was very moving,” says Marine Cantatore, her voice breaking. Fabien Maurel, who has been with the Rascasses since the beginning of their journey, can’t believe it: “ “With Thomas and Kiwi, the coach from Saint Martin, we first hugged each other, and then everything started flashing through my mind—from that meal nine years ago, when the idea of creating a women’s team in Saint Barth was born, all the way to today’s final.”
Enough to celebrate for a few days, starting right after the match and continuing all the way back to Saint Barth, and even today. Happiness and pride above all else. “My best memory is seeing these little girls hand us a drawing they made. When I was little, the older girls at my club were stars to me! So bringing the shield back to girls who are growing up on the island and playing youth rugby—I think that’s amazing!” says Noemie Delpech-Millet. The players are greeted as they step off the return flight by about a hundred fans who have come to celebrate the homecoming of their rugby champions. “Presenting the shield to the club and its members is an image that will stay with us for a long time,” adds Elise Howard. “We’re going to pass the shield around all over the island!” announces Galib’ (Célyne Galibert).
It’s time to take stock of this historic season, which saw Entente IDN qualify once again for the championship final—an unprecedented achievement in itself—and whose conclusion, with this Guadeloupe championship title, gives a historic dimension to this 2025–2026 season that the players and staff aren’t likely to forget anytime soon. “Ending the year with the club’s first women’s title rewards all the hard work and shows that women’s rugby in the Northern Islands continues to progress,” sums up Elise Howard.
Marine Cantatore also sees a bright future ahead: “Our bond with the Archigirls keeps growing, and it’s led us to this title. I hope this is just the beginning and that there will be more to come!”
As if fate had knocked on the door of the women of the Northern Islands, Noémie Delpech-Millet recalls: “At the start of the season, one of our teammates, Léa, told us: ‘We’re going to shock them! Well, we shocked everyone—with our final victory and with the team we’ve built.”
And did you know? The new Guadeloupe rugby champions came up with a chant for the occasion, and it’s their coach Fabien Maurel who shouts it out, by way of conclusion: “Oh la la, Oh lé lé, what on earth just happened? We’ve got the shield!!!”
