The France national rugby union team, commonly referred to as Les
Bleus, is one of the most distinguished rugby sides on the planet. They
made their international debut in 1906 at Parc des Princes, Paris.
Ninety years later, Les Bleus began playing at the Stade de France, a
venue known for its electrifying atmosphere.
The France rugby
team competes at the Six Nations Championship, where they have firmly
established a reputation as one of the tournament’s strongest sides.
They have also come close to several Rugby World Cup victories; Les
Bleus reached the final of the competition in 1987, 1999 and 2011.
Additionally, France have consistently been a top contender in the World Rugby
Rankings. In 2022, their resilience finally paid off and they reached
the number one spot for the first time.
The rivalry between South Africa and the France rugby team spans over a century. The two nations have competed against one another since
1913, when the Springboks beat Les Bleus 38-5.
Since 1989, the
two sides have met each other twice at the Rugby World Cup. In 1995,
South Africa defeated France 19-15 at the semi-final stage. Then, in
2023, South Africa knocked France out of their home Rugby World Cup at
the quarter-final stage in the Stade de France.
Away from the
RWC, South Africa hold a formidable record against the France rugby
team. Their most impressive period was 2010 to 2018, when the Springboks produced seven back-to-back test victories over Les Bleus. In contrast, France’s best achievement was three consecutive wins from 2005 to 2009.
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