When Marine Ménager walks onto a rugby pitch, it is never just about her. The French international centre is often introduced in tandem with her twin sister, Romane. Together, they have become one of the most fascinating stories in world rugby: two siblings who not only share DNA but also a career path that has carried them from small-town pitches in northern France to the world stage.

For Marine, the twin dynamic has never been a burden but a source of strength. “We push each other, we compete, but above all we understand each other,” she once explained in an interview. That understanding is obvious when they play: one reading the field, the other exploding through a gap, both instinctively aware of the other’s movement. It’s the kind of chemistry you can’t coach—it’s lived.

Yet Marine has built an identity that is distinctly her own. While Romane often earns headlines for her finishing power, Marine’s value lies in her versatility. She is a centre who can turn a defensive stand into an attacking opportunity, a player who thrives in chaos but also brings calm when the game’s intensity peaks. Teammates describe her as relentless, the kind of competitor who raises the standard simply by refusing to settle for less.

Her journey has mirrored the growth of women’s rugby in France. When she began, the sport was still carving space in a crowded national landscape dominated by football and men’s rugby. Now, thanks to athletes like Marine, French women’s rugby is televised, discussed, and celebrated on a new scale. She has become a face of that movement—part athlete, part ambassador, fully committed.

The 2022 World Cup in New Zealand highlighted her importance. France’s third-place finish was bittersweet, but Marine’s performances underscored her resilience. She played not only for the result but for the credibility of the sport she loves. Every tackle, every run carried weight beyond the scoreboard.

Away from the spotlight, she is grounded. Those who know her speak of someone intensely dedicated to training yet unpretentious, someone who never forgets her roots in Villeneuve-d’Ascq. The drive that pushes her through international tournaments is the same drive that kept her on muddy northern pitches as a child, refusing to be told rugby wasn’t for girls.

Marine Ménager stands as more than just a player. She is a symbol of determination, of partnership, and of the new chapter unfolding in women’s rugby.

Marine’s story is not only about tries scored or trophies won. It’s about resilience, family, and the rise of a sport where women like her are no longer pushing at closed doors—they’re kicking them open.

Marine is donning that iconic blue jersey at the Rugby World Cup but sadly twin sister Romane suffered a concussion against Italy in the Six Nations having only just come back from an extended break for a previous concussion and is taking an extended break whilst considering her future.

France have started the 2025 tournament with two wins against both Italy and Brazil. Sterner tasks lie ahead with a likely quarter final against Ireland or New Zealand but for now the mood in the camp is that they are building nicely.