| Rugby league in France | |
|---|---|
 The Grand Final of the Elite One Championship 2016–2017 | |
| Country | France |
| Governing body | Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII |
| National team(s) | France |
| Nickname(s) | The Chanticleers (for the Anglophone media) or les Bleus or les Tricolores |
| First played | 1934 |
| Registered players | 39,994[1] |
National competitions | |
Club competitions | |
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox sport overview with unknown parameter "countryflag"
Rugby league has been played in France since 1934.[2] As with rugby union, rugby league was introduced by the English and the heartland of the game is in the south of France.
During the Second World War, in association with the French Rugby Federation (FFR), the sport was banned by the Vichy government, an act from which the code has struggled to recover. There has been a recent resurgence of the sport following the admission of Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique to the professional RFL system, with Catalans a mainstay in the Super League who most recently made the Grand Final in 2023.
In 2012, there were approximately 30,000 active participants.
- ^ "Larrat heralds 'remarkable growth' in France". rleague.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
- ^ "France". Rugby League Planet. rugbyleagueplanet.com. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search