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And following a final training camp at the CRESPS in Guadeloupe last weekend, Audrey Galthié, head coach of the Guadeloupe women’s rugby team, and her staff (which includes the coaches of the Rascasses and the Entente des Îles du Nord, Fabien Maurel) narrowed down the final roster of players who will represent Guadeloupe during the 2026 Antilles-Guyana Tournament to 13. While this team isn’t the favorite, it still has high hopes against the Martinique and Guyana squads.
“We have to go in with high goals. We want to do well, sure, but above all, we want to win this tournament in French Guiana,” coach Audrey Galthié tells her players. “These gatherings and training camps help build real team cohesion because even though the players all know each other from playing in the same league, they play for different clubs,” notes the coach, who is also in charge of developing women’s rugby within the Guadeloupe Rugby League.
This Antilles-Guyana Senior Women’s Tournament is played as rugby sevens, so only 13 spots were available to participate in this adventure. Of the eight Rascasses called up for the selection camps at the start of the season, only four from Saint Barth will ultimately wear the jersey.
“These are difficult choices that our role requires us to make,” explains Fabien Maurel. “You have to perform well in matches and excel during training camps; the players are aware of this.”
For two days, the selected players went through a series of high-intensity drills, scrimmages, and game sequences. This comprehensive training program, designed by head coach Galthié, was intended to help the chosen players grasp the principles of play that will define this Guadeloupe team.
Beyond the technical aspect, the training camp helps build camaraderie among players who don’t play for the same clubs during the season.
For Rascasse player Alice Gatelier, this kind of adaptation is already familiar to her through the Entente des Îles du Nord, where players from Saint Barth and Saint Martin play together:
“Getting together with players who aren’t necessarily from our club isn’t new to us in Saint Barth; that’s how we work with the Archigirls from Saint Martin. Unlike in matches, we can’t be with them all the time to train. We’re used to playing this way, with players we don’t necessarily know very well. Here, it’s pretty much the same, but by playing against each other, we start to get a sense of each other’s strengths, so we adapt quickly.”
Ultimately, the major difference for the Saint-Barth players and the girls selected for the Guadeloupe team is the format of rugby played in TAG. Unlike the championship, which is played with 10 players, TAG is played with 7. Saint-Barth’s Marine Cantatore discusses this difference: “Normally, with the Entente des Îles du Nord, I play in the back as a three-quarter, but for this training camp, I’m filling in up front in the scrum. We play 7s rugby on the national team, so you have to know how to adapt because positions can change. For my part, I think I’ll be playing in the back but also filling in up front if needed!”
As they await their departure for French Guiana in early April, the Guadeloupe national team stint comes to an end this week for the four selected Rascasses. Now it’s back to club action, with the Entente des Îles du Nord traveling this Saturday to Palais Royal in Les Abymes to face Bruc at 6:30 p.m. in the women’s senior championship.
