Attacking, tackling, jumping, scoring, transforming… in short, the charming ladies of the national women’s rugby sevens team don’t mess around!
Although they lost in the quarter-finals of the Emirates Dubai 7s (one of the biggest rugby sevens tournaments in the world) last December to the great Australian champions, they are nonetheless proud of their constant progress! They have done better than in 2021, and inevitably worse than in 2023! Amélie Ritter, their captain since 2018 and “granny” of the team at 36 years of age, tells me that the winning team comprises semi-professionals and former professionals. That just goes to show the level of play!
The determination of the Mauritian Barbarians is matched only by their passion for ovalie, rewarded by the enthusiasm of Mauritians and the growing interest of U18s in the discipline. The players train hard at the High Performance Center in Côte d’Or,reconciling their sporting sacrifices with their studies, jobs, family lives and children. For the moment, they are aiming for a tournament in Zambia in July and the next Island Games in Madagascar in August. But the annual target remains Dubai in December. “We’re on the pitch two to four times a week, rising to seven as the event approaches. All players from Mauritian clubs are invited to selection training and a final core of twelve (seven on the pitch, five substitutes) make the trip!”
An expensive trip that would be impossible without the support of numerous sponsors such as GRIT, their unfailing and generous supporter for the third year running.
