Would France hold top spot for appearances versus International opposition ?

[The Partisan]

Things get a little clouded with the various connotations of International teams these days ( e.g. NZ Residents; Australian Prime Ministers XIII; England Knights) but France must go close to having played the most number of different International opposition at Adult / Elite level ?

Thoughts ? Stats ?

 

[deluded pom?]

Not just close, they have easily played more different opposition at international level than anyone else.

 

[The Partisan]

Be an interesting exercise to do the stats commencing from the 1995 WORLD CUP.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Didn't they tour Yugoslavia at one point.

 

[deluded pom?]

Didn't they tour Yugoslavia at one point.

They were the Yugoslav’s first ever opponents in the 1950s hence the recent game against Serbia to celebrate the 60th (?) anniversary of RL being played in Serbia. France have also played Canada and Morocco to name a couple more.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Played the USA in Paris in 1953 also.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

france are international rugby league

 

[deluded pom?]

Played the USA in Paris in 1953 also.

They played the USA as a warm up to the 2017 WC too.

 

[playdaball]

france are international rugby league

I can see the positive side to that statement but ironically Frances performances do also sum up international RL

 

[Springs09]

According to Wiki France has played 21 nations - Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, Georgia, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Lebanon, Morocco, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Samoa, Scotland, Serbia, South Africa, Tonga, USA and Wales. They have also played teams like the British Empire XIII and Other Nationalities.

This is compared to Australia - 14, England - 15, Great Britain - 6, NZ - 12, PNG - 13, Russia - 17, USA - 18, Ireland - 19 (played Cook Islands, Malta, Moldova, Spain which France have not), Italy - 20 (including Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Ukraine) and Lebanon - 21 (including Canada, Japan, Niue)

For national opponents France and Lebanon look to have the most. For overall opponents England would go close since they've played several teams like NZ Maori, Cumbria, CAS, Exiles etc.

 

[Disinterested third party]

When you've got a country like France helping to organise the game in places such as Madagascar and Vietnam in the 1950s due to strong cultural connections and then also helping to propagate the game in Europe in places like Italy and the former Yugoslavia and then that is effectively closed off, you would have to expect the game to lose something in regards to international development. And that's precisely what happened.

When you think about the potential for the game to be developed in places like French speaking west Africa, France remains vital to international rugby league moving forward.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

the ffrxiii is running on the fumes of an oily rag and yet they still send a team to play serbia in belgrade. because to them it is a no brainer.

then you have the nrl...

 

[miguel de cervantes]

This is compared to Australia - 14, England - 15, Great Britain - 6, NZ - 12, PNG - 13, Russia - 17, USA - 18, Ireland - 19 (played Cook Islands, Malta, Moldova, Spain which France have not), Italy - 20 (including Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Ukraine) and Lebanon - 21 (including Canada, Japan, Niue)

I tell you what, that is pretty impressive for Lebanon, although they sort of have a team in each hemisphere if you get my drift. Same for Italy. Pretty good going by Russia too.

 

[kdalymc]

australia plays once a year against nz

 

[Foreign Legion]

France deserve to win a WC

 

[Irish-bulldog]

France deserve to win a WC

France don’t deserve anything ?, how about they produce some decent players lol invest in the sport, instead of that other disgraceful sport union.

 

[kdalymc]

yeah i was gonna say, why do they suck so much/ what happend to them. didnt they win a WC or come close?