French national rugby union team
 
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| Nickname (s) | XV de France, Les Bleus, Les Tricolores | ||
| Association | Fédération Française de Rugby | ||
| Trainer |
 Fabien Galthié (since 2019)
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| captain | Charles Ollivon | ||
| WR abbreviation | FRA | ||
| WR rank | 6th (82.37 points) (as of February 4, 2020) |
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Most international matches for Fabien Pelous (118) |
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Most points scored Frédéric Michalak (436) |
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Most attempts scored Serge Blanco (38) |
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First international New Zealand 38-8 France (January 1, 1906) |
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Highest win Namibia 10:87 France (September 16, 2007) |
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Biggest defeat New Zealand 61:10 France (June 9, 2007) |
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World Championship participations: 9/9 Best result: Vice World Champion 1987, 1999, 2011 |
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The French national rugby union team ( French Équipe de France de rugby à XV ) is the national team of France in the sport of rugby union and represents the country in all international matches ( test matches ) of the men. The Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR) is responsible for the organization . Every year the team takes part in the Six Nations tournament, along with England , Ireland , Italy , Scotland and Wales . So far, France has won the title 17 times, including nine Grand Slams - and shared another eight title wins.
The team has made its most important international appearances at the World Championships, which have been held every four years since 1987 . Since it was first held in 1987, France has reached at least the quarter-finals of all World Cups. The team reached three finals ( 1987 , 1999 and 2011 ), but lost to New Zealand , Australia and New Zealand again. France hosted the 2007 World Cup and the next World Cup in 2023 is set to take place in France again.
The history of French rugby goes back to 1872 when British immigrants brought the sport to France. On New Year's Day 1906, France played its first test match against the " All Blacks " from New Zealand in Paris . The team then played sporadically against the Home Nations until it was invited to their annual tournament in 1910 (today's Six Nations). France also participated in the rugby tournaments of the early Olympic Games ; so one won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1900 and two silver medals in the 1920s. The national team achieved further successes in the 1950s and 1960s, when they first won the Five Nations tournament in 1959 and made the first Grand Slam in 1968.
France traditionally plays in blue jerseys, white shorts and red socks - i.e. in the colors of the French flag . In addition to its short name XV de France (XV or quinze corresponds to the 15 players), it is therefore also nicknamed les Tricolores and les Bleus . The team logo is a golden Gallic rooster on a red coat of arms. France play their home games in different stadiums, most of which take place at the Stade de France in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis . In 2002 World Rugby named the French national team “Team of the Year”. Eleven former French rugby players have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame .
organization
The Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR) is responsible for the organization of rugby union in France . It was founded on May 13, 1919 and took the place of the rugby commission of the polysportive union Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA). The FFR in turn founded the Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur (FIRA) in 1934 to compete with the International Rugby Board (IRB), now World Rugby , which it only joined in 1978. Especially in the south of France, the sport is organized much more detailed, which corresponds to the great popularity there. In the north of the country, however, the individual regional committees cover a much larger geographical area. Three committees cross borders: Ligue Régionale Grand Est de Rugby is also responsible for Luxembourg , Midi-Pyrénées for Andorra and Côte d'Azur for Monaco . The Ligue Nationale de Rugby is responsible for the organization of professional sport ; she oversees the top two leagues, the top 14 with 14 teams and the Pro D2 with 16 teams.
In addition to the actual national team, the FFR convenes other selection teams. Like other rugby nations, France has a U-20 national team that takes part in the relevant Six Nations and World Cups. Children and young people are introduced to the sport of rugby at school and, depending on their interests and talent, the training then begins. The second national team of France has been the Barbarian Rugby Club since the 2017/18 season.
Overriding the national championship is the European Rugby Champions Cup , which is held together with teams from England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales .
history
Early years
Rugby was introduced to the Le Havre region in 1872 by the British living there and began to spread from the local schools and colleges. Although the origins lie in the north, the sport enjoyed far greater popularity in the poorer, more rural regions in the south, especially among the workers employed in viticulture . The first clubs were formed in the late 1870s and early 1880s, shortly afterwards the first championship was held and the first matches against English clubs were played. A rugby tournament was also held at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris , and the USFSA sports association, which at that time comprised all sports, put together a French national team for the first time. After victories against Great Britain (27: 8; represented by Moseley Wanderers RFC) and Germany (27:17; represented by SC Frankfurt 1880 ), France won the gold medal. However, the French team at the time is not considered an official national team.
On January 1, 1906, the first official international match took place in Paris, France lost 8:38 against the All Blacks from New Zealand , in whose ranks Dave Gallaher was. The first game against England was played in March 1906, also in Paris; this time France lost 8:35. In The Complete Rugby Footballer magazine , New Zealand players Dave Gallaher and Billy Stead wrote the following prophetic sentence about French rugby: “We are very confident that the game will spread in their country and that in time they will become a team can set up that will enjoy the respect of everyone else. "
The French played their first international match outside France in January 1907, but lost to England at 1:41 pm at the Athletic Ground in Richmond upon Thames . Two days later, a French selection faced the Springboks from South Africa in Paris' Parc des Princes . The French team consisted exclusively of players from the Paris clubs Stade Français and Racing Club de France . Only two of the players who had previously played against New Zealand (and none from the England game) - inner three-quarters Paul Sagot and striker Georges Jérome - were on the side, which fell 6:55 after South Africa had 13 attempts put.
Five Nations and Olympic Games
In 1908 and 1909, respectively, France met the national teams from Wales and Ireland for the first time , but they lost with 14:36 and 8:19 respectively. When Scotland made its debut against France in 1910 , the foundation stone for the Five Nations tournament was laid. France celebrated their first victory in this tournament in 1911 against Scotland, a close 16:15. At the beginning of 1913, the South Africans were guests on their European tour in France and won with 38: 5. For France this was the beginning of a series of 18 defeats in a row, only in 1920 there was another victory. The First World War caused an interruption in international rugby until 1919.
In 1919 the rugby commission resigned from the USFSA and founded an independent association with the Fédération Française de Rugby . In the 1920 Summer Olympics rugby tournament in Antwerp , France was the only participant alongside the United States' national team . In the only game, the French lost 8-0, completely surprisingly, leaving them only with the silver medal. The first victory in the Five Nations against Ireland was also in Dublin in 1920 , the game ended 15: 7. During the last game of the Five Nations in 1921 , France showed new strengths and defeated Ireland with 20:10. Although France could not win a game in the following Five Nations in 1922 , they each managed a draw against Scotland and England.
At the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, rugby union was on the Olympic program for the last time. While Romania was clearly defeated 59: 3, France lost again in the final in front of 30,000 spectators at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir against the United States, this time with 3:17. In 1925, the All Blacks visited France for the first time since their 1906 tour, defeating France 30: 6.
Exclusion from the Five Nations
In the 1920s, performance was mediocre at best, when it wasn't until 1927 and 1928 that they could win again against England and Wales respectively. In 1928 they were also defeated in the first game against the visiting " Wallabies ". The performances improved noticeably at the beginning of the 1930s at the Games of the Five Nations. In 1932 the French national team was excluded from this competition, which returned to the Home Nations Championship mode by 1939. The French players were accused of disguised professionalism in this pure amateur sport, and the championship games were characterized by violence on the field and poor organization.
During the period of exclusion from the Home Nations Championship, many French rugby union players turned to the professionally run rugby league , which soon attracted more spectators than rugby union. Nevertheless, some international games took place, every year between 1932 and 1936 against Germany , in 1937 against Italy and in 1938 against Romania. On January 2, 1934, at the instigation of France, the Fédération Internationale de Rugby (FIRA), today Rugby Europe , was founded to compete with the International Rugby Board. The other founding members were Italy, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Catalonia, Romania, the Netherlands and Germany.
As a result of the exclusion from the Five Nations, the French national team had to compete against weaker opponents throughout. This resulted in a streak of ten victories in a row between 1931 and 1936; this record still exists today. In 1939 the French were given the right to participate again, but the next event could not be held until 1947 because of the Second World War .
1940s and 1950s
During the German occupation in the course of the Second World War, the Vichy regime consistently took action against the rugby league, which in their opinion was infiltrated by socialists , and declared rugby union to be the only permitted variant of this sport. Rugby League never recovered from this blow after the war and is now overshadowed by rugby union.
After the re-admission to the Five Nations, French rugby developed for the better. The innovative captain Lucien Mias developed the alley (throw-in) further and brought a new offensive element into play. France defeated Wales for the first time in Cardiff in 1948 and England in 1951 . The first victory over Australia came in 1948. In 1949 France was the first European team to visit Argentina and won both test matches against the " Pumas ". In 1952 France met the South African Springboks for the second time and they lost again (3:25). France first shared the title with England and Wales during the Five Nations in 1954 . In the same year, the team achieved their first victory over the New Zealand All Blacks (3-0) at the Stade Colombes. In August 1954 France visited Argentina again for two test matches and also won this test series 2-0. During the Five Nations of 1955 , France beat England, Ireland and Scotland, and a victory over Wales would give them their first Grand Slam. However, France lost to the Welsh in the Stade Colombes in Paris with 11:16 and thus missed the Grand Slam.
In 1958, the French were the first team in the Northern Hemisphere to tour South Africa . They were considered underdogs in the run-up, but drew 3-3 in the first game under their team captain Lucien Mias , who replaced the injured tour captain Michel Celaya , at the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town . They had an even bigger surprise at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg with a 9-5 win. This tour is now regarded as a turning point in French rugby history, as the Bleus had proven that they were finally one of the best teams in the world. Victories over Scotland and Wales at Stade Colombes, together with a 3-3 draw against England at Twickenham, secured France the first undivided Six Nations title during the Five Nations in 1959 . When they arrived in Dublin they were already title holders and only the 5-9 defeat against Ireland prevented the Grand Slam. This was followed by four more titles in a row; In 1960 the title was shared with England.
1960s and 1970s
During the Five Nations 1960, Les Bleus made four attempts at Cardiff Arms Park and only allowed one, defeating Ireland with a record result of 23: 6. Pierre Albaladejo set a new record with three drop goals during the 23: 6 win over Ireland. During the game against England they did not make a breakthrough and both teams had to share the title after a 3-3 draw. France then went on a tour to Argentina. In three test matches, France scored 78 points and won all three games, while the Pumas only scored 12 points. After the Springboks had already scored the Grand Slam against the Home Nations during their European tour in 1960/61, France was the only team to manage a 0-0 draw against South Africa. During the Five Nations in 1961 , France won the undivided title. The Springboks defeated Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales during their impressive tour in 1960/61, but did not get past a 0-0 draw against France at the Stade Colombes. After scuffle broke out, the game was almost abandoned. The Tricolors became the first European team to leave for New Zealand in 1961. Les Bleus lost half of the games against provincial teams and both test matches against the All Blacks with 3: 5 and 3:32 respectively. The French played a game in Australia and returned home after a 15-8 win. France won the Five Nations in 1962 but missed the Grand Slam for the fourth time in a row after losing to Wales. France lost a test match against Romania at the end of the year. It was not until 1963 that the French national team received its own national coach; this role had previously fallen to the captain. In 1964 the Bleus returned to South Africa for a single game, beating the Springboks 8-6. South African coach Danie Craven insisted until his death in 1993 that this was the worst game South Africa had ever played. Another tour to South Africa followed in 1967 (two losses, one win, one draw).
The 1960s and 1970s are the “golden age” for the French in the Five Nations tournament. They won eight times, in 1968 and 1977 even with a Grand Slam . During the Five Nations in 1966 they achieved a record victory over England (13-0). After Wales snatched the title away from France in the last game during the Five Nations in 1966, the French won the Five Nations in 1967. The title was won in the last game against Ireland in Lansdowne Road, when France won 11: 6; only an 8: 9 defeat against Scotland cost France the Grand Slam. The wallabies visiting in between were defeated in Colombes with 14:20. In July 1967 France went to South Africa for the first full series of tests. They lost 3:26 in Durban and 3:16 during the "Battle of Bloemfontein ", but they were able to win the third test match in Johannesburg with 19:14 and the Springboks in the last test match in Cape Town to wrest a 6-6 draw.
During the Five Nations in 1968, France won the first ever Grans Slam along with the title, after defeating Wales 14: 9 at Cardiff Arms Park. However, this success was overshadowed by the deaths of the players Guy Boniface and Jean-Michael Capendeguy in traffic accidents. France left for Australia and New Zealand in 1968, but failed to make an impression again when they lost the test series against the All Blacks 3-0; They also lost to the Wallabies in Sydney, albeit with a punk difference. During the Five Nations in 1969 , France suffered a slump in performance when they lost the first three games to Scotland, Ireland and England, but defeated Wales and prevented their Grand Slam.
1970s
Les Bleus retained its status as a serious opponent in the Five Nations when they shared the title with Wales in 1970 and came second in 1971 . For the 1971 tour of the French to South Africa, the colored player Roger Bourgarel was initially excluded by the selection committee, but then returned to the team after the intervention of Albert Ferrasse , President of the Fédération Française de Rugby . Danie Craven, a friend of Ferrasse and meanwhile South Africa's association president, gave his express consent. The two test matches ended in a draw and a victory for the Springboks. A test series at home against the Wallabies ended with a 1: 1 draw.
During the Five Nations 1972 , France made six attempts in the first test match at the Stade Olympique in Colombes and only allowed one, which allowed England to be defeated with a record result of 37:12. However, the tournament had to end prematurely due to the Northern Ireland conflict, so there was no winner. After Bloody Sunday in Derry , the British embassy in Dublin was burned down by an angry mob and numerous players had received threatening letters, presumably from the IRA. Then the French made a return visit to Australia, where the Wallabies were able to wrest a draw and a narrow victory. The Five Nations 1973 ended tied between all five participating teams, a one-time result.
Jean Desclaux was France's national coach between 1973 and 1980. In 1974 France won another test series in Argentina 2-0. In 1975 the Pumas visited France for the first time, but lost in both test matches. In 1975 the French visited South Africa again and played eleven games, of which they won six (the Springboks had the upper hand in both test matches). During this tour, Craven organized three games against black and multi-ethnic teams - a " sine qua non " that Ferrasse had called for the French to visit. During the Five Nations 1976 France only lost to Wales, but they defeated England 30: 9. After that, a 2-0 home win in the test series against the Wallabies succeeded. During the Five Nations 1977 they won the second Grand Slam under team captain Jacques Fouroux . The French did not allow a try and remained undefeated throughout the tournament. In July 1977 the Pumas managed their first draw against France. In November, France defeated New Zealand at 18:10 in Toulouse, but lost to the All Blacks in Paris at 3:15, which ended the test series in a draw. During the Five Nations 1978 France faced Wales in the decisive game at Cardiff Arms Park to decide who should receive the Grand Slam, but lost 9:16 to Wales, who thereby won the Grand Slam. In March 1978, the French federation finally became a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB), now World Rugby . On July 14, 1979, the national holiday of France , the first victory over the All Blacks in New Zealand succeeded when they won in Eden Park in Auckland with 24:19.
In 1979 the French government banned a planned tour of the Springboks, stating that it was "inappropriate" to receive South African teams in France. After the South African team's visa applications were rejected by the French authorities in September 1979, a discussion took place between the foreign ministers of both countries. The South African Foreign Minister then informed the South African Rugby Board (SARB) about the French position, according to which, at least until after the 1980 Olympic Games, a mutual sporting encounter would not be possible. Contrary to the disapproval of the French government, the Fédération Française de Rugby decided to accept an invitation from the SARB and to organize a tour in South Africa in 1980 as well as to send a fact-finding mission to South Africa beforehand. This meeting took place in October 1980 amid international protests. After their graduation, the French association president Albert Ferrasse said that he was not yet satisfied with the progress made in lifting the separation in South African rugby.
1980s and early 1990s
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The last game against South Africa during the apartheid era took place in November 1980 . The French were led by Jean-Pierre Rives and lost the so-called "summer test" against the Springboks at Newlands Stadium with 15:37. Jacques Fouroux became France's national coach shortly before the Five Nations started in 1981 . In the ten years with Fouroux as national coach, France has won the Five Nations six times, including two Grand Slams (1981 and 1987 ). France's success was due to the heavy crush; this fact angered some French commentators who preferred a more technical approach. Well-known French internationals from this period are Philippe Sella , Daniel Dubroca and Serge Blanco .
During the Five Nations in 1981, France secured the Grand Slam in Twickenham. During the 1983 Five Nations , France shared the title with Ireland and the 1986 Five Nations title with Scotland; the victorious teams each won three games and lost one each. On April 8, 1983, the French government banned all sports associations in the country from all contact with South Africa, which, among other things, resulted in the cancellation of the planned tour of the French. In November 1986 an inexperienced New Zealand team visited France. Most of New Zealand's best players were touring South Africa in 1986 and were subsequently suspended. The Baby Blacks were still able to win 19: 7 in Toulouse. During the “Battle of Nantes” France managed to take revenge 16: 3.
The 1987 Five Nations Championship France won Grand Slam together and then one was in the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup as one of the favorites. In the semi-finals, Australia was defeated 30:24 after being behind three times. In the final, the French could not build on this performance and were defeated by the New Zealanders with 9:29. The 1988 Five Nations title was shared between France and Wales. The Five Nations in 1989 also won France, missed after a 0: 11 but defeat to England the Grand Slam.
Since 1990
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At the 1991 World Cup , France was eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing to England, the worst result at the tournament so far.
After the banishment of South Africa after the end of apartheid, South Africa visited France again in 1992, followed by a return visit in 1993. The tour captain Jean-François Tordo was injured in a game against the Western Province and was replaced by Olivier Roumat . France won the test series after beating the Springboks 18:17 at Ellis Park; the previous game in Durban ended in a 20:20 draw. The series victory for the French came unexpectedly after they had previously lost to a second selection from South Africa and the provincial team from Northern Transvaal ; there was a draw against the Free State .
In the early 1990s, France was overshadowed by England. Eight defeats in a row against Will Carling's teams from 1989 onwards underscored the French lack of discipline at the time. During the 1993 Five Nations , France won the only title in the early 1990s after England was defeated in both Cardiff and Dublin. In 1992 Argentina surprisingly defeated France in Nantes by 24:20, the Pumas' first success on French soil. During the 1994 tour to New Zealand, the French managed a 2-0 series victory under their team captain Philippe Saint-André . This success was secured with the well-known "attempt from the end of the world" when Saint-André started a counterattack in the last minutes of the game from the French half and Jean-Luc Sadourny was able to make the decisive attempt.
At the 1995 World Cup, the French lost to the eventual world champions from South Africa in the semi-finals, but won the game for third place against England.
In August 1995 the International Rugby Board lifted all restrictions on player payment, ushering in the professional era of rugby union. During the transition to the professional era of rugby, England dominated the Five Nations, which won the Five Nations in 1995 and successfully defended the title during the Five Nations in 1996 . France defeated England in 1996, but missed the title themselves after a defeat by one point against Wales. After the Five Nations, France received Romania and then went to Argentina for a series of two test matches; the French won both games. At the end of the year they met Wales, against which they had previously lost in the Five Nations, but France was able to retaliate and win 40:33; however, this success was followed by two home defeats against the Springboks.
After narrowly missing out on the 1996 Five Nations title, France faced the new season with confidence and remained undefeated during the 1997 Five Nations , including a 23:20 against England in Twickenham. After winning the title and the fifth Grand Slam, France faced Five Nations aspirants Italy, but lost 32:40. After defeating Romania, they toured Australia, but lost both test matches. At the end of the year, France beat Italy, Romania and Argentina at home; then they received South Africa for two test matches, but lost both, the second gaar with more than 40 points difference.
During the Five Nations 1998 France was able to successfully defend its title and won the sixth Grand Slam without defeat; Wales was downright outclassed 51-0. France received Australia at the end of the year, but lost the test match 21:32. During the Five Nations 1999 , France's title defense was catastrophic, a year before Italy was admitted to the Six Nations : France lost all games and landed ingloriously at the bottom of the table, "winning" the " wooden spoon ". Until 2013, however, this was to remain the French’s last “wooden spoon”.
Again, the team presented itself completely differently in the same year at the 1999 World Cup . She remained unbeaten in the three preliminary round matches and beat Argentina in the quarter-finals 47:26. In the semifinals they met the New Zealand All Blacks and won against all expectations with 43:31, after New Zealand initially led with 14 points, but France was able to achieve 30 points in a row. The impetuous attacking game took its toll, however, as the tired French lost the final in the new Millennium Stadium in Cardiff 12:35 against Australia. In 1999, Bernard Laporte , who had led Stade Français back to the championship title after a break of 90 years, became the first full-time national coach.
In 2000 Italy joined the Five Nations, which became the Six Nations. France was initially unable to meet expectations in the extended tournament; they finished the first Six Nations 2000 after defeats against England and Ireland in second place behind England. After defeating Romania 67:20, the Wallabies were guests in Paris; France lost the reunion from the 1999 World Cup final 3:18. Then the All Blacks were guests for two test matches, of which France lost the first, while they managed to win the second.
During the 2001 Six Nations , France had a disappointing tournament after losing to Ireland, Wales and England; they only reached fifth place ahead of Italy. However, at the end of the year France had victories over both South Africa and Australia, but also an impressive 77:10 victory over Fiji. France remained undefeated during the Six Nations 2002 and thus achieved their first Six Nations victory and seventh Grand Slam. They then lost two test matches against Australia, but won against South Africa and drew against New Zealand. They have received numerous awards from the IRB, including “Team of the Year”, Bernard Laporte as “Coach of the Year” and Fabien Galthié as “Player of the Year”.
France lost two games during the 2003 Six Nations , including the opening game against England; England should win the tournament together with the Grand Slam. France only achieved third place. In preparation for the World Cup they played against Argentina, the All Blacks and England, but only achieved mixed results. During the Rugby Union World Cup in 2003 they remained unbeaten in all four group games and won the quarter-finals against Ireland 43:21. In the semifinals, however, they were defeated by the eventual world champions England 7:24. The game for third place against New Zealand was also lost at 1:40. Then France was able to repeat its success from 2002 during the Six Nations 2004 . France won all games, including the one against world champions England, for the eighth Grand Slam. During the end-of-year Rugby Union Internationals in 2004 , France lost a test match at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseilles for the first time when they lost 14:24 to Argentina. During the Six Nations 2005 , France finished second behind Wales. During the end-of-year Rugby Union Internationals 2005 they won against the Wallabies with 26:16 and against the Springboks with 26:20.
After a short successful tour to North America , France played against teams from the southern hemisphere: Australia, Argentina and the All Blacks, but lost all test matches. France lost a test series to South Africa after they drew 30:30 in the first game and lost the second test match 13:17. France lost their opening game of the Six Nations 2006 against Scotland 16:20, the first defeat against Scotland since 1999, but won against all other teams, which meant they could win their third tournament under Laporte.
At the 2007 Rugby Union World Cup in their own country, expectations were high. But already in the opening game against Argentina, the French suffered a narrow defeat and could no longer achieve the desired first place in the group. They met New Zealand in the quarter-finals and won 20:18 against the tournament favorites. After losing to England in the semi-final, they met Argentina again in the game for third place and lost again to the South Americans.
France failed to defend their title during the Six Nations 2008 and they only ended up in third place. Although they could beat Scotland, Italy and Ireland, they missed the Grand Slam after a disappointing game against England. France could not prevent their Grand Slam success in the last game against Wales and lost with 12:29. During the Middle-of-year Rugby Union Internationals in 2008 , both test matches were lost against the Wallabies. After the Six Nations 2009 , which was mediocre for France , the All Blacks were defeated during the Mid-year Internationals 2009 in Dunedin with 27:22. Although they lost a week later in Wellington with 10:14, they were still able to receive the Dave Gallaher Trophy for the first time due to the difference in points.
During the Six Nations 2010 France won its ninth Grand Slam after defeating England 12:10 in the Stade de France in the last game. France narrowly failed to defend their title during the Six Nations 2011 after losing a Six Nations game against Italy at 21:22 for the first time.
France's tournament during the 2011 Rugby Union World Cup was overshadowed by disagreements within the team. According to reports, 25 of the 30 players in the squad criticized national coach Marc Lièvremont before the tournament . In the group stage, France delivered the expected wins against Japan and Canada and, as expected, lost to New Zealand, followed by a surprising loss to Tonga. During this phase Lièvremont criticized his team in the media and brought many of the players against him. Imanol Harinordoquy publicly criticized Lièvremont after the coach brought his criticism to the public instead of first discussing it with the team. Despite the defeats, France made it to the quarter-finals. The players started the resistance against Lièvremont at this point, and Harinordoquy reported to the French rugby correspondent Midi Olympique after the tournament that the team had to "break free" of him. The team nevertheless defeated England 19:12 in the quarter-finals and Wales 9-8 in the semi-finals in a controversial manner after Welsh team captain Sam Warburton had to leave the field. The French were notable opponents for the All Blacks in the final, losing just 7-8 to the hosts, although France dominated the game for much of the second half. This was the third time that France became vice world champion.
During the Six Nations 2013 France only won the “Wooden spoon” after defeating Scotland 23:16 and only making a 13:13 draw against Ireland, but losing the other three games against Italy, Wales and England . The 18:23 defeat against Italy was only the second ever during the Six Nations. In the following Six Nations tournaments France only achieved mediocre results. During the Mid-year Internationals 2013 France lost the Test series against New Zealand 3-0. During the Mid-year Internationals in 2014 , they lost the test series against the Wallabies with 0: 3, whereupon the Trophée des Bicentenaires had to be handed over for the first time since 2010 after receiving it in 2012.
During the Rugby Union World Cup in 2015 , France was outclassed in the quarter-finals by eventual champions New Zealand with a score of 62:13. During the Six Nations 2016 they lost to Scotland at Murrayfield Stadium after conceding three attempts and losing at 18:29. This was France's first loss to Scotland since 2006 and also ended a ten-game winning streak against the Scots. During the Mid-year Internationals 2017 , all three test matches were lost in South Africa.
During the Mid-Year Internationals 2018 France lost the test series in New Zealand again with 0: 3. At the Rugby Union World Cup 2019 , France was drawn into the so-called "group of deaths" with England and Argentina. In the group stage, France won all games and only finished second behind England due to fewer bonus points. The last group game against England, like two other games, was canceled due to the devastation of Typhoon Hagibis and counted as a 0-0 draw. In the quarter-finals they were defeated by Wales 20:19, after France still led at half time with 19:10; However, Sébastien Vahaamahina was sent off with a red card shortly after the break, and Wales turned the game around to 20:19 after a penalty kick by Dan Biggar and an increased attempt by Virimi Vakatawa . France will host the upcoming Rugby Union World Cup in 2023 .
Jersey, logo and nickname
Until 1912, the French national rugby union team played in a white jersey with two rings on it (the logo of the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques , the sports federation in France at the time, which oversaw most sports in the country). After France won their first game against Scotland in 1911, team captain Marcel Communeau suggested that the team use the coq gaulois (the "Gallic rooster"), a traditional symbol of France. The Gallic rooster was probably chosen because it is considered a proud and brave animal that can sometimes become aggressive; however, it has been used as a symbol by other French national teams before - a former soccer player, Jean Rigal , wore a shirt with this symbol as early as May 1910. The symbol was originally in white and red, but was changed to a multi-colored, embroidered image after 1945 and has been gold since 1970.
The symbol of the French national rugby union team quickly became popular and was used by the French selection at the 1920 Summer Olympics , with the rooster depicted on the Olympic rings . The rooster then became a well-known symbol of French national teams. French internationals are sometimes called les coqs ("the cocks") and some French national team supporters let cocks roam the field before games.
The French national rugby union team traditionally plays in blue jerseys, white shorts and red socks, after the colors of the flag of France , from which the nickname les tricolores ("the three-colored") comes. Having mostly used blue jerseys in recent years, like other French national teams, they are usually called les Bleus ("the blues"). When the opposing team traditionally also plays in blue jerseys - such as Argentina, Italy and Scotland - France plays in white jerseys. New jerseys were designed for the 2007 World Cup, one of which is dark blue. In June 2011 a new kit was presented, consisting of a blue shirt, blue shorts and blue socks for home games and a white shirt with white shorts and white socks for away games.
In 2011, the Fédération Française de Rugby announced the partnership with Adidas for a period of six years and Adidas will manufacture the jersey between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2018. Since July 2018, the jersey has been produced for a period of six years by the French sports outfitter Le Coq Sportif .
Under the new leadership of President Bernard Laporte, the FFR envisaged attracting sponsors for the jersey. On June 24, 2017, the FFR announced that it had started marketing the jersey. In February of the same year, it was decided to use the slogan # France2023 to advertise the 2023 World Cup in France on the front of the shirt . In March 2017, Groupe Altrad announced its support for the French application and the company logo was added to the slogan # France2023 on the shirt. Groupe Altrad became the first company whose logo appeared on the French jersey. After the French application for the 2023 World Cup was successful in 2017, Groupe Altrad signed a contract with the FFR and the company logo has appeared on its jersey since then.
Shirt suppliers and sponsors
The following kit suppliers and sponsors have appeared since 1977:
| Period | Outfitter | sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1977-1986 |
Le Coq Sportif
|
- |
| 1985 |
 Nike
|
- |
| 1986-1998 |
 Adidas
|
- |
| 1998-2012 |
Nike
|
- |
| 2012-2018 |
Adidas
|
- |
| 2018-2024 |
Le Coq Sportif
|
Groupe old bike |
In August 2020, the Fédération Française de Rugby listed the following sponsors and partners on its official website: Garantie mutuelle des fonctionnaires, Société Générale , Orange , Groupe Altrad and Le Coq Sportif .
Stages
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As in the rugby nations of Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, there is no official “national stadium” in France; rather, the French rugby team plays its home games in many different places in France. These stadiums include Parc des Princes and Stade Olympique de Colombes , both in the greater Paris area. The Stade Olympique de Colombes was the main stadium during the 1924 Summer Olympics, which also featured a rugby tournament.
Since the French rugby team left the Parc des Princes at the end of 1997, the Stade de France in Saint-Denis has served as their home stadium, and France plays its home games there during the annual Six Nations tournaments. The stadium has a capacity of 80,000. France has played its home games in other stadiums since 2005: Stade Chaban-Delmas , Grand Stade Lille Métropole (currently called Stade Pierre-Mauroy), Matmut Stadium Gerland , Stade Vélodrome , Stade de la Mosson , Stade Louis-Fonteneau , Stade Auguste Bonal , Municipal Stadium and Paris La Défense Arena .
In June 2012, the FFR announced plans for a new rugby stadium in Évry , around 25 kilometers south of Paris. According to estimates, the construction costs should amount to around € 600 million and the audience capacity should be 82,000. The stadium was originally scheduled for completion in 2017, but was later postponed to 2021 or 2022. In December 2016, FFR officially abandoned the stadium project.
Test matches
As of the end of June 2020, France has won 411 of its 762 test matches , which corresponds to a win rate of 53.94%.
| country | Games | Won | undecided eliminated |
Lost | % Victories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina
|
52 | 37 | 1 | 14th | 71.15 |
 Australia
|
47 | 18th | 2 | 27 | 38.30 |
 British Lions
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
|
Germany
|
16 | 14th | 0 | 2 | 87.50 |
 Ivory Coast
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
 England
|
106 | 41 | 7th | 58 | 38.68 |
 Fiji
|
10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 90.00 |
 Georgia
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
 Ireland
|
98 | 56 | 7th | 35 | 57.14 |
 Italy
|
41 | 38 | 0 | 3 | 92.68 |
 Japan
|
4th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
 Canada
|
9 | 8th | 0 | 1 | 88.89 |
|
Namibia
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
|
New Zealand
|
61 | 12 | 1 | 48 | 19.67 |
 Pacific Islanders
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
 Romania
|
52 | 42 | 2 | 8th | 80.77 |
 Samoa
|
4th | 4th | 0 | 0 | 100 |
 Scotland
|
96 | 55 | 3 | 38 | 57.29 |
 Zimbabwe
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
 South Africa
|
44 | 11 | 6th | 27 | 25.00 |
 Tonga
|
6th | 4th | 0 | 2 | 66.67 |
 Czechoslovakia
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
|
United States
|
9 | 7th | 0 | 2 | 77.78 |
.svg){kind=small} Wales
|
99 | 45 | 3 | 51 | 45.45 |
| total | 762 | 411 | 33 | 318 | 53.94 |
Rivalries with other national teams
England and France have met 106 times so far, with England winning 58 test matches and France 41, plus seven draws. At world championships, both teams have played against each other five times; England victorious three times and France twice. The game between the two teams is dubbed Le Crunch in the media and among fans in England and France alike . England and France are the most successful national teams in the northern hemisphere to date, especially at world championships. Both teams almost always reached the World Cup final alternately (only in 1995 and 2015 teams from the southern hemisphere won the tournament among themselves). England have made it to the finals four times and France three times, in a total of nine world championships. Both countries also have the two most financially strong rugby union leagues in the world, the English Premiership and the Top 14 .
Like the other established rugby nations in the northern hemisphere, France also maintains a rivalry with the “big” national teams of the southern hemisphere. France met teams from the southern hemisphere in all three finals (twice in New Zealand and once in Australia). You played two finals against the All Blacks: 1987 and 2011, but you couldn't win any. In 1999 they met the Wallabies and lost too. France have only played once against South Africa at the World Cup: in 1995 in the quarter-finals, when they had to admit defeat to the hosts. Against the All Blacks they have played seven games at world championships, with France winning the semi-finals in 1999 and the quarter-finals in 2007 against the favorite All Blacks. The Bilnaz is more balanced against the Wallabies: Both teams have won two of the four games so far.
successes
World championships
France has participated in every World Cup so far and reached the finals in three tournaments, but lost each to New Zealand (1987), Australia (1999) and New Zealand (2011). This makes France the most successful rugby team in the northern hemisphere after England to have received the Webb Ellis Cup once. At the first World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 1987, France made it to the final, but lost a lot against New Zealand. At the second World Cup in 1991 in the countries of the then Five Nations, France was eliminated in the quarter-finals against England. In 1995 France made it to the semi-finals, but lost to the hosts and eventual world champions South Africa, after which they defeated the All Blacks in the game for third place. At the 1999 World Cup, which was also played in the Five Nations at the time, France made it to one strong performance against New Zealand in the semifinals again until the final, but this time lost to Australia. In 2003, France lost to eventual world champions England in the semi-finals and also lost the game for third place against New Zealand significantly. The 2007 home World Cup started with a stumble against surprisingly strong Argentines, but still made it to the semi-finals, where they lost to England; in the game for 3rd place they lost again to Argentina. In 2011, France made it to the final despite the open riot against the national coach and narrowly failed against hosts New Zealand. At the 2015 World Cup, the defending champion and later World Champion New Zealand was clearly defeated in the quarter-finals. At the 2019 World Cup, France gave up victory in the quarter-finals and narrowly lost to the Welsh.
- World Championship 1987 : 2nd place
- 1991 World Cup : quarter-finals
- World Championship 1995 : 3rd place
- World Championship 1999 : 2nd place
- World Championship 2003 : 4th place
- World Championship 2007 : 4th place
- World Championship 2011 : 2nd place
- World Championship 2015 : quarter-finals
- World Championship 2019 : quarter-finals
- World Championship 2023 : qualified
Five Nations / Six Nations
France's only annual tournament is the Six Nations , where the team competes against five other European teams: England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. The Six Nations began as the Home Nations Championship in 1883 and became the Five Nations in 1910 when France began participating. In 1932 France was excluded from the Five Nations due to suspected professionalism in the then strict amateur sport of rugby union , which returned to the format of the Home Nations Championship ; France was resumed in 1947. 1954 succeeded the first title win, which one shared with England and Wales. 1959 succeeded the first sole title win.
As part of the Six Nations, France has been playing against Italy for the Giuseppe Garibaldi trophy since 2007 and against Scotland for the Auld Alliance trophy since 2018 . In the entire history of the Six Nations, France is the third most successful team, although they took part in 34 tournaments less than the Home Nations. France won almost the same number of tournaments as England over the same period; France is also the most successful team in the post-war period (since 1945). So far, France has won the title 17 times, plus eight shared wins. They also won nine Grand Slams .
- 17 single victories (1959, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1977, 1981, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009)
- 8 shared victories (1954, 1955, 1960, 1970, 1973, 1983, 1986, 1988)
- 9 Grand Slams (1968, 1977, 1981, 1987, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2010)
More test matches
During the amateur era, France toured abroad, sometimes for months, to compete against other national teams as well as against regional selections and club teams. Touring national teams were also received in France. The tours according to old tradition came to a standstill around the year 2000. Today there are two time slots available every year for test matches against teams from the southern hemisphere. At the Mid-year Internationals in June, France travels to the southern hemisphere, and at the End-of-year Internationals in November, teams from the southern hemisphere are welcomed to France. France has been playing against Australia for the Trophée des Bicentenaires (donated to mark the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution ) and against New Zealand since 2000 for the Dave Gallaher Trophy (named after David "Dave" Gallaher , the captain of the " Original All Blacks " from 1905/06, who died in France during the First World War ).
Olympic games
France took part in Olympic tournaments three times. The team became Olympic champion once and had to admit defeat twice in the final (each against the team from the United States ).
European championships
The French national team took part in rugby European championships between 1935 and 1954 and won all six events during this period. After that, from 1965 onwards, the French federation only took part in European championships with the reserve team France A - with the exception of the games against the then highly rated Romanian team - and won a further 20 European championship titles by the time they finally withdrew in 1997.
- National team tournament victories (6): 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1952, 1954
- Tournament victories France A (20): 1965/66, 1966/67, 1967/68, 1969/70, 1970/71, 1971/72, 1972/73, 1973/74, 1975/76, 1977/78, 1978/1979 , 1979/80, 1981/82, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1985-1987, 1987-1989, 1989/90, 1990-1992, 1992-1994
player
Current squad
The following players make up the roster during the Six Nations 2020 :
Known players
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Eleven French players were inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame for their outstanding performance:
| player | position | admission |
|---|---|---|
| Philippe Sella | Inner three quarters | 2008 |
| Serge Blanco | Goalkeeper , outside three quarters | 2010 |
| André Boniface | Inside three quarters , outside three quarters | 2010 |
| Guy Boniface | Inner three quarters | 2010 |
| Lucien Mias | Second row striker | 2010 |
| Jean Prat | Winger | 2010 |
| Jo Maso | Inner three quarters | 2014 |
| Jean-Pierre Rives | Winger | 2015 |
| Marcel Communeau | Second row striker | 2015 |
| Fabien Pelous | Second row striker | 2017 |
| Pierre Villepreux | Goalkeeper | 2018 |
Pierre de Coubertin was also inducted into the Hall of Fame (for his influence on the sport).
Choice of players
In December 2016, the President of the FFR, Bernard Laporte , announced a change in the selection criteria for international tournaments, according to which only players who are French citizens can play for the national team. This regulation is in addition to the rules of the World Rugby Federation, according to which only players may be nominated for national teams who have already played rugby union in the country for three years. As of December 31, 2020, World Rugby extended this period to five years. Before the announcement by the French association, players with French roots were also allowed to play for the national team, even if they did not have a French passport themselves. As a result, France has had the fewest foreign-born players on its Six Nations squads since 2016.
Player statistics
(Status: end of July 2020)
|
|
|
|
Trainer
France appointed a national coach for the first time in 1964: Jean Prat. Fabien Galthié is currently the French national coach after being hired in 2019.
| Surname | Years | Wins in% |
|---|---|---|
| Jean Prat | 1964-1968 | 66 |
| Fernand Cazenave | 1968-1973 | 32 |
| Jean Desclaux | 1973-1980 | 58 |
| Jacques Fouroux | 1981-1990 | 60 |
| Daniel Dubroca | 1990-1991 | 65 |
| Pierre Berbizier | 1991-1995 | 67 |
| Jean-Claude Skrela | 1995-1999 | 65 |
| Bernard Laporte | 1999-2007 | 63 |
| Marc Lièvremont | 2007-2011 | 60 |
| Philippe Saint-André | 2011-2015 | 44 |
| Guy Novès | 2015-2017 | 33 |
| Jacques Brunel | 2017-2019 | 42 |
| Fabien Galthié | since 2019 | 75 |
Awards
In 2002 the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby ) named the French national team "Team of the Year".
literature
- Ian Borthwick: France / All Blacks: 100 ans de rencontres . Ed .: Au vent des îles. Papeete 2006, ISBN 2-915654-07-7 .
- Dine, Philip: French Rugby Football — Cultural History . Ed .: Berg. 2001, ISBN 978-1-85973-327-1 .
- Henri Garcia: La fabuleuse histoire du rugby . Éditions de La Martinière, Paris 2011, ISBN 978-2-7324-4528-1 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ World Rugby Rankings. world.rugby, February 4, 2020, accessed November 26, 2019 .
- ↑ Most matches. ESPNscrum, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Most points. ESPNscrum, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Most tries. ESPNscrum, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ La Federation. Fédération Française de Rugby , accessed on 23 August 2020 (French).
- ↑ Qui sommes-nous? Ligue Nationale de Rugby , 2020, accessed 25 August 2020 (French).
- ↑ France U20. Six Nations, accessed on August 23, 2020 .
- ^ World Rugby U20 Championship. World Rugby , accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Le rugby à l'école. Fédération Française de Rugby , accessed on 23 August 2020 (French).
- ^ Barbarians Français: Une équipe d'exception. Fédération Française de Rugby , accessed on 23 August 2020 (French).
- ↑ a b c Chris Thau: 100 years of French Test rugby: part one. World Rugby , November 14, 2006, archived from the original on June 11, 2007 ; accessed on March 29, 2007 (English).
- ↑ a b c d Rugby at the 1924 Olympics. Rugby Football History, accessed March 4, 2007 .
- ↑ a b 8th All Black Test: 88th All Black Game. allblacks.com, accessed March 30, 2007 .
- ^ France vs England. 2rugby.com, archived from the original on September 27, 2007 ; accessed on March 30, 2007 (English).
- ↑ http://www.planet-rugby.com/Teams/France/story_55251.shtml (link not available)
- ↑ 1906-07 Springboks tour. rugbyrelics.com, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ James Standley: History favors Springbok slam. BBC , November 5, 2004, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ^ South Africa vs France> Games Played. rugbydata.com, archived from the original on October 9, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ^ Australia, the British Isles, France and Canada. Allblacks.com, accessed March 4, 2007 .
- ^ Six Nations history. BBC , January 28, 2002, archived from the original on October 9, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ↑ About us. Rugby Europe, archived from the original on January 20, 2017 ; accessed on August 19, 2017 .
- ^ France> Most Wins in a row. rugbydata.com, archived from the original on October 9, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ↑ 2/3/4/5/6 Nations Winners. Rugby World, archived from the original on October 6, 2007 ; accessed on March 4, 2007 .
- ^ Six Nations history. BBC , January 28, 2002, archived from the original on October 9, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ^ French Rugby League - Still Awaiting An Apology. rl1908.com, archived from the original on May 11, 2006 ; accessed on May 14, 2006 (English).
- ↑ Potter (1961), p. 99.
- ^ A b Six Nations roll of honor. BBC , December 18, 2007, archived from the original on October 9, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ↑ 1954: French renaissance. nobok.co.uk, accessed April 10, 2007 .
- ↑ Alex Potter, Georges Duthen: The Rise of French Rugby . AH & AW Reed, Wellington 1961, pp. 83-91 .
- ↑ 1959: Finding William. nobok.co.uk, accessed April 10, 2007 .
- ↑ 1960: Stalemates. nobok.co.uk, accessed April 10, 2007 .
- ^ South Africa tour 1960/61. espnscrum.com, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ^ South Africa tour 1960/61. espnscrum.com, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ 1961: A debut to remember. nobok.co.uk, accessed April 10, 2007 .
- ^ Gilles Navarro: "Le respect, je l'ai gagné sur le terrain". L'Équipe , November 24, 2013, accessed on August 23, 2020 (French).
- ^ Orders Mark: When the Wales rugby team faced 'death threats' in Ireland. In: walesonline. February 19, 2018, archived from the original on July 3, 2018 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ↑ Garcia: La fabuleuse histoire du rugby. Pp. 574-576.
- ↑ 1977 in France. allblacks.com, accessed April 2, 2007 .
- ↑ 184th All Black Test: 753rd All Black Game. allblacks.com, accessed April 2, 2007 .
- ↑ Garcia: La fabuleuse histoire du rugby. P. 607.
- ^ SAIRR: Survey of Race Relations in South Africa 1979 . Johannesburg 1980, p. 592.
- ^ SAIRR: Survey of Race Relations in South Africa 1980 . Johannesburg 1981, p. 598.
- ↑ McMurtie, Bill: Relieved Grant praises Scots' defense. The Glasgow Herald, March 17, 1986, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Garcia: La fabuleuse histoire du rugby. Pp. 638-639.
- ^ Rugby World Cup 1987: Matches. rugbyworldcup.com, 2019, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Pyem Steven: Remembering England's woe in Cardiff in the 1989 Five Nations. The Guardian , March 20, 2013, archived from the original January 20, 2014 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ^ Rugby World Cup 1991: Matches. rugbyworldcup.com, 2019, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Garcia: La fabuleuse histoire du rugby. Pp. 830-840.
- ↑ 1994 France in New Zealand. allblacks.com, accessed April 2, 2007 .
- ^ Rugby World Cup 1995: Matches. rugbyworldcup.com, 2019, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ^ Rugby World Cup 1999: Matches. rugbyworldcup.com, 2019, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ^ World Rugby Awards Past Winners. World Rugby , November 9, 2014, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ^ Rugby World Cup 2003: Matches. rugbyworldcup.com, 2019, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ^ Scotland 20-16 France. BBC , February 5, 2006, archived from the original on December 8, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ↑ Averis, Mike: Lamont launches Scotland into orbit as favorites fall flat at the first. The Guardian , February 6, 2006, archived from the original on September 26, 2018 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ^ Rugby World Cup 2007: Matches. rugbyworldcup.com, 2019, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Paul Ackford: France 12 England 10: match report. The Telegraph, March 20, 2010, archived from the original on November 17, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ↑ Simon Briggs: Italy 22 France 21: match report. Daily Telegraph, March 12, 2011, archived from the original October 22, 2018 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ↑ a b Harinordoquy admits to French uprising. ESPNscrum, October 31, 2011, archived from the original on October 28, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ↑ Harinordoquy hits back at Lièvremont. ESPNscrum, October 4, 2011, archived from the original on November 17, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ^ Wales 8-9 France. BBC , October 15, 2011, archived from the original on August 22, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ^ Wales 8 France 9: match report. The Telegraph, October 15, 2011, archived from the original November 10, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ^ Rugby World Cup 2011: Matches. rugbyworldcup.com, 2019, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Orquera leads Italy to stunning success in Rome. In: rbs6nations.com. Sportsbeat, February 3, 2013, archived from the original on August 13, 2013 ; accessed on August 13, 2013 .
- ^ Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Italy v France at Rome. ESPNscrum, archived from the original on November 16, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ^ Rugby World Cup 2015: Matches. rugbyworldcup.com, 2019, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Scotland 29-18 France. Six Nations Guide, archived from the original on December 8, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ^ Rugby World Cup: Typhoon Hagibis forces England-France off; Scotland wait & Ireland play. BBC , October 10, 2019, archived from the original on December 13, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ↑ Rugby World Cup 2019: Matches. rugbyworldcup.com, 2019, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ January 2nd, 1911: la naissance d'une nation. Rugby-nomades.qc.ca, archived from the original on September 20, 2007 ; Retrieved on March 4, 2007 (French).
- ↑ Le coq dans le sport. Crdp.ac-bordeaux.fr, accessed March 4, 2007 (French).
- ↑ Le coq sportif. Crdp.ac-bordeaux.fr, accessed March 4, 2007 (French).
- ↑ Ecusson en forme de coq, devenu emblème national. Musee du Sport, archived from the original on October 10, 2007 ; Retrieved on March 4, 2007 (French).
- ↑ Owen, James: Bird Flu Strikes at French Identity, Cuisine. National Geographic , March 2, 2006, accessed June 25, 2007 .
- ^ France into adidas for International Rugby from 2012. RugbyShirts.net, July 9, 2012, archived from the original on February 22, 2013 ; accessed on July 9, 2012 (English).
- ↑ Le Coq Sportif nouvel équipementier du XV de France à partir de 2018. sport24.lefigaro.fr, accessed on June 6, 2017 (French).
- ^ XV de France: Le coq sportif remporte sa finale. Midi olympique, June 3, 2017, accessed June 4, 2017 (French).
- ↑ Equipe de France. Une publicité sur le maillot ... pour la Coupe du monde 2023. Le Télégramme, February 9, 2017, archived from the original on November 17, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (French).
- ^ XV de France - Le nouveau maillot des Bleus avec le logo Altrad. Rugbyrama, March 7, 2017; archived from the original on November 17, 2019 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (French).
- ^ Rob Lewis: Crowd Control: Transforming Stadium Spectatorship in Interwar France. Proceedings of the Western Society for French History, 2007, pp. 219-232 , accessed on August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Stade de France. rbs6nations.com, archived from the original on March 23, 2007 ; accessed on April 3, 2007 .
- ^ Games played by France. Rugbydata, archived from the original on August 29, 2018 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ^ French rugby federation chooses new 82,000-seater stadium south of Paris. The Telegraph, June 29, 2012, archived from the original on September 26, 2015 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ↑ Le Stade: Les dates clés. Fédération Française de Rugby , November 30, 2016, archived from the original on October 24, 2016 ; Retrieved October 24, 2016 (French).
- ↑ Charlotte Bates: The French rugby federation abandon plans for new stadium. Sky Sports, December 14, 2016; archived from the original on October 2, 2018 ; accessed on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ^ International Rugby Union Statistics - France. ESPNscrum, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Le Crunch: What is it? Where is it? And who wins it? Rugby World Cup, June 10, 2020, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ^ A b Six Nations roll of honor. BBC, January 29, 2004, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ LLa list of 42 pour le Tounoi des 6 Nations. FFR, January 8, 2020, accessed on August 23, 2020 (French).
- ↑ Inductees. World Rugby , accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Pierre de Coubertin. In: World Rugby Hall of Fame. Retrieved on August 23, 2020 (English).
- ↑ World Rugby announces historic eligibility regulation reform. World Rugby , May 10, 2017, accessed on May 10, 2017 .
- ↑ France rugby team to stop selecting 'foreign' players, says Laporte. BBC , December 21, 2016, accessed January 21, 2017 .
- ↑ Foreign-Born Players in 2019 Six Nations. Americas Rugby News, January 30, 2019, accessed February 5, 2019 .
- ↑ Total matches played (descending). ESPNscrum, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Total matches played as captain (descending). ESPNscrum, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Total points scored (descending). ESPNscrum, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Total tries scored (descending). ESPNscrum, accessed August 23, 2020 .
