“It’s intimidating to move and not understand the language”: these wives of expatriate rugby players are learning French
Partners of high-level athletes sometimes follow their husbands to the other side of the world. To support them and adapt to their schedules, a teacher has created “exchange cafés” to practise French, like in Brive (Corrèze).
After two years in Bordeaux, Hannah Tapuai and her small family arrived in Brive, in Corrèze, last July. Her husband, Ben Tapuai, is a rugby player for CA Brive.
Originally from New Zealand, she had to adapt to a new way of life with their three children. “It’s very intimidating to move to a new city and not understand the language,” she says. “People in Brive are very kind, it’s so beautiful here.”
A need for flexibility for athletes’ partners
To learn French, Hannah Tapuai joined a programme designed for the partners of high-level athletes, led by Faustine Rebeyrol-Brimeur, French teacher and founder of Women Speak French.
For twelve weeks, she takes intensive lessons and participates in meet-ups in a local café. For an hour and a half, twice a month, they discuss a topic chosen in advance. “It’s wonderful, I love it,” says the teacher. Her students enjoy it too: “It’s a very challenging experience for the conversation group, it’s a lot of fun, there are learners of all levels.”
This programme is intended for the partners of high-level athletes because it adapts to their schedules. “Traditional classes don’t work, their husbands’ daily routine is extremely demanding. They arrive in France and suddenly have to manage everything in French,” explains the founder. These expatriate women need more flexibility to attend classes.
The key is not to swallow grammar mindlessly—the goal is for them to actually practise.
Faustine Rebeyrol-Brimeur
Founder of Women Speak French
Speaking French to create connections
For the founder, the idea was born from a real need, a little over a year ago, in September 2024. Before settling in Brive last July, Faustine Rebeyrol-Brimeur launched Women Speak French in Bordeaux, Castres and Toulouse, always working with wives of rugby players. “They would come to me saying: ‘I need your help for appointments or homework,’” she recalls.
The goal is to learn French to integrate more easily into life in the Limousin. “I want to make the most of our French experience; it’s important for adapting to life here, building relationships and supporting our children in school,” says Hannah Tapuai.
Building self-confidence
Beyond language learning, Faustine Rebeyrol-Brimeur also wants to help them gain confidence. “There’s a lot of work around daring to speak; often, the girls had a life back home where everything felt easy.” Little by little, they express themselves more freely: “I feel more comfortable each week speaking French.”
When you don’t speak French, it’s incredibly difficult to create connections.
Faustine Rebeyrol-Brimeur
Founder of Women Speak French
Most of the women taking part in the classes come from England, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia… rugby nations. But they are not the only ones in the programme: in Brive, two men are also learning French.
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