Trailfinders Women
Betsen following in her father's footsteps with fearsome tackling
Phil Campbell
Some things just run in the family.
For Jade Betsen, daughter of French rugby legend Serge Betsen, those things happen to be wearing the No.6 shirt and having a knack for tackling.
Serge, a former France flanker, who won the Six Nations three times during his illustrious career, was renowned for his fearsome defensive displays, and his 23-year-old daughter is showing signs of following in his footsteps at Trailfinders Women.
“He wasn't reckless, but he wasn't scared to put himself forward for a tackle, which I kind of do the same,” said Jade.
“But he's had so many stitches on his face. I don't want that! But I do tend to have a black eye every game, though, so [the tackling gene] might have been passed on.”
Yet for all the family resemblance on the pitch, Jade's journey into rugby has been anything but inevitable.
In fact, the back-rower, who is preparing to face Sale Sharks in Saturday's JAECOO PWR Next Gen Cup semi-final, once couldn't stand watching the sport that made her father famous.
“I used to really hate rugby, like a lot,” she admitted. “When I used to go to his games, I would always stay upstairs so I didn't have to watch.
“Or if I was in the crowd, I would turn away because I just thought it was too dangerous. When you hear the sounds of people getting tackled, I would cover my ears because I really hated it.”
Rugby was not even an option for Jade and her siblings growing up, with their parents initially reluctant to let them play.
It was only after younger brother Martin, now 20, persuaded them to relent that the family began following in Serge's footsteps.
And even then, Jade took some convincing.
Born in Bayonne before moving to Ealing as a young child, Jade did not begin playing rugby until 2021, during her first year at Loughborough University.
After graduating with a sports science degree in 2025, she went on to represent Richmond before making the step up to Trailfinders this season.
It has been a rapid rise for a player who only recently discovered her love for the game, but one that has come through putting in the hours on and off the field.
“It's hard to believe how far I’ve come, but also I've worked for it,” she said. “It's not that I was just lucky enough to get here.”
And while having Serge Betsen as a father had the potential to cast a sizeable shadow, the former Biarritz and Wasps man has been content to let his daughter forge her own path.
“He's quite laid-back about it,” she explained. “He would wait for me to talk to him about it rather than constantly talk to me about it, which is nice.
“When I was at Richmond, sometimes he would come and watch training and he'd be like, 'Jade, were you at 100 per cent or 200 per cent?'
“His point was that even if I thought I'd had a bad training session, as long as I'd given 200 per cent, I should be happy with it.”
And Serge was certainly one to practise what he preached, after having to wait three years for his second French cap following his debut in 1997.
“He was quite upset about it, but instead of just sulking, he reached out for help and worked really hard to get back to a position where he was able to play for France again,” recalled Jade. “That was quite inspiring.”
That same determination is now helping Jade as she prepares for one of the biggest games of her fledgling career.
Trailfinders are just one game away from a place in the PWR Next Gen Cup final, but standing in their way is a Sale side contesting their first-ever semi-final, and they will arrive in west London full of confidence.
But Jade is relishing the opportunity to continue testing herself alongside some of the biggest names in women's rugby, chiefly her teammates Ruby Tui, Tanya Kalounivale, Claire Gallagher and Maya Montiel.
“Our training has been going really well, and everyone's really excited to play in the semis,” she said. “I know the work that we've put in will pay off.
“Having so many talented players is quite inspiring, to train beside them and learn from them. They're all really open to you asking questions. If you have the slightest doubt, they will answer and help you.”
With ambitions of making her JAECOO PWR debut, Jade is determined to keep progressing while also pursuing a career in occupational therapy, currently working with autistic children at a French primary school in Ealing.
An international call-up remains a goal of hers too, with Jade admitting the lure of replicating her father's achievements would be too great an opportunity to turn down.
When asked if she’d represent France or England, she said: “Probably France. I've lived in England most of my life, but growing up, I did go to a French school. And both my parents are French. I don't have any family here. So I feel it would be France.”
And there could yet be another Betsen following the family into rugby, with Jade's 13-year-old sister Louise already showing signs of possessing the athletic attributes to take up the sport.
“She's really fast,” Jade revealed. “I hope she one day takes rugby up as a sport, but she's not there yet. She's got time.”
For now, though, Jade's attention is firmly on Saturday's semi-final, when she hopes to give her famously vocal father another reason to celebrate.
And should Trailfinders go all the way, there is little doubt who will be celebrating loudest.
“Oh my God, my dad is so loud!” she laughed.
“It's quite embarrassing, actually. So probably my dad!”
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Phil Campbell
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