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France is one of the strongest rugby nations in Europe and are currently the second highest ranked Northern Hemisphere team, being fifth in the world as of 22 November 2010. Six former French players have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, with one of them, Philippe Sella, also having been inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame. France also has the best winning record of any northern hemisphere team when playing a test against a Tri-Nations opponent. As of 2010, the national side has been victorious over New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa more than ten times each. Rugby was introduced to France in 1872 by the British, and on New Year's Day 1906 the national side played its first Test match - against New Zealand in Paris. France played sporadically against the Home Nations until they joined them to form a Five Nations tournament (now the Six Nations Championship) in 1910. France also competed in the rugby competitions at early Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in 1900 and two silver medals in the 1920s. France came of age during the 1950s and 1960s, and won their first Five Nations title outright in 1959. They won their first Grand Slam in 1968. Since the inaugural World Cup in 1987, France have qualified for the knock-out stage of every tournament. They have reached the final twice, losing to the All Blacks in 1987 and to Australia in 1999. France hosted the 2007 Rugby World Cup, where, as in 2003, they were beaten in the semi finals by England. France traditionally play in blue shirts with white shorts and red socks, and are commonly referred to as les tricolores or les bleus. The French emblem is a golden rooster imposed upon a red shield. Their alternative strip is composed of a white shirt and navy blue shorts and socks. French international matches are played at several venues across the country; the Stade de France in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis is used for their games during the Six Nations, and they have a formidable home record at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille where they have only lost twice, to Argentina in 2004 and to New Zealand in 2009. |
