Get the lowdown on the woman who has led her country as a player and a coach
Who is Annick Hayraud: Ten things you should know about the France Women coach
Annick Hayraud is an icon of French rugby, with more than 35 years of experience in the women’s game on and off the pitch.
Ten things you should know about Annick Hayraud
1. Annick Hayraud was born on 9 September 1967 in Riom in central France.
2. A fly-half who could also play full-back, Hayraud made her debut for top-flight side ASM Romagnat in 1986. She spent her entire club career with the club, winning the French title in 1994 and 1995.
3. Hayraud also made her France debut in 1986 and would earn 65 caps across a 16-year career. From 1996 to 1998, she was captain of her country.
4. The women’s game was not integrated into French rugby’s governing body until 1989, so Hayraud entered a sport that was completely amateur. This meant paying for her own tracksuit and staying in youth hostels ahead of games.
5. She finished her playing career in 2002 with a stellar year. First, Hayraud was part of the French side that won the Grand Slam in the inaugural Women’s Six Nations. She then helped les Bleues finish third at the Rugby World Cup, which equalled their best finish.
6. In 2003, Hayraud became head coach of Ovalie Romagnatoise Clermont Auvergne (the rebranded iteration of ASM Romagnat), and would stay in the position until 2015.
7. Hayraud has also worked as a socio-cultural facilitator at Riom’s town hall.
8. She was appointed France Women head coach in 2011 and won the Six Nations Grand Slam in spring 2014, but was replaced the following November by Karl Janik.
9. Hayraud began a second stint coaching the national women’s 15-a-side team in 2016 and guided them to another Grand Slam in 2018.
10. Perennially the only female head coach in the Women’s Six Nations, Hayraud takes inspiration from other pioneers such as Becky Hammon, the first woman to coach an NBA game.
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