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France

Union	French Rugby Federation
Nickname(s)	Les Bleuets (The Little Blues)
Coach(es)	Sébastien Calvet
Captain(s)	Hugo Reus
Most caps	Kilian Geraci (18) Jordan Joseph (18)
Top scorer	Louis Carbonel (169)
Most tries	Jordan Joseph (12)
First international
France 12–6 Scotland (1 February 2008)
Largest win
France 75–12 Japan (24 June 2023)
Largest defeat
New Zealand 45–7 France (15 June 2015)
World Cup
Appearances	13 (first in 2008)
Best result	Champions (3): 2018, 2019 and 2023

The France national under-20 rugby union team (French: Équipe de France de rugby à XV des moins de 20 ans), also known as France under-20s or France U20(s), is the national under-20 rugby union team of France, under the control of the French Rugby Federation. Competing in the annual Six Nations Under 20s Championship, it is considered to be the feeder team for the France national team.

Replacing the two former age grade teams Under 19s and Under 21s, their first tournament was the 2008 Six Nations U20 Championship, where they finished at the third place. Winning the competition in 2009, 2014 – year in which they win the Grand Slam – and 2018, they also have participated in the inaugural IRB Junior World Championship (later renamed the World Rugby U20 Championship) and all subsequent editions, winning it on three occasions, three times in a row, in 2018, 2019 and 2023.

Nicknamed "Les Bleuets" (French for "The Little Blues"; diminutive from "bleu": blue), they are used to play in medium-sized stadiums all around France. Sébastien Calvet is the current head coach of the team, after having been appointed in 2022.

Coaching history

Current staff

The following members were part of the France U20 coaching staff for the 2022–23 season. Sébastien Calvet replaced Jean-Marc Béderède as head coach in July 2022.

Position	Name
Head coach	Sébastien Calvet
Backs and attack coach	Benoît Baby
Defence coach	Philippe Boher
Forwards and set piece coach	Rémi Vaquin (incumbent) Samuel Cherouk (back-up)

Previous head coaches

Picture	Head coach	Tenure	Honours
	Philippe Sella	2008–2011	2009 U20 Six Nations Championship  2011 U20 Six Nations Championship  2008 U20 Six Nations Championship
	Fabien Pelous	2011–2015	2014 U20 Six Nations Championship – Grand Slam  2012 U20 Six Nations Championship  2015 U20 Six Nations Championship
	Thomas Lièvremont	2015–2017	2016 U20 Six Nations Championship  2017 U20 Six Nations Championship
—	Sébastien Piqueronies	2017–2019	2018 World Rugby U20 Championship  2019 World Rugby U20 Championship  2018 U20 Six Nations Championship  2019 U20 Six Nations Championship
—	Philippe Boher	2019–2021	2021 U20 Six Nations Championship
—	Jean-Marc Béderède	2021–2022	2022 U20 Six Nations Championship
—	Sébastien Calvet	2022–	2023 World Rugby U20 Championship  2023 U20 Six Nations Championship

Players

Current squad

On 23 June 2024, Calvet named a 30-player squad for the 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa.

On 5 July, Zinédine Aouad withdrew from the squad due to injury and was replaced by Charly Gambini.

Head coach: Sébastien Calvet

• Caps updated: 15 March 2024

Player	Position	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Club/province
Thomas Lacombre	Hooker	(2004-07-14) 14 July 2004 (age 20)	9	Toulouse
Mathys Lotrian	Hooker	(2004-02-18) 18 February 2004 (age 20)	1	Perpignan
Barnabé Massa	Hooker	(2004-05-13) 13 May 2004 (age 20)	6	Grenoble
Zinédine Aouad	Prop	(2005-05-03) 3 May 2005 (age 19)	5	Bordeaux Bègles
Lorencio Boyer Gallardo	Prop	(2005-09-23) 23 September 2005 (age 19)	0	Perpignan
Thomas Duchêne	Prop	(2004-08-25) 25 August 2004 (age 20)	9	Clermont
Samuel Jean-Christophe	Prop	(2006-03-09) 9 March 2006 (age 18)	0	Toulon
Lino Julien	Prop	(2004-07-27) 27 July 2004 (age 20)	9	Racing 92
Thomas Marceline	Prop	(2005-06-18) 18 June 2005 (age 19)	0	Lyon
Antonin Corso	Lock	(2004-04-09) 9 April 2004 (age 20)	3	Oyonnax
Charles Kanté-Samba	Lock	(2005-02-08) 8 February 2005 (age 19)	0	La Rochelle
Brent Liufau	Lock	(2004-03-21) 21 March 2004 (age 20)	12	Pau
Corentin Mézou	Lock	(2005-04-20) 20 April 2005 (age 19)	4	Toulon
Mathis Castro-Ferreira	Back row	(2004-01-13) 13 January 2004 (age 20)	9	Toulouse
Alexis Caumel	Back row	(2004-07-20) 20 July 2004 (age 20)	0	Colomiers
Charly Gambini	Back row	(2004-01-15) 15 January 2004 (age 20)	4	Provence Rugby
Geoffrey Malaterre	Back row	(2005-08-09) 9 August 2005 (age 19)	2	Brive
Joé Quere-Karaba	Back row	(2004-09-28) 28 September 2004 (age 20)	4	Toulon Bègles
Sialevailea Tolofua	Back row	(2005-07-09) 9 July 2005 (age 19)	4	Toulouse
Léo Carbonneau	Scrum-half	(2004-10-07) 7 October 2004 (age 20)	11	Brive
Thomas Souverbie	Scrum-half	(2004-06-28) 28 June 2004 (age 20)	4	Pau
Axel Desperes	Fly-half	(2004-01-16) 16 January 2004 (age 20)	5	Pau
Hugo Reus (c)	Fly-half	(2004-07-26) 26 July 2004 (age 20)	9	La Rochelle
Mathys Belaubre	Centre	(2005-03-15) 15 March 2005 (age 19)	1	Clermont
Maxence Biasotto	Centre	(2004-07-08) 8 July 2004 (age 20)	6	Brive
Fabien Brau-Boirie	Centre	(2005-12-19) 19 December 2005 (age 19)	4	Pau
Robin Taccola	Centre	(2005-05-04) 4 May 2005 (age 19)	4	Vannes
Nathan Bollengier	Wing	(2004-01-18) 18 January 2004 (age 20)	1	La Rochelle
Hoani Bosmorin	Wing	(2004-12-27) 27 December 2004 (age 19)	2	La Rochelle
Mathis Ferté	Fullback	(2004-02-02) 2 February 2004 (age 20)	10	Brive
Xan Mousques	Fullback	(2005-11-18) 18 November 2005 (age 19)	3	Bayonne

Previous squads

Award winners

The following France U20s players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2008:

Competitive record

World Rugby Under 20 Championship

Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA
2008	5th-8th place	6th	5	3	0	2	155	102
2009	5th-8th place	5th	5	4	0	1	202	100
2010	5th-8th place	5th	5	4	0	1	146	94
2011	Semi-final	4th	5	3	0	2	117	114
2012	5th-8th place	6th	5	3	0	2	102	89
2013	5th-8th place	5th	5	3	0	2	116	101
2014	5th-8th place	6th	5	3	0	2	105	83
2015	Semi-final	4th	5	3	0	2	121	111
2016	9th-12th place	9th	5	3	0	2	160	129
2017	Semi-final	4th	5	2	1	2	144	124
2018	Champions	1st	5	5	0	0	145	97
2019	Champions	1st	5	4	0	1	138	110
2020–2022	Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2023	Champions	1st	5	5	0	0	255	90
2024
Total	13/13	3 Titles	65	45	1	19	1906	1344

Honours

• World Rugby U20 Championship
  • Winners (3): 2018, 2019, 2023
• U20 Six Nations Championship
  • Winners (3): 2009, 2014 – Grand Slam, 2018
  • Runners-up (9): 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
  • Third place (1): 2008

References

1. "Les Bleuets remportent le Tournoi" [The Bleuets won the Championship]. Rugbyrama (in French). 18 March 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
2. Burgaud, Florian (14 July 2023). "XV de France U20 - Les Bleuets sur le toit du monde, la France sacrée pour la troisième fois de suite" [France U20 - The Bleuets on top of the world, France crowned three times in a row]. Rugbyrama (in French). Retrieved 15 July 2023.
3. "Jean-Marc Béderède : " Amener le maximum de joueurs vers le XV de France "" [Jean-Marc Béderède: "Drive as many players as possible to the XV de France] (in French). FFR. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
4. Baty, Pierre (23 June 2024). "France moins 20 ans : Le groupe pour le Championnat du monde" [France U20: The squad for the World Championship] (in French). FFR. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
5. "Charly Gambini remplace Zinédine Aouad chez les Bleuets". L'Équipe (in French). 5 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
6. "Le groupe de France moins 20 ans pour le Championnat du monde" [France U20 squad for the World Cup] (in French). FFR. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
7. "France moins 20 ans : Le groupe pour le Championnat du monde" [France U20: The squad for the World Cup] (in French). FFR. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
8. "Champion du monde -20 : Une question de confiance !" [U20 World Champion: a matter of trust!] (in French). FFR. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
9. "Awards Roll of Honour - World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 16 March 2024.

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