Nice-Premium: You are facing Bruges in the second leg of the Round of 16 of the French Championship. You won the first leg 5-0. What insights did you gain from that match?
Emilie Profeta: That the return match is going to be tough; we really need to impose our game. In the first leg, we scored the only try of the match after just 5 minutes of play, and then we were defending for the rest of the time. We need to focus on our ball passing and elevate our level of play.
NP: How has this week before the match been going? What has the coach said?
EP: We actually had two weeks between the first and the second leg; the first week was tough as we were still dealing with the aftermath of Sunday’s match. We also met to strengthen team cohesion, and this week we added a training session on Monday to work on specific aspects; on Wednesday, we practiced general movement focusing on speed, circulation, and ball passing.
The coach is asking for seriousness and wants us to start as if it were a new match.
NP: Men’s rugby has finished its season and didn’t really shine. Does this add motivation to show that the women, on the other hand, are having a good season?
EP: It’s not the first time this situation has occurred; I would even say it happens almost every season, but we don’t have anything to prove to anyone. We try every season to go as far as possible, but we don’t expect anything in return. Reaching our goals is what’s most important!!!
NP: For those who don’t frequently follow your games, could you provide a brief summary of this season?
EP: We’ve had a season with ups and downs finishing second in our group by winning six matches, drawing one, and losing three, so it’s quite positive!!! This year, we also fielded a 7-a-side team.
NP: What are the challenges of women’s rugby in Nice?
EP: First of all, the lack of players, which isn’t just a problem unique to Nice. Financially, it’s just enough, which is fine for operations but can sometimes make things a bit difficult for recruitment and compensations.
NP: Finally, what would you say to Nice-Premium readers to encourage them to come and support you this Saturday evening at Les Arboras?
EP: They should be curious; women’s rugby is interesting to watch, we need the crowd, and they’re going to have 3 great halves!!! See you Saturday!!!
