Saint Amand Women

Every meeting with Sambre Avesnois Handball carries the weight of the "Derby du Nord." Pierre-Henri Soyez put it together in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux in May 1984, and he was still there in 2000 to help the town's new administration bring it back. A sharper test came in 2014, when a push to set up a men's section split the membership; the municipality stepped in, and Sophie Palisse took the presidency to keep the women's team intact.

Stéphane Pellan took them into Division 2 in 2015, and Florence Sauval, over six years in charge, pushed them up into the top flight in 2020 — the same year the club renamed itself Saint-Amand Handball Porte du Hainaut and took the nickname Les Louves. Under Félix Garcia, they won the Division 2 title outright and returned to Ligue Butagaz Énergie. Marion Malina captained the side through most of that climb, from 2013 until her retirement in 2022, when the club retired her jersey.

Edina Szabó has coached Les Louves since 2023, and the team has since made a habit of the Coupe de France quarter-finals, reaching that stage in 2025 and again in 2026.