French Rugby Team

The French Rugby Team are 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 compete in the Rugby Six Nations Championship against England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Italy each year and are the current title holders. 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 have 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). The French Rugby Team take the field to play the All Blacks at Stade de Gerland in Lyon, France on 11 November 2006...

Richie McCaw Interview

Earlier this week I watched 'The All Black's People's Press Conference' which took place in London. Those interviewed included Richie McCaw.

One of the questions that was put to Richie was about how he feels with regard to wearing the All Black jersey...

Richie does not want to let the country down when wearing the jersey and said that the players have the goal of 'adding something to the jersey' when they play their games. He mentioned that the first All Black jersey that he ever wore he has stored in a case in the roof of his house. He hopes one day to display the jersey, perhaps in his next house!

In the interview it was mentioned that Richie McCaw is rated as the best number 7 in the world... And we love him here in Canterbury!