Between 1908-72 another stadium in Paris, Stade Colombes, hosted France’s men. Since 1998, the Stade de France - built for the FIFA World Cup that year - has hosted Les Bleus’ home matches. Parc des Princes was the venue for the first men’s match in 1906 and from 1974 until 1996, France’s home matches were all held at the stadium. By that time, a Great Britain women’s team had already faced France on four occasions, beginning on 19 April, 1986 in Richmond, when the French won 14-8. As in the first men’s meeting 85 years earlier it was England who won, 13-0, to book their place in the final. England won that contest 35-8 and followed that up with a 41-13 victory in Richmond on 5 January, 1907, the first time the two teams had played each other on English soil.Įngland’s women played France for the first time in the semi-final of the inaugural women’s Rugby World Cup, at Cardiff Arms Park on 12 April, 1991. The first test match between the two men’s teams was played in Paris on 22 March, 1906. ![]() It is unclear exactly when it was first coined but what is indisputable is that the term gained popularity in the late 1980s and 1990s as the men’s teams became the preeminent forces in the Five Nations Championship.Īhead of the Five Nations match between the teams at Twickenham in March 1997, Chris Hewett wrote in the Independent: “Each individual encounter generates and thrives within its own unique atmosphere and Le Crunch, as this particular match always seems to be labelled these days, is way out there on its own.” When was the first match? ![]() ‘Le Crunch’ is a term often used to describe matches between the senior men’s and women’s teams of England and France. Perhaps that stems from the French ability to mix artistry with agriculture as balletic backs line up alongside fearsome forwards.įormer England hooker Brian Moore, who played in more than one heated test against France, admitted in 2003 that he thought of the contest as ‘La Guerre’ (The War) but for many it has come to be known simply as ‘Le Crunch’. Le Crunch – England versus France – is a rivalry that has grown increasingly intense in the 115 years that it has been played, setting supporters’ pulses racing on both sides of divide.Įngland are not short of rivals in the northern hemisphere - or the southern hemisphere for that matter - but a nation synonymous with forward power has long valued victory over France higher than almost any other.
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