RUGBY LEAGUE NATION

 

 

Foundation Year - 1934

International Team - Les Tricolores

Highest finish in World Cup - Runner-up World Cup Final (1954, 1968)

Top level domestic competition - In 2006 the Perpignan based Catalans Dragons entered the Super League competition. The French Elite Championship first kicked off in 1935. Currently 10 teams compete in the Elite Championship. Toulouse Olympic will play in the United Kingdom based Co-operative Championship in 2009.

History - Rugby League has been played in France since 1934. At one stage their were more Rugby League clubs then Rugby Union. All this changed during the German occupation of France in World War II.

Union officials collaborated with the Vichy government to have the game banned and seized all Treize XIII's assets and handed them over to Rugby Union. After World War II was over Treize XIII started up again but the damage had already been done. To this day the assets have never been returned.

The early 1950's and late 1960's were golden era's for French Rugby League. The French defeated all other nations in test series during these periods. They also made it to the final of the 1954 and 1968 World Cup's. After 1968 French Rugby League started to go down hill and eventually the national side could not match it any more with the likes of Australia, England and New Zealand. The low point game when they had to forfeit World Cup games during the 1985 to 1988 World Cup.

French Rugby League was on a downward spiral with other nations worried about leagues survival in France. The shinning light came with the acceptance of the Catalans Dragons into the Super League in 2006. The Catalans have immediately made an impact getting national exposure and are partly responsable for a resurgence in popularity of league in the south of France. It is hoped this new found popularity will assist France in returning to its previous status as one of the top rugby league nations in the world. Since the Catalans entered the Super League participation numbers have increased to over 30,000.

The news just keeps on getting better for French Rugby League with Toulouse Olympic gaining entry into the Co-operative Championship (Formaly National League One). Toulouse are using this as a stepping stone to the Super League when the franchises are up for renewal in 2012. This will also assist France with creating more depth for the national team which will assist in their 2009 Four Nations campaign and help them build for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.

France have their top club sides from the Elite Competition enter into the Challenge Cup each year. The Elite Championship has 10 teams, Elite 2 also has 10 teams with the 1st Division competition having 12 teams split into 2 groups. The Catalans Dragons created history in 2007 by making the Challenge Cup Final. On back of this growth Orange TV have secured to rights to broadcast Super League, Four Nations and the European Nations over the next 3 years.

France were grouped with Fiji and Scotland in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. The French were favourites to top the Pool and secure a position in the Semi Final. The campaign got off to a great start with a convincing win over Scotland. Then injuries to key players hit the French hard. They under performed against Fiji and were on the wrong end of a hiding going down 42 - 6. Having failed to make the qualifying semi final, France had one last chance to regain some pride. In the battle for the 9th ranking position France failed to fire going down to Samoa 42 - 10. France finished the World Cup with the wooden spoon.

In 2009 France were ranked 5th in World seedings by the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF).

France put in good showing for the 2009 Four Nations. The French were competitive in the first half of all games but could not keep it up in the second half of each game. The French had shown improvement since their World Cup performance and justified their automatic inclusion in the Four Nations Tournament. The French will need to improve and win the 2010 European Cup if they want another shot at the Four Nations in 2011.

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