Lisa Poli, the head warrior of the Valkyries
Born or trained in the Metropolis, these sportswomen shine at a high level. Lisa Poli, rugby.
Current captain of the Valkyries, Lisa Poli, 25, first practiced gymnastics. Gym, rugby, two very different sports. But the flexibility and agility improved by the gym can be very useful in rugby, especially for a scrum-half, Lisa’s position. “I started as a hooker with boys, in U14 at Vincennessays the young woman. Suffice to say that we had to be respected! I really enjoyed this year with the boys, it was very formative. Lisa came to rugby through the stands, thanks to her father. “I was born in Noisy-le-Grand, in the Paris region, but my parents come from Toulon. As soon as we went down to visit the family, we went to see the RCT (Editor’s note: the Rugby Club Toulonnais), in the Beautiful Age. This is where I discovered the atmosphere of a stadium, the emulation of team sport.
After her year in a mixed team, Lisa joined a women’s team, still at the Vincennes club. She discovers another rugby, more confidential. “You have to be motivated to succeed in playing! It’s hard to have enough girls to make a team. We have to bring players from several clubs together, travel a lot of kilometers to train and play matches. Only the most addicted follow. “The advantage is that we can play quickly as a senior.” Rugbywomen grow up fast, like Lisa who describes herself as “rigorous, observant, leader… and I try to be patient!”
It was a sporting and university choice that led Lisa Poli to Rouen. “In 2016, I wanted to reorient myself in Staps. My coach had studied in Rouen, he advised me to come. I was able to join the women’s team of Asruc and Staps. Since then, holder of a sports trainer’s license, she is an educator at Asruc rugby, referent of the U14-U15 of the rugby school. And rugby level, it works well. The Valkyries are unbeaten in Elite 2 – the second tier of French women’s rugby – and can therefore consider returning to Elite 1, one after leaving it.
This season, therefore, is a totally positive dynamic. “Last year – and even the two previous years – took some beatings, we ended up with our games to defend. This year, it’s the opposite. This is also what is painful in women’s rugby: the difference in level between Elite 1 and Elite 2 is too great. We will have to find a formula to balance the championship. The merger between the Rouen and Caen teams, made last summer to give birth to the Valkyries, is in any case a success. “Things are going very well in the team, on all the validated approaches, there is no confusion. The group is young, we can clearly see that rugby is developing and getting structured in Normandy. club attache, “Fell in love with Rouen”Lisa does not consider her life and her career elsewhere!