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Sport: SKEMA crowned queen of women’s handball after a thrilling final
It’s a first title for the SK’orpionnes. SKEMA Business School’s women’s handball team, based on the Lille campus, has just won the 2025 French Cup for business schools – a national inter-school tournament played over three weekends. An unbeaten run concluded with a hard-fought victory in the final against EM Lyon, last year’s champions and hosts of the event.
“This is historic!” said Nicolas Martin, PE teacher on the Lille campus and head coach of the team. “We’ve won every match, we never gave up, and we turned around the final in an electric atmosphere,” he said, praising the determination of the players in a fiercely competitive tournament. The campaign began in Lille last November with two wins over EDHEC and IESEG. In February, the team travelled to Nantes and beat both Audencia and HEC.
I’m incredibly grateful to our coach, Nicolas Martin, whose dedication and passion made it all possible
In the final phase (the F6) in Lyon, SKEMA beat GEM and NEOMA in the group stage before facing Audencia again in the semi-final. The final saw the Lille side take on EM Lyon, who had beaten them just a week earlier in Dijon. Trailing at half-time, SKEMA bounced back with a dominant second half and secured a 20–19 win.
A united, multi-programme team
This title belongs to a tightly-knit group of students from across SKEMA’s programmes. Joséphine Platel is enrolled in ESDHEM, Wynona Boulou – voted best goalkeeper of the tournament – studies in the MSc International Marketing and Business Development. Sana Rajjou is completing the Mastère Spécialisé in Supply Chain and Purchasing Management.
Team captain Emilie Lafargue is in her first year of the Master in Management (PGE). “Moments like these only come once. Thank you to the whole team for this unforgettable victory and adventure. What we experienced together goes far beyond handball – it’s been an extraordinary human journey. I’m incredibly grateful to our coach, Nicolas Martin, whose dedication and passion made it all possible,” said Emilie, who played her final match in SKEMA colours.
