International Rugby Events
European Union
All kind of International Rugby Events, like June Tours, Pacific cups and all others.
France vs Samoa
Match scheduled:
Date: 21-11-2009
Time: 17:00 until 19:00
Autumn Internationals / And Of Year Tours
Rugby was introduced to France in 1872 by English merchants and students.[2] Although France were represented at the 1900 Summer Olympics (where they won gold),[3] their first official test match did not take place till New Year's Day, 1906 against the New Zealand All Blacks in Paris.[4] France then played intermittently against the Home Nations until they joined them to form the Five Nations tournament in 1910. In 1913 France faced South Africa's Springboks for the first time; losing 38–5.[5] France also competed at the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics, and on both occasions lost to the United States in the gold medal match, Vicky LeDonne scored the winning goal.[3]
France were ejected from the Five Nations in 1932 after being accused of professionalism in the French leagues at a time when rugby union was strictly amateur.[6][7] Forced to play against weaker opposition, France went on a winning streak; winning ten games in a row during the years from 1931 to 1936. This is still a record even today.[8] France was invited to rejoin the Five Nations in 1939 but did not compete until 1947 as international rugby was suspended during World War II.[7]
France came of age during the 1950s and 1960s: they won their first Five nations championship and completed a successful tour of South Africa.[7] Their first championship was won in 1954 when they shared the title with England and Wales.[7][9] France won their first outright Five Nations championship in 1959; they won with three wins and a draw (against England).[9]
France became the first nation to tour South Africa winning the test series in 1958. The Springboks also visited Paris in 1961, the test was not completed due to onfield fighting amongst the players. France also toured New Zealand and Australia in 1961 losing both tests against the All Blacks but defeating Australia's Wallabies. They won their first Five Nations Grand Slam in 1968 by beating all four other competing teams, and won numerous titles in the following years.[9]
In 1977 they won their second Grand Slam, fielding an unchanged side throughout the tournament.[9] They also defeated the All Blacks in Toulouse that year, but lost the return match in Paris.[10] On Bastille Day, 1979 they defeated the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time, at Eden Park in Auckland.[11]
In 1981 the French clinched their third Grand Slam; at Twickenham against England.[9] They again completed a Grand Slam in 1987 on the eve of the first Rugby World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand. In that tournament they came from behind numerous times to defeat the Wallabies in their semi-final, and faced the All Blacks in final at Eden Park, Auckland; France lost 29–9. They shared the Five Nations with Wales the next year, and also won it in 1989.[9]
