Sports in France

Sports in France play an important social role. It brings people

together and allow French people to socialize. Common sports like
football, cycling, basketball, skiing, swimming, sailing, hockey
and tennis are popular among active French individuals.
Sport at School
Sport is an important part of the school curriculum, with children
getting their first taste at the age of four at pre-school with up to
six hours a week of sporting activities. In primary school greater
emphasis is placed on physical and sports education. Students are
introduced to swimming and athletics, as well as team sports.
In secondary school students enjoy an average of three hours a
week of physical education, with this figure increasing for students
participating in the numerous sporting competitions organized by
the National Union of School Sports

major sporting events held in France

Other than the Olympics France has played host to a number of
major international sporting events, the most significant being the
1998 Football World Cup, which was won by the host nation - one
of France’s greatest ever sporting achievements.
France also plays host to a number of events on the world sporting
calendar. These include the French Open tennis championships, the
Tour de France cycling race, the Le Mans 24 hour motor race,
Formula One Grand Prix, and the 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Football
Football is the most popular sport in France with 2,225,595
licensed players in 2009. The France national football
team represents France in international football. France was one of
the four European teams that participated at the inaugural World
Cup in 1930 and are one of eight national teams to have won the
competition, which they did in 1998 when they hosted the Cup.
The team also won the UEFA Euro and FIFA Confederations
Cup and the Summer Olympics football tournament.

Some of the players are living legends such as Zidane, Henry are
house-hold names today, but you can't forget the old school such
as Eric Cantona, Jean-Pierre Papin and Michel Platini.

the main French football clubs are NANCY, MARSEILLE,

LYON, BORDEAUX, MONACO, PSG, STRASBOURG.

Cycling

France holds the annual cycling race Tour de France, which takes
place each July

the Tour de France is the world's most biggest spectator sport, .

The route changes from each year and sometimes goes abroad.

Tour De France (El Tour)

It is an annual bicycle competition that takes
place in France and surrounding countries. This
race goes between clockwise and anticlockwise
circuits and transportation is sometimes
available to get from a finished point to a new
start point. It usually lasts 21 days and cyclists
get to rest for two days.

There are also other famous French cycling races such as the Paris
Nice and Paris-Roubaix.
Tennis

Among the popular French sports are tennis, and every year,
during the spring, the best clay-court specialists in the world
converge on Roland Garros to test their skills. In fact, tennis is so
popular in France that it ranks only second to football. The last
Frenchman to win the French Open was Yannick Noah in 1983,
while the last French woman, Mary Pierce, secured the title in
2000.

Basketball

Basketball is also a popular team sport with 447,942 licensed

players (2005 statistic). The sport is governed by Fédération
Française de Basket-Ball (FFBB; French Basketball
Federation), which operates professional leagues for both
men and women.

Rugby Union

Rugby union is extremely popular in France, and in fact, their

rugby team is considered one of the strongest in Europe.
Every year, France participates in the Six Nations
Championship, along with England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland,
and Wales, and the team has much to feel proud of; they've
won the championship fourteen times! Their current ranking
for the year 2009 is puts them in eighth place. France is host
to the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Petanque
This is the the famous game that is played outside of the French
cafes, with a glass of wine, or if you are fril the South of France at
least a glass of Ricard ! There are two versions of the game
Petanque and Boules, the rules are slightly different. The game is
very social played amongst friends and family, however at a
professional level it is a very serious and skilful game.
Parkour
Main article: Parkour
Developed in France, parkour ("art du déplacement") is a physical
activity that is difficult to categorize. It is an art that
resembles self-defense and martial arts. According to the
founderDavid Belle, the spirit of parkour is guided in part by the
notions of "escape" and "reach," that is, the idea of using quick
thinking
An important characteristic of parkour is efficiency.

Other famous sports are Skiing

With some of the best snow and slopes in Europe, the mountains
are perfect training ground for downhill, slalom and cross-country
skiing.

Sailing

France is often used as a starting point for great sail races such as
the Route du Rhum

Motor sports