French Rugby Team

The French Rugby Team is the Rugby Six Nation Champions, the Rugby European Champions and with the 2007 Rugby World Cup being held in France, they will be strong contenders for the 2007 Rugby World Cup as well.

The France national rugby union team is also known as les Bleus or les Tricolores. France is governed by the Federation Francaise de Rugby, which was formed in 1919. France competes in the Rugby Six Nations Championship against England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Italy each year and is the current title holder. The team was infamously expelled from the competition in the 1930s because of professionalism and other problems. France has won the competition outright on 14 occasions, shared in another 8 wins and completed 8 Grand Slams. The French are always serious competitors at the top level in Rugby.

Since the first World Cup in 1987, France has competed in all tournaments that have taken place. France appeared in the very first World Cup final, but lost to New Zealand. They were again losing finalists in the 1999 World Cup against Australia. In the last Rugby World Cup France finished top of their group table and made it to the semi-finals. The French Rugby Team Coach is Bernard Laporte and the current French Rugby Team Captain is Fabien Pelous. The most capped player is Philippe Sella (111).