France’s Axelle Berthoumieu banned for biting Irish rival at Women’s Rugby World Cup | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentNext articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload ourSocial PartnerWe are 8 logo (opens in a new tab)AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleHarry Latham-CoyleTuesday 16 September 2025 00:29 BSTSamoa dance on the pitch with England after Women's Rugby World Cup defeatFrance forward Axelle Berthoumieu has been banned for 12 weeks for biting Ireland's Aoife Wafer during their Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final.The ban, reduced from an 18-match entry point, means Berthoumieu will miss France's semi-final against England and will not be eligible to play until after March 1, 2026.France captain Manae Feleu is also set to miss the rest of the tournament after receiving a three-match ban for a high tackle.Feleu's suspension could be reduced to two matches with World Rugby’s coaching intervention program, but she is appealing the sanction.Should Feleu's ban stand, she will miss France's semi-final clash with England and potentially the final, representing a significant blow to the team.In fullFrance star Axelle Berthoumieu given 12-match ban after biting opponent at Women’s World CupThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in