Four members of the Concordia Stingers rugby programs will experience their sport with various clubs across France, beginning this month.
Laetitia Royer, who was an RSEQ all-star for the Stingers in 2019, is with Lons Rugby Féminin Béarn Pyrénées. It is an Elite 1 club competing at the highest level of women’s rugby in France. Lons is located in the Southwest of the country and has a population of approximately 14,000.
Academic all-Canadian Emma Gallagher has opted to play for Stade Rochelais in La Rochelle, a port city on the Atlantic Ocean. Its population is about 75,000. The club competes at the Elite 2 level, the second highest for women’s rugby in France.
Gallagher will travel after her season with Stade Rochelais and then return to Concordia in 2021 for a final season with the Stingers.
Alex Tessier, an accomplished three-time U Sport all-Canadian who wrapped up her university career in 2017, is currently with Stade Bordelais in Bordeaux, France. This is also a port city in the Southwest of the country and has a population of 250,000. Stade Bordelais is an Elite 1 club.
Games in the Elite 1 division started the weekend of Sept. 5, while the Elite 2 competition gets under way this weekend. Playoffs take place in the spring.
On the men’s side, Lucas Hotton, a former Stinger all-star and the captain of the Quebec provincial team, has signed with Club de CMF Floirac Rugby. Floriac is in the Bordeaux region of France. It’s a Féderalé 1 team competing at the semi-professional level. There is a blend of amateur and paid players.
