French Rugby Federation

National rugby union
unionname = French Rugby Federation
nativename = Fédération française de rugby

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founded = 1919
IRB = 1978
region = FIRA
regionyear = 1934
president = Bernard Lapasset (1991-)
coach = Marc Lièvremont (2007-)
womenscoach = Francis Cadene
country

url = www.ffr.fr

The French Rugby Federation ( _fr. Fédération française de rugby ("FFR")) is the governing body for rugby union in France. It was formed in 1919 and is affiliated to the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It is responsible for the French national team and the Ligue nationale de rugby.

In 1934 the FFR set up the Fédération internationale de rugby amateur (FIRA) in an attempt to organise rugby union outside the authority of the International Rugby Board. It included the national teams of Italy, French national team, Catalonia, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Germany national team.

Following German occupation, FFR officials closely associated with the Vichy government lobbeyed to have certain "un-French" sports banned. Between the end of 1940 and the middle of 1942, one semi-professional at least six French Amateur Sport Federations were banned and destroyed by the Vichy regime. [http://sport.independent.co.uk/rugby_union/world_cup_features/article2936693.ece] These actions were independently verified by the French government in 2002. [citation required]

In 1978 the Federation became a member of the IRB.

ee also

* France national rugby union team
* Ligue Nationale de Rugby
* List of rugby union clubs in France

External links

* [http://www.ffr.fr Official site]