Marie-Alice Yahé

Marie-Alice "Malice" Yahé (born 10 July 1984) is a former French rugby union player who captained France. She also played in the scrum-half position for USA Perpignan.

Marie-Alice Yahé

Date of birth	(1984-07-10) 10 July 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth	Le Creusot, Saône-et-Loire, France
Height	1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight	63 kg (9 st 13 lb)
School	Lycée Jean-Marc Boivin
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2001-2002 AS Tournus Rugby () Correct as of 30 January 2012 Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2002-2006 2006-2008 2008-2009 2009- Rugby Nice UR Montpellier HRC USA Toulouges USA Perpignan () Correct as of 30 January 2012 International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2008–2014 France 47 0 Correct as of 30 January 2012

Biography

The daughter of Philippe Yahé, a former player of RC Montceau (now RC Montceau Bourgogne), and the sister of Yves-Marie, a current player for the same club,^[1] she was introduced to rugby by his older brother Jean-Baptiste because "he needed somebody to throw the ball back to himself".^[2]

While attending Lycée Jean-Marc Boivin in Chevigny-Saint-Sauveur, her friend Fanny brought her in the field where the school's sport section was playing rugby union. Yahé already knew the rules of the game and was able to pass the ball to both sides. Didier Retière, at that time a regional technical advisor of Burgundy.^[2]

Rugby career

She first played for Coquelicots de Tournus, the female section of AS Tournus Rugby trained by Marie-Céline Bernard,^[3] and then for Rugby Nice UR of coach Laurent David, a team with whom she won 2ème Division Féminine championship in 2004.^[4][5]

After these early experiences, Yahé chose to join a higher level club, Montpellier Hérault RC, and won her first 1ère Division Féminine title by defeating 10-3 Ovalie Cannaise at Stade Lesdiguières in Grenoble on 24 June 2007.^[6]

She made her international debut with France in the 0-3 defeat against Wales at Cae Gwyn, Taff's Well, on 15 March 2008, when she replaced fullback Caroline Ladagnous at 70th minute.^[7][8]

Another important success arrived on 29 May 2010 when, as USA Perpignan's scrum-half, she defeated 26-5 her former team Montpellier at Stade Jean-Bouin in Paris by winning her second French national championship.^[9]

Yahé became the captain of France against Scotland on 4 February 2011 during Six Nations.^[10]

Notes

1. "Une Montcellienne dans le Tournoi des 6 Nations" (in French). 8 February 2011. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
2. Anne Vidalie (18 October 2011). "Marie-Alice Yahé, capitaine au féminin". L'Express (in French). Retrieved 30 January 2012.
3. Salvatore Barletta (17 March 2011). "Elle a débuté aux coquelicots de Tournus". Le Journal de Saône-et-Loire (in French). Retrieved 30 January 2012.
4. "Historique de la section féminine de rugby de Nice" (in French). Retrieved 30 January 2012.
5. "Marie-Alice Yahé, demi à plein régime". Nice Matin (in French). 28 October 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
6. "Champions de France des compétitions fédérales pour la saison 2006/2007" (in French). 28 June 2007. Archived from the original on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
7. "La France Féminine battue par le Pays de Galles" (in French). 17 March 2008. Archived from the original on 26 June 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
8. "La Coupe du Monde 2010 jour par jour" (in French). 23 August 2010. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
9. "Champions de France des compétitions fédérales pour la saison 2009/2010" (in French). 31 May 2010. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
10. "La France qui affrontera l'Ecosse" (in French). 3 February 2011. Archived from the original on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.