“On the pitch, for me, it's do or die”: former international Coralie Bertrand coaches the flagship team of Rugby Club Mende Lozère

Coralie Bertrand settled in Lozère “for the mountains and the fresh air”. Midi Libre – Lola Pesquié

Olympic silver medalist, world vice-champion and Rookie Of The Year at the World Rugby Awards, Coralie Bertrand is the first woman to coach a men's rugby team in Occitanie. Portrait.

With her messy bun, a Staps Toulouse hoodie, a backpack on one shoulder and Crocs® on her feet, Coralie Bertrand arrives in her office. Since last September, the young woman has been coaching the Rugby Club Mende Lozère (RCML) flagship team alongside Damien Klementik.

She is the first woman to hold this position in Occitanie. “I am more focused on others than on myself, so it doesn't bother me to be the first in Occitanie.” A statement that says a lot about the young woman's character. She inherited this character, among other things, from her other life: that of an international rugby player.

Rugby at the Bertrands is “a family affair”. Today, the player has reached the Holy Grail of sportsmen, since she was crowned Olympic vice-champion of rugby sevens at the Tokyo Olympic Games. But her story with this sport really begins in middle school, when she joined a rugby class. “I wasn't afraid of contact, and I ran a bit fast, so I was admitted to this class.”

First girl

A little later, she was the first girl to be licensed at the Monteux club (Vaucluse) since its creation. “I didn't care about being the only girl, it went very well. For me, in sport there should be no genders.” At that time, she already liked the values ​​that rugby puts forward.

When she joined a cadet team, things got complicated. The young rugbywomanis already rigorous and eager to learn, but training sessions are few and far between. “Luckily I had a good group of girlfriends, otherwise from a rugby point of view I think I could have stopped.”

“Rather introverted on the extra-sporting side”, the player still manages to get noticed to do training courses with the French under-twenty team. With a hint of emotion, she looks back on her career: her participation in the Universiade, her first official competition as an international, the Six Nations Tournament in 2016, with the French XV, obtaining a contract for rugby sevens, or even her move to Paris…

Objectives achieved

Injuries have never hindered her path. “On the field, for me it was do or die,” explains the athlete as if it were obvious. As long as I was breathing, I kept playing.”

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“I wanted to become the best player possible in a year. I was fed up with the team not having better rankings.” Ambitious and above all hard-working, she achieved all her goals for her first season under contract. She participated in eight tournaments… out of the eight organized. France was vice-world champion in San Francisco. Finally, she was elected Rookie Of The Year, or best rookie of the year, at the World Rugby Awards.

The athlete ended her international career in September 2022, “of wear and tear. At the end of my career, I was getting injured”, she laments.

“Mountain” and “fresh air”

Since September 2023, Coralie Bertrand has been pursuing a Professional Certificate in Youth, Popular Education and Sport (BPJEPS) Activity for All, in Montrodat. Passionate about sport in general, her goal was not necessarily to become a rugby specialist. “I like sharing, especially with the youngest. I wanted to promote multisport”, she specifies, convinced.

It is only since this season that she has devoted herself entirely to the RCML. However, she already seems at home when she walks around the club's premises. Last year, the former international also worked with the handball club and the badminton club of Mende.

Lozère, Coralie Bertrand chose it for the “mountain” and “fresh air”. The young woman has family in Lozère. “When I had holidays, I came here. I was very lucky with this training. I much prefer to be here than in Paris”, she reveals with a slight smile revealing her two dimples.

To join the RCML, her CV helped her, of course, but the club did not know her. “Throughout my career, I remained very discreet.” True to herself.

Training men does not impress her. “It doesn't matter if they're girls or boys, for me it's the same. They're still athletes. With rugby, I've always been surrounded by guys. I've never felt uncomfortable coaching them.”

Regional 2

And when asked what it feels like to go from the French team to a Regional 2 team, here is her answer: “I don't care about the level, what's important is guts, it's what you put into the field. I'm discovering the amateur world, me who has only known the professional world, and ultimately it suits me better. At a high level, we often forget essential values. I see the other side, it does me good.”

As a coach, she considers herself “more in action than in words”, or even “demanding” and “strict” while “giving them the freedom they need. On the pitch, I want them to make their own decisions.”

In the future, Coralie Bertrand plans to obtain a State Diploma that would allow her to coach teams at a higher level. “Even if I had that opportunity, I don't know if I'd be interested.” On the edge of the Mende pitch, you'll probably still see her for a while.

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