Madoussou Fall

Madoussou Fall is a French rugby union player. Known as France’s ‘lethal weapon,’ she currently plays as a lock for the national squad and Stade Bordelais. Fall made her debut for France in 2019 but she could have followed a very different career path…

Born on 17 March 1998, Madoussou Fall is the daughter of Fatoumata Traoré, a famous international basketball player. As a result, her family were very eager for Madoussou to follow in her mum's footsteps. At a height of six foot two inches, Fall's stature would have been well suited to basketball. However, with a talent for rugby, she decided to follow her passion. 

As a dedicated and steadfast player, Fall is a formidable presence on the pitch. Her club career began at Bobigny and she transferred to Stade Bordelais in 2021. Here, Fall enjoyed a glorious first season: the team reached their first ever French play-offs.

Since then, Fall has been described as France's 'standout' player and a 'menace with the ball in hand'. A regular fixture in the French squad, she played in every match at the 2022 Women's Six Nations. This included France's 39-6 victory against Italy where she secured the Player of the Match accolade. 

Next, Fall made the squad that competed at the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup. She scored a try in the bronze final, beating Canada 36-0 and celebrating a third-place finish. 

Fall finished the 2022 season with a long list of accolades. Her standout performances earned her a spot in the Six Nations Team of the Championship and the World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year. Additionally, Fall was also nominated as the Best French International for the 2021-22 Season.

More recently, Fall excelled at the 2024 Six Nations. She crossed the line during France’s opening match, beating the Irish squad 38-17 and winning Player of the Match. She went on to score a second try during France’s 38-15 victory over Italy. 

As a young player with a bright future ahead of her, we can't wait to track the rest of Madoussou Fall's career.