Who is Emilie Boulard: Ten things you should know about the France full-back

A tall, rangy runner, Emilie Boulard burst onto the scene in 2021 and is known for her pace in space.

Ten things you should know about Emilie Boulard

1. Emilie Boulard was born on 23 August 1999.

2. Boulard plays her club rugby for RC Chilly-Mazarin.

3. She competed for France’s U20 team and won her first senior cap in 2021 against Wales in the Six Nations.

4. Boulard won the International Rugby Players Women’s Try of the Year at the 2021 World Rugby Awards for a score against Wales on her debut.

5. She was the first Chilly-Mazarin player ever to be selected to play for France. She told Le Quotidien Du Sport: “Very few people knew me playing at Chilly, which is not well known and had never had a selection before.

“But it’s nice to see that people appreciate what I do and to contribute to giving a good image of the team and of women’s rugby.”

6. Samuel Cherouk, who is part of the France coaching team, told The Limited Times of Boulard’s skill-set: “She goes fast, is skilful in the air, skilful with the ball in hand and has a good sense of space.”

7. She is a laid-back character, telling Le Parisien: “I live from day to day without thinking about the aftermath.”

8. She has named several France players as her inspiration, with Safi N’Diaye, Jessy Tremouliere, Caroline Boujard and Mathieu Bastareaud among them.

9. Boulard is a student outside of rugby. She is studying training and performance optimisation at the Universite Paris-Est Creteil.

10. She has spoken about competing for the French full-back shirt with Jessy Tremouliere, saying: “It is going very well. We work together, she is there to help me, to give me advice. There is no unhealthy competition, it is only mutual aid.”

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