Rugby

Rugby has been played in France since 1870, though there were not specifically French professional teams until about 1931. It was introduced by the English and is most popular in the south of France. The French rugby league was formed in 1934, and by 1939 there were 225 clubs playing throughout France.

However, in World War Two, the sport was banned by the Vichy government. Although the ban on rugby league was lifted, it was prevented from using the word rugby in its title from 1949 until 26 June 1991, having to use the name “Jeu à Treize" (Game of Thirteen). Both of these difficulties have made it much more difficult for rugby to grow and progress in France compared to other sports.

At its core, rugby is one team with the ball running into another team defending, until the offensive team scores or loses the ball. Here are some basic rules to keep in mind the first time you watch a rugby game:

The ball can not travel forward off a player’s hands. That means no forward passes or dribbling. The two ways you can advance the ball is kicking the ball or carrying the ball forward.
When one player tackles another there are three rules for the tackler:
- 1. Don’t tackle around the neck or above.
- 2. Don’t pile drive opponents head into the ground.
- 3. Tackle with your hands and shoulders, not just your shoulders.
Once the player with the ball has been tackled, they must release it. What’s called a “ruck” is formed and the ball is up for grabs — the two teams have to fight for possession of the ball. Rules governing the contest for possession often vary, but the basics are: stay on your feet, enter the ruck from your side of the field and don’t touch the ball until it’s secured by one team or outside of the ruck.
The goal of every rugby team is to score a “try.” There is an infinite number of ways to score tries, but they all involve crossing the goal line and touching the ball on the ground. One try is worth 5 points, after which the scoring team has the opportunity to kick the ball off the ground for a “conversion” worth two points.
A rugby game is 80 minutes long with 40 minute halves and stoppage time similar to soccer. Draws are allowed but rarely occur in competition.

Despite this, France has been a powerful team, winning several international tournaments and hosting the Rugby League World Cup. The French national rugby league team are often nicknamed les Chanteclairs, after the rooster which is the mascot, or as les Tricolores. They have competed in every World Cup and European Nations Cup, as well as playing in other tournaments such the Victory Cup. Professional rugby league play finally returned to France in 2006. Today there are approximately 30,000 active players in France.