Gaëlle Mignot may not see herself as a trailblazer but that does not mean the France coach isn’t one on the eve of the 2023 Women’s Six Nations.
The long-time skipper of Les Bleues is embarking on her first campaign as head coach, working in tandem with former defence coach David Oritz.
A joint head-coaching situation is, in itself, unusual, but Mignot will also be the only woman leading a side into this year’s championship.
A hooker in her playing days, Mignot led France to a grand slam back in 2014, along with another title two years later and a second slam in 2018, having given up the captaincy by this point.
The plan had always been to go into coaching, which she did at men’s Top 14 side Montpellier, where she had played for the women’s team.
From coaching in the academy to working with the hookers in the senior team that won the French title last year, Mignot is proof that gender should not be a barrier to coaching at the highest level.
She explained: “I have to thank my club Montpellier because they dared to give me a chance and above all, they kept telling me that what matters is not the sex but the competence. They gave me belief in myself, that you can be a woman and coach.
“Now it’s fabulous, I hadn’t even realised that I would be the only woman coaching in the Six Nations. The message I would give to other women is that they should go out there, take their diplomas and go and coach because it is accessible to everyone.”
France kick off their campaign this week against Italy, a side they faced four times in 2022, winning three including in the Women’s Six Nations and at the quarter-final stage of the World Cup.
Mignot and Ortiz were already part of the coaching set-up for the latter game, looking after the forwards under previous coach Thomas Darracq.
That has made their transition to taking charge of the team more straightforward, with both excited about the prospect of working as a pair.
Mignot explained: “With David, when we were offered the job, we accepted right away because we work in the same way and have the same values.
“We wanted to rebuild the identity of this France team with an objective over three years to be ready for the World Cup.
“We work hand-in-hand. We have split the roles 50/50, David will look after the lineout and the defence.
“I will be in charge of the breakdown, the scrum and oversee the attack. It’s not common to have two people in charge of a team but I think it’s a real opportunity because we have two brains thinking.
“We talk a lot, I think he must be the first number in my phone these days.”
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