A well-deserved retirement after 17 seasons in the Amazon
Margaux Donzel, the club's iconic player, is hanging up her boots. After 17 years of loyal service, "Donzdonz" is retiring from sports!
At almost 31 years of age, the oldest female has had a long sporting career in the Amazon. Indeed, our right pillar has always been faithful to the jersey of the girls of Sassenage and then the FCG, despite multiple requests, she has never left her oval balloon sisters.
Daughter of a player, Margaux plays rugby in her veins; she began her career at the age of 14 with the Amazon team, which is part of the Sassenage club. At that time, there was no U18 team and Margaux was training with the seniors. Quickly outclassed, she played her first matches at the age of 17 and twice tested with the French Team.
In parallel, she coaches the youth categories of the Seyssins club and then the FCG, she will find this cap again years later...
In 2015, this fighter almost didn't return to the field; the repeated scrums didn't spare her body; a cervical hernia keeps her away from the field during the 2015/2016 season. It was through courage and diligence that Margaux put on the studs again and took the place of vice-champion of France Armelle Auclair in 2016/2017. It was only the following year that she won the long-awaited shield by winning the final of the French Elite 2 championship against Lons!
After this title, Margaux decided to slow down and join the Federal Team 2 of the "Rouge & Bleu". Thanks to her high-level experience, she puts on the double hat of coach/player and accompanies Nathan Arnaud as forwards coach. Short-term respite, as Margaux is called upon during the season to strengthen the ranks of the Elite 1 team that has just landed in the Top16.
Leaving the rugby family is not an easy task and Margaux is no exception to the rule... Still in "Red & Blue", but this time on the edge of the field, she keeps the cap of coaches in charge of forwards for the recently promoted team II in Federal 1. A new challenge for this Amazon...
And how can we talk about Margaux without mentioning her mother "Chanchan", Chantal Donzel, who was also stung by rugby many years ago, who has been accompanying and encouraging her daughter for so many seasons! An emblematic figure of the club, she has been an Executive Director of the Amazon team for 15 years!
A real family story that is not about to stop...
Photo : Teddy Vial
Auteur : FCG Rugby