France national rugby union team
Encyclopedia
The France national rugby union team represents France
in rugby union
. They compete annually against England
, Ireland
, Italy
, Scotland
and Wales
in the Six Nations Championship
. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams. Eight former French players have been inducted into either the International Rugby Hall of Fame
or the IRB Hall of Fame
—two to the International Hall only, two to the IRB Hall only, and four to both Halls of Fame.
Rugby was introduced to France in 1872 by the British, and on New Year's Day
1906 the national side played its first Test match
— against New Zealand in Paris
. France played sporadically against the Home Nations
until they joined them to form a Five Nations tournament (now the Six Nations Championship) in 1910. France also competed in the rugby competitions at early Summer Olympics
, winning the gold medal in 1900 and two silver medals in the 1920s. The national team came of age during the 1950s and 1960s, winning their first Five Nations title outright in 1959. They won their first Grand Slam in 1968. Since the inaugural World Cup
in 1987, France have qualified for the knock-out stage of every tournament. They have reached the final three times, losing to the All Blacks in 1987 and 2011
and to Australia
in 1999
. France hosted the 2007 Rugby World Cup
, where, as in 2003
, they were beaten in the semi-finals by England
.
France traditionally play in blue shirts with white shorts and red socks, and are commonly referred to as les tricolores or les bleus. The French emblem is a golden rooster
imposed upon a red shield. Their alternative strip is composed of a white shirt and navy blue shorts
and socks. French international matches are played at several venues across the country; the Stade de France
in the Paris
suburb of Saint-Denis
is used for their games during the Six Nations, and they have a formidable home record at the Stade Vélodrome
in Marseille
where they have only lost twice, to Argentina
in 2004 and to New Zealand in 2009.
.
Although France were represented at the 1900 Summer Olympics
, their first official test match did not take place till New Year's Day
, 1906 against the New Zealand All Blacks
in Paris
. France then played intermittently against the Home Nations
until they joined them to form the Five Nations tournament in 1910
. In 1913 France faced South Africa
's Springboks
for the first time; losing 38–5. France also competed at the 1920
and 1924 Summer Olympics
, and on both occasions lost to the United States
in the gold medal match, Vicky LeDonne scored the winning goal.
France were ejected from the Five Nations in 1932 after being accused of professionalism in the French leagues at a time when rugby union was strictly amateur. Forced to play against weaker opposition, France went on a winning streak; winning ten games in a row during the years from 1931 to 1936. This is still a record even today. France was invited to rejoin the Five Nations in 1939 but did not compete until 1947 as international rugby was suspended during World War II
.
French rugby came of age during the 1950s and 1960s: they won their first Five Nations championship and completed a successful tour of South Africa. Their first championship was won in 1954 when they shared the title with England and Wales. France won their first outright Five Nations championship in 1959; they won with two wins, a draw (against England) and a defeat (against Ireland).
France first toured South Africa winning the test series in 1958. The Springboks also visited Paris in 1961, the test was not completed due to onfield fighting amongst the players. France also toured New Zealand
and Australia
in 1961 losing both tests against the All Blacks but defeating Australia's Wallabies
. They won their first Five Nations Grand Slam in 1968 by beating all four other competing teams, and won numerous titles in the following years.
In 1977, France won their second Grand Slam, fielding an unchanged side throughout the tournament. They also defeated the All Blacks in Toulouse
that year, but lost the return match in Paris. On Bastille Day
, 1979 they defeated the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time, at Eden Park
in Auckland
.
In 1981 the French clinched their third Grand Slam; at Twickenham
against England. They again completed a Grand Slam in 1987 on the eve of the first Rugby World Cup
hosted by Australia and New Zealand. In that tournament they came from behind numerous times to defeat the Wallabies in their semi-final, and faced the All Blacks in final at Eden Park, Auckland; France lost 29–9. They shared the Five Nations with Wales the next year, and also won it in 1989.
France hosted some of the tests during the 1991 World Cup
, but made their exit from the after being knocked out by England at the Parc des Princes (Paris) in their quarter-final. One Five Nations championship was won in the early 1990s, in 1993. The following year France won a test series 2–0 in New Zealand in the 1994. They were knocked out of the 1995 World Cup
semi-finals by eventual champions the Springboks, but did win their third place play-off match against England. France played the All blacks in two tests, winning the first 22–15 at Toulouse and lost the second 37–12 at Paris. France won back-to-back Grand Slams in 1997 and 1998. At the 1999 World Cup
they defeated tournament favourites the All Blacks in the semi-finals, but lost to the Wallabies in the final.
The Five Nations Championship was expanded in 2000 to include Italy. In the now Six Nations Championship France won a Grand Slam in 2002. At the 2003 World Cup
in Australia they qualified for the semi-finals where they were defeated by eventual champions England. In 2004, they won a second Six Nations Grand Slam, which was followed by a Championship win in 2006 and a successful defence in 2007.
During the opener of the World Cup 2007, Argentina
defeated France 17–12. However, after defeating Ireland
25–3, France qualified for the quarter-finals. After defeating the New Zealand All Blacks
20–18, they lost to England 14–9 in the semi-final. France then lost for a second time to Argentina
34–10 in the third-place match. In 2010, France won its ninth Grand Slam.
During the 2011 Rugby World Cup
, France defeated Wales 9-8 in the semi-final at Eden Park
in Auckland
, New Zealand
, on 15 October 2011.
Until 1912, the strip (uniform) of the French team was white with two rings, one red and one blue. After the first game won by France against Scotland in 1911, France's captain Marcel Communeau asked that the team adopt the coq gaulois (Gallic rooster), historical emblem of France, as its symbol. The Gallic rooster was probably chosen partly because it is considered as a proud and combative animal that can be sometimes aggressive, although it had been used previously as a symbol by French teams — a former soccer player, Jean Rigal, wore a uniform with this emblem as early as May 1910. The badge was initially white and red, but was altered to a multicoloured, embroidered image after 1945, and has been golden since 1970.
The symbol used by the French rugby team was a great success, and was later adopted by the French delegation at the Olympic Games of 1920 where the rooster was perched on five Olympic rings. The rooster has since become a well-known symbol of French teams. French players are sometimes called les coqs and some French supporters have been known to release roosters on the playing field before games.
The French team traditionally played in blue shirts, white shorts, and red socks, the colors of the national flag, and as such were nicknamed les tricolores. Due to the mostly blue strip the French team currently wears, the team is now often referred to as les Bleus (the Blues), like many other French sporting teams. When this strip clashes with that of their opponents, such as in games against Scotland and Italy, French players wear white. New strips were developed for the 2007 World Cup, one of which is a darker blue. In June 2011 they relaunched another kit which they wear blue shirt, blue shorts and blue socks for their home kit and they wear white shirt, white shorts and white socks for their away kit. It is currently supplied by Nike.
During the early years France played internationals at venues such as Parc des Princes
and the Stade Olympique de Colombes
, both in Paris. The Stade Olympique de Colombes
was the main venue for the 1924 Summer Olympics
, where rugby was a sport.
The largest stadium in which France currently is the Stade de France
in Saint-Denis
, near Paris where their home Six Nations matches are played. It has a capacity of 80,000. From the 2005 to 2008 seasons, France also played home internationals at the venues Stade Gerland
, Lyon
; Stade Vélodrome
, Marseille
; Stade de la Beaujoire
, Nantes
, Stade Bonal, Sochaux
and Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse
.
, Pool D (which included France) matches were played throughout France including Béziers
, Bayonne
, Grenoble
, Toulouse
, Brive and Agen
. Parc des Princes and Stadium Lille-Metropole also hosted a quarter-final each. Pool C fixtures at the 1999 World Cup
were played throughout France in Béziers
, Bordeaux
and Toulouse
. A second round match was held at Stade Félix Bollaert, and one quarter final was held at the Stade de France, both 2007 venues.
For the 2007 World Cup
, France was the primary host, and there were ten venues used for matches throughout the country (Cardiff
in Wales and Edinburgh
in Scotland also hosted some games). The French cities that hosted matches were Bordeaux
(Stade Chaban-Delmas
), Lens
(Stade Félix Bollaert
), Lyon (Stade Gerland), Marseille
(Stade Vélodrome), Montpellier
(Stade de la Mosson
), Nantes (Stade de la Beaujoire), Paris (Stade de France, Saint-Denis and Parc des Princes), Saint-Étienne
(Stade Geoffroy-Guichard
), and Toulouse
(Stadium de Toulouse). The final was played at Stade de France.
, which is played against five other European nations: England
, Ireland
, Italy
, Scotland
and Wales
. France first contested the tournament in 1910 when the Home Nations became the Five Nations. France were expelled from the tournament due to rumours of professionalism in the then-amateur sport in 1932, but rejoined in 1947. They first won the competition in 1954, sharing the championship with both England and Wales. France shared with Wales again the following season, and won it outright for the first time in 1959. France's longest wait for a championship spanned 37 tournaments (1910–1954). The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy
is also contested between France and Italy during the Six Nations. Over the whole history of the Tournament, they are the third most-winning nation, eight wins behind England. However, it should be taken into account that France have been present in 30 fewer tournaments than the British Home Nations. France has won almost exactly the same proportion of Six Nations Tournaments in which it has competed as England, and is the most successful nation in the post-WWII
(1945–present) era.
since the inaugural tournament in 1987
, though they have never won the competition. They have, however, played in the quarter-final stages of every tournament, and have reached the final multiple times. In 1987 they were defeated by the All Blacks 29–9 at Eden Park, Auckland in the final. They were knocked out by England in the quarter-finals of the 1991
competition — their worst ever finish. In 1995
France finished third overall, defeating England 19–9 in the third/fourth place play-off after their defeat to South Africa in the semi-finals. After coming from behind to defeat the All Blacks in their 1999
semi-final, France lost to Australia 35–12 in the final. In 2003
they finished fourth, losing the third/fourth place game to the All Blacks. At the World Cup 2007
, after defeating New-Zealand 18–20 in the quarter-final, France lost out to England in the semi-finals losing 14–9 after finishing the break 5–6 ahead. France lost to Argentina in the bronze final to finish the tournament fourth.
France's 2011
campaign was marked by turmoil within the camp; reports before the tournament indicated as many as 25 of the 30-member squad had turned against head coach Marc Lièvremont
. In pool play, France had unimpressive wins over Japan
and Canada
, an expected loss to New Zealand, and a shock loss to Tonga
. During this stage, Lièvremont heavily criticized the team in the media, further angering many of his players, with number 8 Imanol Harinordoquy
publicly critical of Lièvremont. Despite the losses, they qualified for the knockout stage. At this time, the players effectively rebelled against Lièvremont; after the tournament, Harinordoquy would tell the French rugby publication Midi Olympique, "We had to free ourselves from his supervision." The team responded by defeating England
19-12 in the quarter final and controversially beating Wales
9-8 in the semi-final after Welsh captain Sam Warburton
was sent off. The French proved admirable opponents in the final, however, losing out to New Zealand 8–7 to finish second for the third time in a Rugby World Cup
France are the third-highest World Cup points scorers of all time, with 1195 points. They are also the third-highest try scorers, and the second-highest penalty scorers. France's Thierry Lacroix
was the top points scorer at the 1995 tournament with 112 points, and Jean-Baptiste Lafond
was the joint top try scorer in 1991 with six tries (equal with David Campese
).
were introduced by the International Rugby Board
(IRB) in 2003 France were ranked fifth. During November 2003 France briefly occupied third place before falling to fourth by December that year. After falling to fifth during November 2004, France rose again to fourth by April 2005. During early 2006, France rose again, peaking at second in July that year. France were ranked number two in the world until falling to third in June 2007 after two successive defeats to the All Blacks. They then fell to fifth after losing to Argentina in the opening match of the 2007 World Cup.
France in recent times are often known for their unpredictable performances, a trait which has stuck with them since the leadership of former coach Bernard laporte. Sometimes putting in truly breathtaking performances and then on other occasions looking completely off their game, thus leading a lot of fans to wonder "which team will turn up". Although capable of showing a sense of skill and adventure, and some wonderful free flowing rugby flair, they can also be horrific as the humiliating loss to Australia in the autumn test of 2010 suggested. Australia winning easily 16–56 after a performance that was truly shocking from the french, and was littered with poor individual performances and very little consistency. However they have beaten Argentina and New Zealand on foreign soil in 2010, playing very forward thinking rugby, the latter being a major achievement as the All Blacks take much pride on their ominous home record.
Their test match record against all nations, up until 23 October 2011, is as follows:
on the 21st August.
Head Coach: Marc Lièvremont
or the IRB Hall of Fame
. Four of them—Serge Blanco
, André Boniface
, Jean Prat
and Philippe Sella
—have been inducted to both Halls of Fame. Jo Maso
and Jean-Pierre Rives
have been inducted into the International Hall only, and Guy Boniface
and Lucien Mias
have been inducted into the IRB Hall only.
Jean Prat (1923–2005) earned 51 caps playing for France from 1945 to 1955, and captained France to their first wins over Wales and the All Blacks. He was also France's captain in 1954 when they won their first ever Five Nations (shared with Wales and England). Prat was inducted to the International Hall of Fame in 2001 and the IRB Hall of Fame in 2011.
Lucien Mias (1930–), nicknamed Docteur Pack, was credited with inventing the concept of the advantage line in forward play. When inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame in 2011, he was called "one of the most influential captains of his country". He was most noted for captaining France to a Test series win over South Africa in 1958, the first such feat in the 20th century for a touring team.
André Boniface (1934–) also played in France's win over the All Blacks in 1954; it was only his second test for France. Boniface went on to play 48 tests for France before retiring in 1966. He was inducted to the International Hall in 2005 and the IRB Hall in 2011.
Guy Boniface (1937–1968) emerged on the international scene shortly after his older brother André, although the two did not play together in the same France side until 1961. According to the IRB, the Boniface brothers "redefined the concept of back play through their unique blend of skill and creativity." Guy won 35 caps for France before his death in an auto accident in 1968. He was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame alongside his brother in 2011.
Jo Maso (1944–) first played for France between 1966 and 1973; mainly at centre. He played in France's first ever Five Nations Grand Slam in 1968, and that year toured New Zealand and Australia. He represented France in 25 tests and also played for the Barbarians
and the World XV that beat England in 1971. Maso entered the International Hall in 2003. He is now the manager of the French national team.
Jean-Pierre Rives (1952–), a 1997 inductee of the International Hall, played 59 tests for France between 1975 and 1984; including 34 as captain. He played in Five Nations Grand Slams in 1977 and 1981, and captained France to their first ever win over the All Blacks in New Zealand. Rives is now an internationally renowned sculptor. He also designed the The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy
(Italian: Trofeo Garibaldi; French: Trophée Garibaldi) which is competed for every year by France and Italy in the 6 Nations championship.
Serge Blanco (1958–) played in 93 tests for France between 1980 and 1991. Playing at fullback Blanco won Five Nations Grand Slams with France in 1981 and 1987, and scored the match-winning try in France's semi-final against Australia in the 1987 World Cup
. He is the current president of his longtime club, Biarritz Olympique
, and a past president of France's national professional league, Ligue Nationale de Rugby. Blanco was inducted to the International Hall in 1997 and the IRB Hall in 2011.
Centre Philippe Sella (1962–), who was also in the 1987 team, played 111 times for France between 1982 and 1995, setting an appearances record that stood until Fabien Pelous broke it during the 2007 Rugby World Cup
. In 1986, he achieved the rare feat of scoring a try in each of France's Five Nations matches. Sella entered the International Hall in 1999 and the IRB Hall in 2005.
Although coached by Jean Desclaux
between 1973 and 1980, the French team's main influence during the late 1970 was captain Jacques Fouroux
. Fouroux played scrum-half and captained France to their 1977 Five Nations Grand Slam, during which France played a very forward-oriented style of rugby. Although the style of Fouroux's Gang was successful, it was criticised because it contrasted with the traditional open attacking style of French rugby. Fouroux was given the nickname "the little Corporal" — the same as Napoleon Bonaparte. Fouroux was named as Desclaux's successor in 1981 at the age of just 33. He continued to promote a forward-oriented style of play, and France won six Five Nations titles — including two Grand Slams — while he was coach. After nearly ten years in the role he resigned in 1990 after a defeat to Romania.
Fouroux was succeeded by Daniel Dubroca
, who coached the team to the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Dubroca's tenure as coach did not last long, however, as he resigned after violently confronting referee David Bishop following France's World Cup quarter-final against England. Dubroca was replaced by Pierre Berbizier
, who coached the team until after the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Berbizier's replacement, Jean-Claude Skrela
, coached France to Five Nations Grand Slams in 1997 and 1998 before they came last in the tournament in 1999. He officially resigned following France's loss to Australia in the 1999 Rugby World Cup final. Bernard Laporte
was appointed as Skrela's successor that November. Laporte guided France up to and including the bronze final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup
. He then stepped down to become the Secretary of State for Sport and was replaced by Marc Lièvremont
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. They compete annually against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
, Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
, Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
and Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
in the Six Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams. Eight former French players have been inducted into either the International Rugby Hall of Fame
International Rugby Hall of Fame
The International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
or the IRB Hall of Fame
IRB Hall of Fame
The IRB Hall of Fame is a hall of fame operated by the International Rugby Board that recognises special achievement and contribution to the sport of rugby union. The IRB Hall of Fame covers players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other individuals...
—two to the International Hall only, two to the IRB Hall only, and four to both Halls of Fame.
Rugby was introduced to France in 1872 by the British, and on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
1906 the national side played its first Test match
Test match (rugby union)
Test match in rugby union is a match recognised as being a full international match by at least one of the participating teams' governing bodies. It is an unofficial but widely used term in the sport....
— against New Zealand in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. France played sporadically against the Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
until they joined them to form a Five Nations tournament (now the Six Nations Championship) in 1910. France also competed in the rugby competitions at early Summer Olympics
Rugby union at the Summer Olympics
Rugby union has been a men's medal sport at the modern Summer Olympic Games, being played at four of the first seven competitions. The sport debuted at the 1900 Paris games where the gold medal was won by the host nation. It was subsequently featured at the London games in 1908, the Antwerp games...
, winning the gold medal in 1900 and two silver medals in the 1920s. The national team came of age during the 1950s and 1960s, winning their first Five Nations title outright in 1959. They won their first Grand Slam in 1968. Since the inaugural World Cup
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
in 1987, France have qualified for the knock-out stage of every tournament. They have reached the final three times, losing to the All Blacks in 1987 and 2011
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
and to Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
in 1999
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
. France hosted the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
, where, as in 2003
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
, they were beaten in the semi-finals by England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
.
France traditionally play in blue shirts with white shorts and red socks, and are commonly referred to as les tricolores or les bleus. The French emblem is a golden rooster
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
imposed upon a red shield. Their alternative strip is composed of a white shirt and navy blue shorts
Rugby shorts
Rugby shorts are a type of shorts that are worn while playing rugby. They are designed to take the strains of the game and have traditionally been made from cotton.-IRB Regulations on shorts:...
and socks. French international matches are played at several venues across the country; the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
in the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
suburb of Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
is used for their games during the Six Nations, and they have a formidable home record at the Stade Vélodrome
Stade Vélodrome
The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,...
in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
where they have only lost twice, to Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
in 2004 and to New Zealand in 2009.
History
Rugby was introduced to France in 1872 by English merchants and students. On 26 February 1890, a French rugby team recruited from the Janson Desailly Lyceum defeated an international team at the Bois de BoulogneBois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine...
.
Although France were represented at the 1900 Summer Olympics
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
, their first official test match did not take place till New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
, 1906 against the New Zealand All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. France then played intermittently against the Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
until they joined them to form the Five Nations tournament in 1910
1910 Five Nations Championship
The 1910 Five Nations Championship was the first series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the twenty-eighth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
. In 1913 France faced South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's Springboks
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
for the first time; losing 38–5. France also competed at the 1920
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
and 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
, and on both occasions lost to the United States
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
in the gold medal match, Vicky LeDonne scored the winning goal.
France were ejected from the Five Nations in 1932 after being accused of professionalism in the French leagues at a time when rugby union was strictly amateur. Forced to play against weaker opposition, France went on a winning streak; winning ten games in a row during the years from 1931 to 1936. This is still a record even today. France was invited to rejoin the Five Nations in 1939 but did not compete until 1947 as international rugby was suspended during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
French rugby came of age during the 1950s and 1960s: they won their first Five Nations championship and completed a successful tour of South Africa. Their first championship was won in 1954 when they shared the title with England and Wales. France won their first outright Five Nations championship in 1959; they won with two wins, a draw (against England) and a defeat (against Ireland).
France first toured South Africa winning the test series in 1958. The Springboks also visited Paris in 1961, the test was not completed due to onfield fighting amongst the players. France also toured New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1961 losing both tests against the All Blacks but defeating Australia's Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. They won their first Five Nations Grand Slam in 1968 by beating all four other competing teams, and won numerous titles in the following years.
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
that year, but lost the return match in Paris. On Bastille Day
Bastille Day
Bastille Day is the name given in English-speaking countries to the French National Day, which is celebrated on 14 July of each year. In France, it is formally called La Fête Nationale and commonly le quatorze juillet...
, 1979 they defeated the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time, at Eden Park
Eden Park
Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
In 1981 the French clinched their third Grand Slam; at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
against England. They again completed a Grand Slam in 1987 on the eve of the first Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
hosted by Australia and New Zealand. In that tournament they came from behind numerous times to defeat the Wallabies in their semi-final, and faced the All Blacks in final at Eden Park, Auckland; France lost 29–9. They shared the Five Nations with Wales the next year, and also won it in 1989.
France hosted some of the tests during the 1991 World Cup
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
, but made their exit from the after being knocked out by England at the Parc des Princes (Paris) in their quarter-final. One Five Nations championship was won in the early 1990s, in 1993. The following year France won a test series 2–0 in New Zealand in the 1994. They were knocked out of the 1995 World Cup
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
semi-finals by eventual champions the Springboks, but did win their third place play-off match against England. France played the All blacks in two tests, winning the first 22–15 at Toulouse and lost the second 37–12 at Paris. France won back-to-back Grand Slams in 1997 and 1998. At the 1999 World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
they defeated tournament favourites the All Blacks in the semi-finals, but lost to the Wallabies in the final.
The Five Nations Championship was expanded in 2000 to include Italy. In the now Six Nations Championship France won a Grand Slam in 2002. At the 2003 World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
in Australia they qualified for the semi-finals where they were defeated by eventual champions England. In 2004, they won a second Six Nations Grand Slam, which was followed by a Championship win in 2006 and a successful defence in 2007.
During the opener of the World Cup 2007, Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
defeated France 17–12. However, after defeating Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
25–3, France qualified for the quarter-finals. After defeating the New Zealand All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
20–18, they lost to England 14–9 in the semi-final. France then lost for a second time to Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
34–10 in the third-place match. In 2010, France won its ninth Grand Slam.
During the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
, France defeated Wales 9-8 in the semi-final at Eden Park
Eden Park
Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, on 15 October 2011.
Strip
The symbol used by the French rugby team was a great success, and was later adopted by the French delegation at the Olympic Games of 1920 where the rooster was perched on five Olympic rings. The rooster has since become a well-known symbol of French teams. French players are sometimes called les coqs and some French supporters have been known to release roosters on the playing field before games.
The French team traditionally played in blue shirts, white shorts, and red socks, the colors of the national flag, and as such were nicknamed les tricolores. Due to the mostly blue strip the French team currently wears, the team is now often referred to as les Bleus (the Blues), like many other French sporting teams. When this strip clashes with that of their opponents, such as in games against Scotland and Italy, French players wear white. New strips were developed for the 2007 World Cup, one of which is a darker blue. In June 2011 they relaunched another kit which they wear blue shirt, blue shorts and blue socks for their home kit and they wear white shirt, white shorts and white socks for their away kit. It is currently supplied by Nike.
Home grounds
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
and the Stade Olympique de Colombes
Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
The Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir - stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France . Named in memory of French rugby player Yves du Manoir in 1928. Was the main stadium for the 1924 Summer Olympics and had a capacity of 45,000 at the time...
, both in Paris. The Stade Olympique de Colombes
Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
The Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir - stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France . Named in memory of French rugby player Yves du Manoir in 1928. Was the main stadium for the 1924 Summer Olympics and had a capacity of 45,000 at the time...
was the main venue for the 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
, where rugby was a sport.
The largest stadium in which France currently is the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
in Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
, near Paris where their home Six Nations matches are played. It has a capacity of 80,000. From the 2005 to 2008 seasons, France also played home internationals at the venues Stade Gerland
Stade Gerland
The Stade de Gerland is a stadium, in the city of Lyon, France and home to Ligue 1 football club Olympique Lyonnais...
, Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
; Stade Vélodrome
Stade Vélodrome
The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,...
, Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
; Stade de la Beaujoire
Stade de la Beaujoire
The Stade de la Beaujoire - Louis Fonteneau, or "Stade de la Beaujoire", is a stadium in Nantes, France. It is the home of the FC Nantes football club....
, Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
, Stade Bonal, Sochaux
Sochaux
Sochaux is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Population:Inhabitants are known as Sochaliens.-Economy:...
and Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
.
World Cup venues
During the 1991 World Cup1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
, Pool D (which included France) matches were played throughout France including Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
, Bayonne
Bayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
, Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, Brive and Agen
Agen
Agen is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in Aquitaine in south-western France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux. It is the capital of the department.-Economy:The town has a higher level of unemployment than the national average...
. Parc des Princes and Stadium Lille-Metropole also hosted a quarter-final each. Pool C fixtures at the 1999 World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
were played throughout France in Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
, Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
and Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
. A second round match was held at Stade Félix Bollaert, and one quarter final was held at the Stade de France, both 2007 venues.
For the 2007 World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
, France was the primary host, and there were ten venues used for matches throughout the country (Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
in Wales and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in Scotland also hosted some games). The French cities that hosted matches were Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
(Stade Chaban-Delmas
Stade Chaban-Delmas
Stade Chaban-Delmas is a sporting stadium located in the city of Bordeaux, France. It is the home ground of FC Girondins de Bordeaux.Until 2001, the stadium's name was the Stade du Parc Lescure...
), Lens
Lens, Pas-de-Calais
Lens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of France's large Picarde cities along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, and Douai.-Metropolitan area:...
(Stade Félix Bollaert
Stade Félix Bollaert
Stade Félix Bollaert is the main football stadium in Lens, France, that was built in 1932. It is the home of RC Lens. The stadium's capacity is 41,233 – about 4,000 more than the city's population. This is similar to that of SC Heerenveen ground the Abe Lenstra Stadion which has a bigger capacity...
), Lyon (Stade Gerland), Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
(Stade Vélodrome), Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
(Stade de la Mosson
Stade de la Mosson
Stade de la Mosson is a football stadium in Montpellier, France. It is the home of Montpellier HSC and has a capacity of 32,900. Formerly a 16,000-seater stadium, it was entirely rebuilt in 1998 to host 6 games of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. It was also used as a venue for group stage matches in the...
), Nantes (Stade de la Beaujoire), Paris (Stade de France, Saint-Denis and Parc des Princes), Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne is a city in eastern central France. It is located in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Rhône-Alpes region, along the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon...
(Stade Geoffroy-Guichard
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is a multi-purpose stadium in Saint-Étienne, France. It is used primarily for football matches, and tournaments such as the 1984 European Football Championship, the Football World Cup 1998 and the Confederations Cup 2003. It is also used for rugby union, and was a venue at...
), and Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
(Stadium de Toulouse). The final was played at Stade de France.
Six Nations
France competes annually in the Six Nations ChampionshipSix Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, which is played against five other European nations: England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
, Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
, Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
and Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. France first contested the tournament in 1910 when the Home Nations became the Five Nations. France were expelled from the tournament due to rumours of professionalism in the then-amateur sport in 1932, but rejoined in 1947. They first won the competition in 1954, sharing the championship with both England and Wales. France shared with Wales again the following season, and won it outright for the first time in 1959. France's longest wait for a championship spanned 37 tournaments (1910–1954). The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy
Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy
The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy is a rugby union trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between France and Italy....
is also contested between France and Italy during the Six Nations. Over the whole history of the Tournament, they are the third most-winning nation, eight wins behind England. However, it should be taken into account that France have been present in 30 fewer tournaments than the British Home Nations. France has won almost exactly the same proportion of Six Nations Tournaments in which it has competed as England, and is the most successful nation in the post-WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(1945–present) era.
World Cup
France have competed at every World CupRugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
since the inaugural tournament in 1987
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
, though they have never won the competition. They have, however, played in the quarter-final stages of every tournament, and have reached the final multiple times. In 1987 they were defeated by the All Blacks 29–9 at Eden Park, Auckland in the final. They were knocked out by England in the quarter-finals of the 1991
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
competition — their worst ever finish. In 1995
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
France finished third overall, defeating England 19–9 in the third/fourth place play-off after their defeat to South Africa in the semi-finals. After coming from behind to defeat the All Blacks in their 1999
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
semi-final, France lost to Australia 35–12 in the final. In 2003
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
they finished fourth, losing the third/fourth place game to the All Blacks. At the World Cup 2007
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
, after defeating New-Zealand 18–20 in the quarter-final, France lost out to England in the semi-finals losing 14–9 after finishing the break 5–6 ahead. France lost to Argentina in the bronze final to finish the tournament fourth.
France's 2011
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
campaign was marked by turmoil within the camp; reports before the tournament indicated as many as 25 of the 30-member squad had turned against head coach Marc Lièvremont
Marc Lièvremont
Marc Lièvremont is a former rugby union footballer and was the head coach of the French national rugby union team. He played as a back-row forward for France, gaining 25 caps from 1995 to 1999, and was selected in France's 1999 Rugby World Cup squad...
. In pool play, France had unimpressive wins over Japan
Japan national rugby union team
The Japan national rugby union team represent Japan in international rugby union competitions. Japan is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia but has both enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years...
and Canada
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
, an expected loss to New Zealand, and a shock loss to Tonga
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
. During this stage, Lièvremont heavily criticized the team in the media, further angering many of his players, with number 8 Imanol Harinordoquy
Imanol Harinordoquy
Imanol Harinordoquy is a French rugby union player who typically plays as a number 8 for Biarritz at club level in the Top 14 and for France internationally...
publicly critical of Lièvremont. Despite the losses, they qualified for the knockout stage. At this time, the players effectively rebelled against Lièvremont; after the tournament, Harinordoquy would tell the French rugby publication Midi Olympique, "We had to free ourselves from his supervision." The team responded by defeating England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
19-12 in the quarter final and controversially beating Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
9-8 in the semi-final after Welsh captain Sam Warburton
Sam Warburton
Sam Kennedy-Warburton , commonly known as Sam Warburton, is a Welsh rugby union player. Warburton plays regional rugby for the Cardiff Blues and was first capped for Wales in 2009...
was sent off. The French proved admirable opponents in the final, however, losing out to New Zealand 8–7 to finish second for the third time in a Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
France are the third-highest World Cup points scorers of all time, with 1195 points. They are also the third-highest try scorers, and the second-highest penalty scorers. France's Thierry Lacroix
Thierry Lacroix
Thierry Lacroix is a former French rugby union footballer. He won 43 caps playing at fly-half for the French rugby union side. He made his international test debut at the age of 22 on 4 November 1989 as a replacement against Australia. He was part of the winning side in the 1993 Five Nations...
was the top points scorer at the 1995 tournament with 112 points, and Jean-Baptiste Lafond
Jean-Baptiste Lafond
Jean-Baptiste Lafond is a former French rugby union footballer. He played for the French national team on over 30 occasions. His usual position was either on the wing or at fullback....
was the joint top try scorer in 1991 with six tries (equal with David Campese
David Campese
David Ian Campese , also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player. Campese was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and held the world record for the most tries in test matches until Daisuke Ohata scored his 65th try playing for Japan on 14 May 2006...
).
Overall
As of 1 July 2011, France have won 375 of their 672 test matches, a win record of 55.80%. When the World RankingsIRB World Rankings
The IRB World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in rugby union, managed by the International Rugby Board , the sport's governing body. The teams of the IRB's member nations are ranked based on their game results, with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
were introduced by the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
(IRB) in 2003 France were ranked fifth. During November 2003 France briefly occupied third place before falling to fourth by December that year. After falling to fifth during November 2004, France rose again to fourth by April 2005. During early 2006, France rose again, peaking at second in July that year. France were ranked number two in the world until falling to third in June 2007 after two successive defeats to the All Blacks. They then fell to fifth after losing to Argentina in the opening match of the 2007 World Cup.
France in recent times are often known for their unpredictable performances, a trait which has stuck with them since the leadership of former coach Bernard laporte. Sometimes putting in truly breathtaking performances and then on other occasions looking completely off their game, thus leading a lot of fans to wonder "which team will turn up". Although capable of showing a sense of skill and adventure, and some wonderful free flowing rugby flair, they can also be horrific as the humiliating loss to Australia in the autumn test of 2010 suggested. Australia winning easily 16–56 after a performance that was truly shocking from the french, and was littered with poor individual performances and very little consistency. However they have beaten Argentina and New Zealand on foreign soil in 2010, playing very forward thinking rugby, the latter being a major achievement as the All Blacks take much pride on their ominous home record.
Their test match record against all nations, up until 23 October 2011, is as follows:
| Opponent | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 History of rugby union matches between Argentina and France The national rugby union team of France first toured Argentina in 1949, winning a two-test series. These games were Argentina's debut as a Test-playing nation. Argentina did not manage a win until their 16th meeting in 1985, under the captaincy of Hugo Porta.... |
32 | 11 | 1 | 73.8% | |
| 41 History of rugby union matches between Australia and France The Australian Wallabies first played against France in 1928, resulting in a win to Australia. They were not to win again until 1968, although in recent years Australia have dominated the encounter.-Overall summary:-Results:... |
16 | 23 | 2 | 41.4% | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50% | |
| 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 87.5% | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 95 | 37 | 51 | 7 | 42.6% | |
| 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 15 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 86.6% | |
| 90 History of rugby union matches between France and Ireland France and Ireland have played each other at rugby union a total of 89 test matches, with France winning 55 times, Ireland winning 29 times and five matches drawn.-Overall summary:-Results:-References:... |
56 | 29 | 5 | 65% | |
| 32 History of rugby union matches between France and Italy France and Italy have played each other at rugby union a total of 32 matches, with France winning 30 times, Italy winning twice, and no matches drawn. Since 2007, the winner of the meeting between the teams in the Six Nations Tournament has received the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy.-Overall... |
30 | 2 | 0 | 93.7% | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 % | |
| 51 | 12 | 38 | 1 | 24.5% | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 49 | 39 | 8 | 2 | 81.6% | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 84 History of rugby union matches between France and Scotland The history of rugby union matches between France and Scotland dates back to 1910 when the two teams played against each other in Edinburgh. Scotland won the match 27 – 0... |
47 | 34 | 3 | 57.7% | |
| 38 History of rugby union matches between France and South Africa The national rugby union teams of France and South Africa have been playing each other in Test rugby since 1913. Their first meeting, held in Bordeaux, was on 11 January 1913, and was won 38-5 by South Africa.-Overall summary:-Results:... |
11 | 21 | 6 | 36.8% | |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50% | |
| 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 85.7 | |
| 91 History of rugby union matches between France and Wales France and Wales have played each other at rugby union since 1908. A total of 91 matches have been played, with Wales winning 44 times, France winning 44 times and 3 matches drawn.-Overall summary:-Results:... |
44 | 44 | 3 | 50% | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| Total | 677 | 375 | 272 | 30 | 57.6% |
Current Squad
Marc Lièvremont announced his 30-man France squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
on the 21st August.
- Caps updated before the World Cup.
Head Coach: Marc Lièvremont
Marc Lièvremont
Marc Lièvremont is a former rugby union footballer and was the head coach of the French national rugby union team. He played as a back-row forward for France, gaining 25 caps from 1995 to 1999, and was selected in France's 1999 Rugby World Cup squad...
Notable players
Eight former French national team players have been inducted into either the International Rugby Hall of FameInternational Rugby Hall of Fame
The International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
or the IRB Hall of Fame
IRB Hall of Fame
The IRB Hall of Fame is a hall of fame operated by the International Rugby Board that recognises special achievement and contribution to the sport of rugby union. The IRB Hall of Fame covers players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other individuals...
. Four of them—Serge Blanco
Serge Blanco
Serge Blanco is a former rugby union footballer who played fullback for Biarritz Olympique and the French national side, gaining 93 caps, 81 of them at fullback. His alternative position was wing....
, André Boniface
André Boniface
André Boniface is a former international rugby union player for France. His usual position was either on the wing or in the centres. His Test career for France, 1954 through to 1966, included 48 caps and 44 points. Boniface was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2005...
, Jean Prat
Jean Prat
Jean Prat was French rugby union footballer. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 1959. He played over 50 times for France and is a member of both the International Rugby Hall of Fame and IRB Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2001 and 2011 respectively...
and Philippe Sella
Philippe Sella
Philippe Sella is a French former rugby union player, who held the record for most international appearances until beaten by Jason Leonard. He became a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 1999, and the IRB Hall of Fame in 2008.Sella joined Saracens in 1996 from French side Agen...
—have been inducted to both Halls of Fame. Jo Maso
Jo Maso
Jo Maso is a former rugby union and rugby league footballer who played centre for Narbonne, Toulonnais, Perpignan and France, gaining 25 caps. His alternative position was fly-half...
and Jean-Pierre Rives
Jean-Pierre Rives
Jean-Pierre Rives is a French former rugby union player who won 59 caps for France as a flanker. Although considered too small by some for the position, Rives displayed tremendous courage and flair, epitomising the spirit of French rugby...
have been inducted into the International Hall only, and Guy Boniface
Guy Boniface
Guy Boniface was a French Rugby union footballer that represented France in 35 Tests.Born in Montfort-en-Chalosse, Aquitaine, he mainly played at centre, and played for Stade Montois and U.S. Montfortoise. He won the French Championship with Stade Montois in 1963, and was runner up with them in 1959...
and Lucien Mias
Lucien Mias
Lucien Mias is a former international rugby union player for France. His usual position was Lock. He won the 1959 edition, captained the French team to their first Five Nations Championship. Mias was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2005.-External links:*...
have been inducted into the IRB Hall only.
Jean Prat (1923–2005) earned 51 caps playing for France from 1945 to 1955, and captained France to their first wins over Wales and the All Blacks. He was also France's captain in 1954 when they won their first ever Five Nations (shared with Wales and England). Prat was inducted to the International Hall of Fame in 2001 and the IRB Hall of Fame in 2011.
Lucien Mias (1930–), nicknamed Docteur Pack, was credited with inventing the concept of the advantage line in forward play. When inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame in 2011, he was called "one of the most influential captains of his country". He was most noted for captaining France to a Test series win over South Africa in 1958, the first such feat in the 20th century for a touring team.
André Boniface (1934–) also played in France's win over the All Blacks in 1954; it was only his second test for France. Boniface went on to play 48 tests for France before retiring in 1966. He was inducted to the International Hall in 2005 and the IRB Hall in 2011.
Guy Boniface (1937–1968) emerged on the international scene shortly after his older brother André, although the two did not play together in the same France side until 1961. According to the IRB, the Boniface brothers "redefined the concept of back play through their unique blend of skill and creativity." Guy won 35 caps for France before his death in an auto accident in 1968. He was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame alongside his brother in 2011.
Jo Maso (1944–) first played for France between 1966 and 1973; mainly at centre. He played in France's first ever Five Nations Grand Slam in 1968, and that year toured New Zealand and Australia. He represented France in 25 tests and also played for the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
and the World XV that beat England in 1971. Maso entered the International Hall in 2003. He is now the manager of the French national team.
Jean-Pierre Rives (1952–), a 1997 inductee of the International Hall, played 59 tests for France between 1975 and 1984; including 34 as captain. He played in Five Nations Grand Slams in 1977 and 1981, and captained France to their first ever win over the All Blacks in New Zealand. Rives is now an internationally renowned sculptor. He also designed the The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy
Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy
The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy is a rugby union trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between France and Italy....
(Italian: Trofeo Garibaldi; French: Trophée Garibaldi) which is competed for every year by France and Italy in the 6 Nations championship.
Serge Blanco (1958–) played in 93 tests for France between 1980 and 1991. Playing at fullback Blanco won Five Nations Grand Slams with France in 1981 and 1987, and scored the match-winning try in France's semi-final against Australia in the 1987 World Cup
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
. He is the current president of his longtime club, Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...
, and a past president of France's national professional league, Ligue Nationale de Rugby. Blanco was inducted to the International Hall in 1997 and the IRB Hall in 2011.
Centre Philippe Sella (1962–), who was also in the 1987 team, played 111 times for France between 1982 and 1995, setting an appearances record that stood until Fabien Pelous broke it during the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
. In 1986, he achieved the rare feat of scoring a try in each of France's Five Nations matches. Sella entered the International Hall in 1999 and the IRB Hall in 2005.
Individual records
The record for points scored for France is 380 held by Christophe Lamaison. Lamaison also holds the record for conversions with 60. The record for penalties scored is 89 by Thierry Lacroix, and the drop goal record of 15 is held by Jean-Patrick Lescarboura. The record for French appearances is held by Fabien Pelous with 118. The record for tries scored for France is with 38 held by Serge Blanco.Coaches
Historically the role of French rugby coach (or trainer) has varied considerably. Due to the status of rugby union as an amateur sport for most of its history, the job of deciding tactics and running team trainings has often been that of the captain or senior players. Therefore a comprehensive list of national coaches is impossible.Although coached by Jean Desclaux
Jean Desclaux
Jean Desclaux was a French rugby union player and coach who played for US Dax as flanker.Born in 1922 in Dax, he played and coached club rugby for US Dax only; as a player he served the club from 1947 to 1959 and represented France A eight times.As coach he managed US Dax from 1959 to 1973 winning...
between 1973 and 1980, the French team's main influence during the late 1970 was captain Jacques Fouroux
Jacques Fouroux
Jacques Fouroux was a French rugby union player and coach. He captained France when they won the Grand Slam in 1977, and was the manager when the side repeated the feat in 1981 and 1987.-Player:...
. Fouroux played scrum-half and captained France to their 1977 Five Nations Grand Slam, during which France played a very forward-oriented style of rugby. Although the style of Fouroux's Gang was successful, it was criticised because it contrasted with the traditional open attacking style of French rugby. Fouroux was given the nickname "the little Corporal" — the same as Napoleon Bonaparte. Fouroux was named as Desclaux's successor in 1981 at the age of just 33. He continued to promote a forward-oriented style of play, and France won six Five Nations titles — including two Grand Slams — while he was coach. After nearly ten years in the role he resigned in 1990 after a defeat to Romania.
Fouroux was succeeded by Daniel Dubroca
Daniel Dubroca
Daniel Dubroca is a former French national rugby union player and coach. He played as a prop and as a hooker.-Biography:Dubroca was born at Aiguillon....
, who coached the team to the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Dubroca's tenure as coach did not last long, however, as he resigned after violently confronting referee David Bishop following France's World Cup quarter-final against England. Dubroca was replaced by Pierre Berbizier
Pierre Berbizier
Pierre Berbizier is a French former rugby union footballer, and currently head coach of Top 14 side Racing Métro. His usual position was at scrum-half. He played 56 times for France.-Biography:Berbizier was born in Saint-Gaudens...
, who coached the team until after the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Berbizier's replacement, Jean-Claude Skrela
Jean-Claude Skrela
Jean-Claude Skrela is a former coach of the French national rugby union team. His son, David Skrela, is a French rugby union player and his daughter, Gaëlle Skrela, is a professional basketball player....
, coached France to Five Nations Grand Slams in 1997 and 1998 before they came last in the tournament in 1999. He officially resigned following France's loss to Australia in the 1999 Rugby World Cup final. Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte is a rugby union coach and former French Secretary of State for Sport. He is currently the head coach at Toulon, having taken over in 2011 from Philippe Saint-André, who had been named the new head coach of the France national team. Laporte himself is a former head coach of France,...
was appointed as Skrela's successor that November. Laporte guided France up to and including the bronze final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
. He then stepped down to become the Secretary of State for Sport and was replaced by Marc Lièvremont
Marc Lièvremont
Marc Lièvremont is a former rugby union footballer and was the head coach of the French national rugby union team. He played as a back-row forward for France, gaining 25 caps from 1995 to 1999, and was selected in France's 1999 Rugby World Cup squad...
.
| Name | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Jean Prat Jean Prat Jean Prat was French rugby union footballer. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 1959. He played over 50 times for France and is a member of both the International Rugby Hall of Fame and IRB Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2001 and 2011 respectively... |
1964–1968 |
| Fernand Cazenave Fernand Cazenave Fernand Cazenave was a former French rugby union international and national coach.Cazenave played six times for France as a winger in the 1950s... |
1968–1973 |
| Jean Desclaux Jean Desclaux Jean Desclaux was a French rugby union player and coach who played for US Dax as flanker.Born in 1922 in Dax, he played and coached club rugby for US Dax only; as a player he served the club from 1947 to 1959 and represented France A eight times.As coach he managed US Dax from 1959 to 1973 winning... |
1973–1980 |
| Jacques Fouroux Jacques Fouroux Jacques Fouroux was a French rugby union player and coach. He captained France when they won the Grand Slam in 1977, and was the manager when the side repeated the feat in 1981 and 1987.-Player:... |
1981–1990 |
| Daniel Dubroca Daniel Dubroca Daniel Dubroca is a former French national rugby union player and coach. He played as a prop and as a hooker.-Biography:Dubroca was born at Aiguillon.... |
1990–1991 |
| Pierre Berbizier Pierre Berbizier Pierre Berbizier is a French former rugby union footballer, and currently head coach of Top 14 side Racing Métro. His usual position was at scrum-half. He played 56 times for France.-Biography:Berbizier was born in Saint-Gaudens... |
1991–1995 |
| Jean-Claude Skrela Jean-Claude Skrela Jean-Claude Skrela is a former coach of the French national rugby union team. His son, David Skrela, is a French rugby union player and his daughter, Gaëlle Skrela, is a professional basketball player.... |
1995–1999 |
| Bernard Laporte Bernard Laporte Bernard Laporte is a rugby union coach and former French Secretary of State for Sport. He is currently the head coach at Toulon, having taken over in 2011 from Philippe Saint-André, who had been named the new head coach of the France national team. Laporte himself is a former head coach of France,... |
1999–2007 |
| Marc Lièvremont Marc Lièvremont Marc Lièvremont is a former rugby union footballer and was the head coach of the French national rugby union team. He played as a back-row forward for France, gaining 25 caps from 1995 to 1999, and was selected in France's 1999 Rugby World Cup squad... |
2007–2011 |
| Phillipe Saint-Andre | 2011-present |
See also
- Rugby union in FranceRugby union in FranceRugby union is the second most popular team sport in France, after association football, and is the dominant sport in most of the southern half of the country. It was first introduced in the early 1870s by British residents. Elite French clubs participate in the professional domestic club league,...
- Fédération Française de Rugby – the governing body of rugby union in France
- French sevens teamFrance national rugby union team (sevens)The France national rugby union sevens team compete in the World Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens.-Current squad:2011–12 IRB Sevens World Series squad :*Vincent Deniau*Jean Baptiste Mazoue*Terry Bouhraoua...
– national rugby (sevensRugby sevensRugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
) team - Le CrunchLe CrunchThe first Anglo-French rugby union match was held on March 22, 1906 at Parc des Princes in Paris.The traditional name for the annual England versus France rugby union match in the Six Nations Championship as used on both sides of the English Channel is Le Crunch. Games have also been played as...
– traditional name for tests between France and England - Giuseppe Garibaldi TrophyGiuseppe Garibaldi TrophyThe Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy is a rugby union trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between France and Italy....
– trophy for tests between France and Italy - Dave Gallaher TrophyDave Gallaher TrophyThe Dave Gallaher Trophy is a rugby union trophy, contested between France and New Zealand and named after Dave Gallaher, the famous 1905–06 All Black captain who was killed in Belgium during World War I.-History:...
– trophy for tests between France and New Zealand - Trophée des BicentenairesTrophée des BicentenairesTo celebrate the bi-centenaries of Australia and of the French Revolution, in 1988 and 1989 respectively, the French Rugby Union donated the Trophée des Bicentenaires to be played in perpetuity between the two countries. It is a bronze sculpture featuring two players in a tackle. Although the...
– trophy for tests between France and Australia - History of rugby union matches between France and:
- ArgentinaHistory of rugby union matches between Argentina and FranceThe national rugby union team of France first toured Argentina in 1949, winning a two-test series. These games were Argentina's debut as a Test-playing nation. Argentina did not manage a win until their 16th meeting in 1985, under the captaincy of Hugo Porta....
- AustraliaHistory of rugby union matches between Australia and FranceThe Australian Wallabies first played against France in 1928, resulting in a win to Australia. They were not to win again until 1968, although in recent years Australia have dominated the encounter.-Overall summary:-Results:...
- England
- IrelandHistory of rugby union matches between France and IrelandFrance and Ireland have played each other at rugby union a total of 89 test matches, with France winning 55 times, Ireland winning 29 times and five matches drawn.-Overall summary:-Results:-References:...
- ItalyHistory of rugby union matches between France and ItalyFrance and Italy have played each other at rugby union a total of 32 matches, with France winning 30 times, Italy winning twice, and no matches drawn. Since 2007, the winner of the meeting between the teams in the Six Nations Tournament has received the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy.-Overall...
- New Zealand
- ScotlandHistory of rugby union matches between France and ScotlandThe history of rugby union matches between France and Scotland dates back to 1910 when the two teams played against each other in Edinburgh. Scotland won the match 27 – 0...
- South AfricaHistory of rugby union matches between France and South AfricaThe national rugby union teams of France and South Africa have been playing each other in Test rugby since 1913. Their first meeting, held in Bordeaux, was on 11 January 1913, and was won 38-5 by South Africa.-Overall summary:-Results:...
- WalesHistory of rugby union matches between France and WalesFrance and Wales have played each other at rugby union since 1908. A total of 91 matches have been played, with Wales winning 44 times, France winning 44 times and 3 matches drawn.-Overall summary:-Results:...
- Argentina
- France national rugby union team toursFrance national rugby union team tours- France Rugby Tours :-Argentina:-Australia:-South Africa:-New Zealand:-Argentina Series:-Australia Series:-New Zealand Series:-South Africa Series:-One-off Tests in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa:-External links:...
- France national rugby league teamFrance national rugby league teamThe France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...