Rugby union in France
Encyclopedia
Rugby 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, the Top 14. Clubs also compete in the European knock-out competition, the Heineken Cup
.
The national side
competes annually in the Six Nations Championship
, last winning the competition in 2010. France has participated in every Rugby World Cup
since its inception in 1987, and has been a runner-up on three occasions. France also hosted the 2007 Rugby World Cup
.
In 1934 the FFR set up the Federation Internationale de Rugby Amateur (FIRA) in an attempt to organize rugby union outside the authority of the International Rugby Board. It included the national teams of , France, , , and .
In 1978, the FFR became a member of the International Rugby Football Board (now IRB). In 1995, the same year that rugby union became a fully professional sport, FIRA officially recognized the IRB as the worldwide governing authority for the sport and turned itself into an exclusively European governing body. In recognition of this transition, FIRA changed its name in 1999 to FIRA - Association Européenne de Rugby
(FIRA-AER).
was introduced into France by the British
in the early 1870s.
It was in 1872 that a group of British residents formed the Le Havre Athletique
. which played a hybrid form of football, a cross between rugby
and soccer, called "combination".
The English Taylors RFC formed by British businessmen in Paris in 1877, followed by Paris Football Club a year later. Racing Club de France was formed in 1882 and their rivals Stade Français in 1883. On March 20 1892
the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques
organised the first ever French rugby union championship, a one off game between Racing and Stade Français. The game was refereed by Pierre de Coubertin
and saw Racing win 4-3 . The USFSA remained the main controlling body of French rugby, until the formation of the French Rugby Federation (FFR, from the ) in 1920.
In 1900, rugby was played at the Paris Summer Olympics
, France entered a team, along with Germany and Great Britain. France won the gold medal, the first ever rugby event at the Olympics. In 1905, for the first time, England and France played each other. In 1910, France coined the term The Five Nations
, though they had competed in the home nations tournament four times previously, the tournament would be known as the Five Nations for most of the rest of the 20th century.
Rugby was again played at the 1920 Summer Olympics
, though this time, in what is considered one of the most surprising results in rugby history, France fumbled in the gold medal match, being defeated at the hands of the United States, eight points to nil. That same year, the FFR was officially formed. France were again participating in the rugby at the 1924 Summer Olympics
– the last time that rugby would be played as an Olympic sport – where the United States successfully defended their title.
The French rugby union was ousted from the Five Nations championship on account of violence and professionalism in 1932. Rugby league was introduced to France in 1934, half a century after the amateur code had established itself in the country. Also in 1934, FIRA
(Federation of Amateur Rugby) was founded by Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Catalonia (Spain), and Sweden.
It was in 1978 that the FFR joined the International Rugby Football Board, now the International Rugby Board
. Also in 1959, the national team won the Five Nations for the first time, and subsequently won another consecutive three championships (1960 was shared with England). This success was repeated at the end of the 1960s, when France won both the 1967 and 1968 championships, the 1968 being a Grand Slam. France has nearly always been in the top three teams of the Northern Hemisphere since then.
The first Rugby World Cup
was held in 1987. After a low period in the mid-1990s caused by FFR's hesitation to join in the introduction of professional rugby in 1995, the national team has regained its top-tier status. In 1998, France's women's team competed at the first official Women's Rugby World Cup
which was held in the Netherlands. In 2003, France was awarded the right to host the 2007 Rugby World Cup
.
In 2010, the all French final of the Heineken Cup between Toulouse and Biarritz in the Stade de France gathered 3.2 million viewers on France 2. In 2011, the final of the Top 14 gathered 4.4 million viewers on France 2 and Canal+ and the World Cup final between New-Zealand and France gathered 15.4 million viewers on TF1, the highest audience on French TV since the start of the year.
, winners of the final on June 4, 2011 against Montpellier
at the traditional site of Stade de France. The second major competition in France is Rugby Pro D2
, featuring 16 teams that also play a home-and-away regular season.
A relegation system exists between the two tiers of competition. At the end of the 2010–11 season, Lyon
was automatically promoted to the Top 14 as champions, and Bordeaux earned the second promotion place by winning a playoff involving the next four teams on the league table. At the other end of the table, La Rochelle
and Bourgoin
were relegated to Pro D2.
Promotion and relegation also exist between Pro D2 and Fédérale 1
, the top level of the French amateur rugby system. At the end of the 2010–11 season, Narbonne
and Saint-Étienne
were relegated to Fédérale 1. Colomiers
had finished in a relegation spot, but were reprieved when Narbonne were forcibly relegated to Fédérale 1 for financial reasons. The relegated teams will be replaced by Fédérale 1 champions Béziers
and runners-up Périgueux
. Fédérale 1 is only the top of an intricate system of Fédérale leagues.
As the map below shows the vast majority of clubs and players reside in the south of France, the exceptions to this are the Paris clubs; Stade Français and Racing Métro.
. Then in the following year Brive
were the champions. Toulouse became the first ever, and so far only team to win the competition more than twice, becoming champions again in 2003, 2005, and 2010.
The second-tier European Challenge Cup
was launched the year after the Heineken Cup. Currently, all Top 14 teams that do not qualify for the Heineken Cup compete in the European Challenge Cup. The first four competitions were all won by French sides—Bourgoin
in 1997, Colomiers
in 1998, Clermont
(then known as Montferrand) in 1999, and Pau
in 2000. Since then, French sides have made the finals six more times, with Clermont winning in 2007.
The European Shield
, which ran from 2002–03 to 2004–05, was a repechage competition that involved first-round losers in the European Shield. It was scrapped when the European Challenge Cup was revamped for the 2005–06 season. This trophy was claimed by a French club in each of its three seasons—Castres
in 2003, Montpellier
in 2004, and Auch
in 2005.
. France competes in the Six Nations Championship
annually. Although France have never won the World Cup, they have in fact appeared in the 1987, 1999 and 2011 finals — losing twice to New Zealand (in 1987 and 2011), and once to Australia (in 1999). In addition to being runners-up on three occasions, France has always appeared in the semi-finals — with the exception of the 1991 Rugby World Cup
where they were knocked out in the quarter finals. The French style of play is renowned for its paradoxical combination of rugged physicality and inspired grace. This particular style of play has been nicknamed the "French flair".
The National Rugby Centre was opened by then French President Jacques Chirac
in November 2002. The facility cost GP£
46 million (approx. €
68 million, c.2007), and is located in the village of Marcoussis
, south of Paris. The facility covers 20 hectares (49 acre) and includes five rugby pitches (one of them covered, and two floodlit), a gym, medical facilities, a swimming pool, media centre, and library. Living quarters are also included, with 30 rooms which are each named after a championship winning French club. The living quarters also have a dedicated restaurant. France's under-19 team are permanently based at the NRC, and provide regular opposition for the French national team during training.
broadcasts the Six Nations
games, as well as France's home internationals, such as those that are played during the latter stages of the year in November.
Matches from the Top 14 are broadcast by the premium pay television channel Canal+
, which also broadcasts many other rugby union competitions, including the Southern Hemisphere's Tri Nations, between Australia
, New Zealand and South Africa
.
Matches from the Pro D2 are broadcast by Sport+ , Eurosport
and France 3
for local derbies
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...
is the second most popular team sport in France
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...
, 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, the Top 14. Clubs also compete in the European knock-out competition, the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
.
The national side
France national rugby union team
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...
competes annually 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....
, last winning the competition in 2010. France has participated in every 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....
since its inception in 1987, and has been a runner-up on three occasions. France also 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,...
.
Governing body
Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR) is the rugby union governing body in France; they are responsible for the governing of rugby union in France, including the French national team and the organisers of the country's professional competitions, Ligue Nationale de Rugby. It was formed in 1919.In 1934 the FFR set up the Federation Internationale de Rugby Amateur (FIRA) in an attempt to organize rugby union outside the authority of the International Rugby Board. It included the national teams of , France, , , and .
In 1978, the FFR became a member of the International Rugby Football Board (now IRB). In 1995, the same year that rugby union became a fully professional sport, FIRA officially recognized the IRB as the worldwide governing authority for the sport and turned itself into an exclusively European governing body. In recognition of this transition, FIRA changed its name in 1999 to FIRA - Association Européenne de Rugby
FIRA - Association of European Rugby
The FIRA - Association Européenne de Rugby is the administrative body for rugby union in Europe. It was formed in 1999 to promote, develop, organise and administer the game of rugby in Europe under the authority of the International Rugby Board .The predecessor to FIRA–AER was the Fédération...
(FIRA-AER).
History
Rugby footballRugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
was introduced into France by the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
in the early 1870s.
It was in 1872 that a group of British residents formed the Le Havre Athletique
Le Havre AC
Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France...
. which played a hybrid form of football, a cross between rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and soccer, called "combination".
The English Taylors RFC formed by British businessmen in Paris in 1877, followed by Paris Football Club a year later. Racing Club de France was formed in 1882 and their rivals Stade Français in 1883. On March 20 1892
French Rugby Championship 1892
French Rugby Championship 1892. On 20 March 1892 the USFSA organised the first ever French rugby union championship, a one off game between Racing Club de France and Stade Français. The game was refereed by Pierre de Coubertin and saw Racing win 4–3. Racing were awarded the Bouclier de Brennus,...
the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques
Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques
Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques is a former French sports governing body. During the 1890s and early 1900s it organised numerous sports including athletics, cycling, field hockey, fencing, croquet and swimming...
organised the first ever French rugby union championship, a one off game between Racing and Stade Français. The game was refereed by Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin was a French educationalist and historian, founder of the International Olympic Committee, and is considered the father of the modern Olympic Games...
and saw Racing win 4-3 . The USFSA remained the main controlling body of French rugby, until the formation of the French Rugby Federation (FFR, from the ) in 1920.
In 1900, rugby was played at the Paris 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...
, France entered a team, along with Germany and Great Britain. France won the gold medal, the first ever rugby event at the Olympics. In 1905, for the first time, England and France played each other. In 1910, France coined the term The Five Nations
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....
, though they had competed in the home nations tournament four times previously, the tournament would be known as the Five Nations for most of the rest of the 20th century.
Rugby was again played at the 1920 Summer Olympics
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....
, though this time, in what is considered one of the most surprising results in rugby history, France fumbled in the gold medal match, being defeated at the hands of the United States, eight points to nil. That same year, the FFR was officially formed. France were again participating in the rugby at 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...
– the last time that rugby would be played as an Olympic sport – where the United States successfully defended their title.
The French rugby union was ousted from the Five Nations championship on account of violence and professionalism in 1932. Rugby league was introduced to France in 1934, half a century after the amateur code had established itself in the country. Also in 1934, FIRA
FIRA - Association of European Rugby
The FIRA - Association Européenne de Rugby is the administrative body for rugby union in Europe. It was formed in 1999 to promote, develop, organise and administer the game of rugby in Europe under the authority of the International Rugby Board .The predecessor to FIRA–AER was the Fédération...
(Federation of Amateur Rugby) was founded by Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Catalonia (Spain), and Sweden.
It was in 1978 that the FFR joined the International Rugby Football Board, now 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...
. Also in 1959, the national team won the Five Nations for the first time, and subsequently won another consecutive three championships (1960 was shared with England). This success was repeated at the end of the 1960s, when France won both the 1967 and 1968 championships, the 1968 being a Grand Slam. France has nearly always been in the top three teams of the Northern Hemisphere since then.
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....
was held in 1987. After a low period in the mid-1990s caused by FFR's hesitation to join in the introduction of professional rugby in 1995, the national team has regained its top-tier status. In 1998, France's women's team competed at the first official Women's Rugby World Cup
Women's Rugby World Cup
The Women's Rugby World Cup is the premier international competition in rugby union for women. The tournament is organised by the sport's governing body the International Rugby Board...
which was held in the Netherlands. In 2003, France was awarded the right to host 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,...
.
Popularity
Rugby union is considered the national game in the South of France, whilst in the North football can be viewed as the leading code. There are 1737 clubs in France and the number of licensed player has significantly increased over the recent years, reaching 390,000 in 2010 (up from 260,000 in 2000).In 2010, the all French final of the Heineken Cup between Toulouse and Biarritz in the Stade de France gathered 3.2 million viewers on France 2. In 2011, the final of the Top 14 gathered 4.4 million viewers on France 2 and Canal+ and the World Cup final between New-Zealand and France gathered 15.4 million viewers on TF1, the highest audience on French TV since the start of the year.
Competitions
National
The major national club competition in France is the Top 14 (formerly, the Top 16). The Top 14 is played on a home and away basis between the top fourteen club sides in France, followed by three rounds of playoffs involving the top six teams on the league table. The first championship was contested in 1892 and wown by the Racing Club. The current champions are ToulouseStade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
, winners of the final on June 4, 2011 against Montpellier
Montpellier Hérault RC
Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007...
at the traditional site of Stade de France. The second major competition in France is Rugby Pro D2
Rugby Pro D2
Rugby Pro D2, also known as Pro D2 is the second level of domestic club rugby union in France, below the first division, Top 14. The competition was introduced in 2000. There is relegation and promotion between both the Top 14 and Fédérale 1, the third-level competition...
, featuring 16 teams that also play a home-and-away regular season.
A relegation system exists between the two tiers of competition. At the end of the 2010–11 season, Lyon
Lyon OU
Lyon Olympique Universitaire or LOU is a French rugby union team that competes in the Top 14, the first level of the country's professional league system. They earned their spot in the Top 14 by winning the 2010–11 title of the second-tier Pro D2....
was automatically promoted to the Top 14 as champions, and Bordeaux earned the second promotion place by winning a playoff involving the next four teams on the league table. At the other end of the table, La Rochelle
Atlantique Stade Rochelais
Stade Rochelais is a French rugby union club who compete in the Pro D2. They are often known simply as La Rochelle.They were founded in 1898 and play at Stade Marcel-Deflandre . They wear yellow and black...
and Bourgoin
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club currently competing in the second level of the French league system in the Pro D2. The club have been runners-up in the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir competitions, and have won the Challenge Cup.Founded in 1906 as "Club...
were relegated to Pro D2.
Promotion and relegation also exist between Pro D2 and Fédérale 1
Fédérale 1
Le championnat de France de première division fédérale, a.k.a. Fédérale 1, is a French rugby union club competition, the highest level of amateur rugby. The competition has been organised by the Fédération Française de Rugby since 2000, when it replaced the B2 Group...
, the top level of the French amateur rugby system. At the end of the 2010–11 season, Narbonne
RC Narbonne
Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée is a French rugby union club that play in the second-level Rugby Pro D2, after finishing at the bottom of the 2006-07 Top 14 table....
and Saint-Étienne
CA Saint-Étienne Loire Sud Rugby
Club Athlétique de Saint-Étienne Loire Sud Rugby, CASE Loire Sud Rugby, or simply CASE, is a French rugby union club from Saint-Étienne in the Loire département. They are currently competing in Fédérale 1, having been relegated from Rugby Pro D2 at the end of the 2010–11 season.-History:The club...
were relegated to Fédérale 1. Colomiers
US Colomiers
US Colomiers is a French rugby union club currently competing in Fédérale 1, the third level of the French rugby pyramid. They had been relegated from Pro D2 after finishing last in the 2006-07 season, but earned promotion from Fédérale 1 at the first opportunity in 2007-08, and survived a...
had finished in a relegation spot, but were reprieved when Narbonne were forcibly relegated to Fédérale 1 for financial reasons. The relegated teams will be replaced by Fédérale 1 champions Béziers
AS Béziers Hérault
Association Sportive Béziers Hérault, often referred to by rugby media simply by its location of Béziers, is a French rugby union club preparing to return to the second tier of the country's professional rugby system, Pro D2. They earned promotion as 2011 Fédérale 1 champions...
and runners-up Périgueux
CA Périgueux
Club Athlétique Périgueux Dordogne is a French rugby union club that currently competes in the second division of French club rugby, the Pro D2 competition. Périgueux played in the higher divisions in the early 2000s but were relegated from Rugby Pro D2 after the 2004-05 season...
. Fédérale 1 is only the top of an intricate system of Fédérale leagues.
As the map below shows the vast majority of clubs and players reside in the south of France, the exceptions to this are the Paris clubs; Stade Français and Racing Métro.
European
The Heineken Cup, known as the H Cup in France due to alcohol advertising laws, is an annual rugby union competition involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the Six Nations: England, France, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Italy. The competition was launched during the European summer of 1995 by the (then) Five Nations Committee, following the advent of professionl rugby union. The tournament was born with the intention of providing a new level of professional European competition. The French clubs have been quite successful in the tournament; the inaugural competition was won by ToulouseStade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
. Then in the following year Brive
CA Brive
Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on...
were the champions. Toulouse became the first ever, and so far only team to win the competition more than twice, becoming champions again in 2003, 2005, and 2010.
The second-tier European Challenge Cup
European Challenge Cup
The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...
was launched the year after the Heineken Cup. Currently, all Top 14 teams that do not qualify for the Heineken Cup compete in the European Challenge Cup. The first four competitions were all won by French sides—Bourgoin
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club currently competing in the second level of the French league system in the Pro D2. The club have been runners-up in the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir competitions, and have won the Challenge Cup.Founded in 1906 as "Club...
in 1997, Colomiers
US Colomiers
US Colomiers is a French rugby union club currently competing in Fédérale 1, the third level of the French rugby pyramid. They had been relegated from Pro D2 after finishing last in the 2006-07 season, but earned promotion from Fédérale 1 at the first opportunity in 2007-08, and survived a...
in 1998, Clermont
ASM Clermont Auvergne
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...
(then known as Montferrand) in 1999, and Pau
Section Paloise
Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:...
in 2000. Since then, French sides have made the finals six more times, with Clermont winning in 2007.
The European Shield
European Shield
The European Shield was a reprechage tournament for teams knocked out in the first round of the European Challenge Cup in 2002-03 and 2003-04. The name "European Shield" had previously been used for the now renamed European Challenge Cup....
, which ran from 2002–03 to 2004–05, was a repechage competition that involved first-round losers in the European Shield. It was scrapped when the European Challenge Cup was revamped for the 2005–06 season. This trophy was claimed by a French club in each of its three seasons—Castres
Castres Olympique
Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906...
in 2003, Montpellier
Montpellier Hérault RC
Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007...
in 2004, and Auch
FC Auch Gers
Football Club Auch Gers is a French rugby union club based in Auch in Midi-Pyrénées currently playing in Rugby Pro D2, the second tier of the country's professional league system. In recent years, they have bounced between the first-level Top 14 and Pro D2...
in 2005.
National side
France, nicknamed Les Bleus (The Blues), is a top tier nation, as cited by the International Rugby BoardInternational 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...
. France competes 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....
annually. Although France have never won the World Cup, they have in fact appeared in the 1987, 1999 and 2011 finals — losing twice to New Zealand (in 1987 and 2011), and once to Australia (in 1999). In addition to being runners-up on three occasions, France has always appeared in the semi-finals — with the exception of the 1991 Rugby 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...
where they were knocked out in the quarter finals. The French style of play is renowned for its paradoxical combination of rugged physicality and inspired grace. This particular style of play has been nicknamed the "French flair".
National Rugby Centre
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
in November 2002. The facility cost GP£
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
46 million (approx. €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
68 million, c.2007), and is located in the village of Marcoussis
Marcoussis
Marcoussis is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Marcoussis is famous as the location of the CNR where the French national rugby union team prepare for international competitions...
, south of Paris. The facility covers 20 hectares (49 acre) and includes five rugby pitches (one of them covered, and two floodlit), a gym, medical facilities, a swimming pool, media centre, and library. Living quarters are also included, with 30 rooms which are each named after a championship winning French club. The living quarters also have a dedicated restaurant. France's under-19 team are permanently based at the NRC, and provide regular opposition for the French national team during training.
Media coverage
Free-to-air channel France 2France 2
France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
broadcasts the Six Nations
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....
games, as well as France's home internationals, such as those that are played during the latter stages of the year in November.
Matches from the Top 14 are broadcast by the premium pay television channel Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
, which also broadcasts many other rugby union competitions, including the Southern Hemisphere's Tri Nations, between 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...
, New Zealand and South Africa
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...
.
Matches from the Pro D2 are broadcast by Sport+ , Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
and France 3
France 3
France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
for local derbies
See also
- List of rugby union clubs in France
- Sport in FranceSport in FranceSport plays an important role in French society and the country has a strong sporting history. The most-watched sports in France are football and rugby union.-Football:...
- Rugby league in FranceRugby league in FranceRugby league has been played in France since 1934. As with rugby union, the heartland of the game is the south of the country.During the Second World War, in association with the French rugby union, the sport was banned by the Vichy government, an act which the sport has struggled to recover from...
Printed sources
- Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 ISBN 1 86200 013 3)
- Richards, Huw A Game for Hooligans: The History of Rugby Union (Mainstream PublishingMainstream PublishingMainstream Publishing is a publishing company in Edinburgh, Scotland, founded in 1978. It is associated with the Random House Group, who bought Mainstream in 2005....
, EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh 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...
, 2007, ISBN 9781845962555)