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France Women look to pay tribute to Simone Veil

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France Women did not have the chance wear a special commemorative jersey in honour of Simone Veil on Saturday, but full-back Jessy Trémoulière was still eager to pay tribute to the French politician.

France Women did not have the chance wear a special commemorative jersey in honour of Simone Veil on Saturday, but full-back Jessy Trémoulière was still eager to pay tribute to the French politician.

Veil was a holocaust survivor, having spent time in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, before going on to serve as a minister of health for president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.

Veil also served in the European parliament and was only the sixth lady ever to be elected to the Académie française – the prestigious council that governs the rules surrounding the French language.

She died in 2017 at the age of 89 and is buried in Parisian monument the Panthéon, an honour reserved for national heroes in France.

To tie in with International Women’s Day, France had been due to wear a jersey in honour of Veil for their clash with Scotland at Scotstoun, with her face on the front of the jersey along with the words ‘Merci Simone’.

With that game called off due to Coronavirus, Les Bleues will not be able to wear the jersey, but Trémoulière was still quick to honour Veil.

On Twitter she said: “I won’t be able to wear this #mercisimone jersey because of Coronavirus. We must not forget our history. We must fight for those women who worked and continue to fight for equality.”

In 2018, a special prize was created by the French government called the Prix Simone-Veil de la République française which honours people who fight for women’s causes.

When the decision had been taken to honour Veil with a commemorative jersey, France team manager Annick Hayraud explained the reasons for it.

She said: “Simone Veil was an extraordinary woman who led remarkable battles and is a source of inspiration for us both as women but also in terms of what we do.

“We are attached to the values that this great woman personified and want to share that and pass it onto the youngsters.”

France skipper Gaëlle Hermet added: “I think it is one of the most beautiful symbols you could wear for (International Women’s Day). She was a symbolic woman and we are proud to pay tribute to her in our way with this jersey.”

And Hayraud hopes that France will instead be able to wear the jersey for their final match against Ireland in Round 5 of the Women’s Six Nations.