Tragedy Driving Gerin's Ambitions For World Cup

France hooker Agathe Gerin says she is preparing for nan Women's Rugby World Cup pinch "a hunger only mother wolves tin measure" aft nan decease of 1 kid and premature commencement of different successful nan build-up to nan tournament.

The 30-year-old and her woman Adele were expecting twins this November.

But conscionable days aft Gerin made nan World Cup squad connected 2 August, they learned they had mislaid babe Aime.

On Tuesday, Gerin's woman gave commencement to nan twins - Aime and Leonard - aft 28 weeks of pregnancy.

France play Italy successful their opening World Cup crippled connected Saturday (20:15 BST) successful Exeter.

"A fewer days aft learning of my action for nan World Cup, we discovered that 1 of nan twins, our Aime, had joined nan clouds," Gerin posted connected societal media, external.

She said it had brought them "an unspeakable symptom but besides a crazy dream - to raise his relative for arsenic agelong arsenic imaginable successful utero".

She added: "On Tuesday, August 19 2025, everything accelerated. My woman gave commencement to our small angel Aime and a mini babe whose cries burst distant for illustration a burst of life to assistance america up - Leonard."

She said 28-week-old Leonard was "immediately fixed nan champion care".

Gerin adds nan traumatic business is driving her desire to win astatine nan tournament.

"In these aggravated moments, you whitethorn beryllium wondering: really tin she beryllium 100% connected nan pitch? So I'll inquire you a mobility - who tin uncertainty nan spot of a female who has conscionable go a mother?" she said.

"It's not conscionable astir playing rugby, it's astir being nan astir inspirational domiciled exemplary for our kids."

The mates besides person a daughter, Nina.

She added: "It's astir courageousness - courageousness to return connected my ambitions and my activity for truthful galore years [and] courageousness to show them that life is simply a succession of tests successful which you person to tie each nan positives and sometimes move guardant against nan winds and tides.

"Women's Rugby World Cup 2025, I'm coming pinch a hunger that only mother wolves tin measure."

France reached nan semi-finals of nan past World Cup successful 2022, losing narrowly to world champions New Zealand.

They will besides play excavation games against Brazil and South Africa.