Carla Arbez, Digi Mart USA News: Freshly named Oscar d’Or winner Carla Arbez spoke to Rugbyrama about the honor and the challenges ahead for the French women’s national team, Les Bleues. She said she was very proud and did not expect the title, calling it a collective result driven by four years with Bordeaux and her teammates.
Arbez said she regularly reads Midi Olympique and Rugbyrama, noting that few newspapers cover women’s rugby. She acknowledged improving visibility, including post-match summaries and newspaper pages, though she said the difference between outlets remains noticeable.
Reflecting on recent seasons, Arbez said she had savored her progressive establishment with the national team, especially during the last Six Nations Championship. She said the coaching staff’s trust and increased dialogue have changed how she approaches matches, though she stressed that no player is ever fully settled at this level.
As fly-half, Arbez said she carries more responsibility and is more exposed when things go wrong, as seen during the New Zealand tour. She said she enjoys the role because she likes taking responsibility, and that the team’s performance often depends on its strategic core.
On the six-match tour, Arbez described the first series in France as enriching despite a difficult restart, citing a close win over Australia in Aix-en-Provence and an dramatic match against Canada. She said the New Zealand tour was more painful, with disappointment after a heavy defeat in the first test, though she praised the staff for guiding the squad through the setback.
Arbez said the squad remains young, with an average age around 22 or 23, and that the team’s inefficiency in scoring zones proved costly in the third test. She said the staff identified a technical gap compared with the best nations and that the squad must train more than others to close it, citing New Zealand players’ reading of the game as an example.
Finally, Arbez said the grueling tour brought numerous injuries and physical and mental demands. She plans to rest during the holidays, with a match expected in about two weeks before the championship resumes.
