# France national under-20 rugby union team

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, 2018 and 2025, 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.
$^1$ 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 21) | 1 | Perpignan |
| Barnabé Massa | Hooker | (2004-05-13) 13 May 2004 (age 20) | 6 | Grenoble |
| Zinédine Aouad$^1$ | 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 19) | 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 20) | 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 21) | 9 | Toulouse |
| Alexis Caumel | Back row | (2004-07-20) 20 July 2004 (age 20) | 0 | Colomiers |
| Charly Gambini$^1$ | Back row | (2004-01-15) 15 January 2004 (age 21) | 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 21) | 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 20) | 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 21) | 1 | La Rochelle |
| Hoani Bosmorin | Wing | (2004-12-27) 27 December 2004 (age 20) | 2 | La Rochelle |
| Mathis Ferté | Fullback | (2004-02-02) 2 February 2004 (age 21) | 10 | Brive |
| Xan Mousques | Fullback | (2005-11-18) 18 November 2005 (age 19) | 3 | Bayonne |

### Previous squads

2023 World Rugby Under 20 Championship squad :
| Hookers Pierre Jouvin – (Agen) Thomas Lacombre – (Toulouse) Barnabé Massa – (Grenoble) Props Zaccharie Affane – (Bordeaux Bègles) Thomas Duchêne – (Clermont) Lino Julien – (Racing 92) Alexandre Kaddouri – (La Rochelle) Louis Penverne – (La Rochelle) Locks Hugo Auradou – (Pau) Brent Liufau – (Pau) Posolo Tuilagi – (Perpignan) Loose forwards Esteban Capilla – (Bayonne) Mathis Castro-Ferreira – (Toulouse) Marko Gazzotti – (Grenoble) Oscar Jégou – (La Rochelle) Lenni Nouchi (c) – (Montpellier) Andy Timo – (Massy) Noa Zinzen – (Racing 92) | Scrum-halves Léo Carbonneau – (Brive) Baptiste Jauneau – (Clermont) Fly-halves Clément Mondinat – (Pau) Hugo Reus – (La Rochelle) Centres Maxence Biasotto – (Brive) Paul Costes – (Toulouse) Nicolas Depoortère (vc) – (Bordeaux Bègles) Arthur Mathiron – (Lyon) Wings Léo Drouet – (Provence) Maël Moustin – (Bordeaux Bègles) Full-backs Théo Attisogbé – (Pau) Mathis Ferté – (Brive) |
| (c) Denotes team captain (vc) Denotes team vice-captain |
2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship squad :
| Hookers Rayne Barka – (Pau) Théo Lachaud – (Toulon) Props Giorgi Beria – (Clermont) Axel Burin – (Agen) Eli Eglaine – (Grenoble) Jean-Baptiste Gros – (Toulon) Paul Mallez – (ABCD XV) Locks Killian Geraci – (Grenoble) Gauthier Maravat – (Agen) Florent Vanverberghe – (Toulon) Loose forwards Matthias Haddad – (La Rochelle) Thibaut Hamonou – (Toulouse) Mathieu Hirigoyen – (Biarritz) Loïc Hocquet – (Agen) Jordan Joseph – (Racing 92) Sacha Zegueur – (Oyonnax) | Scrum-halves Léo Coly – (Mont-de-Marsan) Quentin Delord – (Lyon) Fly-halves Louis Carbonel – (Toulon) Centres Julien Delbouis – (Stade Français) Mathieu Smaïli – (Toulon) Arthur Vincent (c) – (Montpellier) Antoine Zeghdar – (Toulon) Wings Ethan Dumortier – (Lyon) Vincent Pinto – (Pau) Donovan Taofifénua – (Clermont) Full-backs Alexandre De Nardi – (Mont-de-Marsan) Matthis Lebel – (Toulouse) |
| (c) Denotes team captain |
2018 World Rugby Under 20 Championship squad :
| Hookers Maxime Lamothe – (Bordeaux Bègles) Guillaume Marchand – (Toulouse) Props Demba Bamba – (Brive) Giorgi Beria – (Clermont) Ugo Boniface – (Bayonne) Daniel Brennan – (Toulouse) Jean-Baptiste Gros – (Toulon) Hassane Kolingar – (Racing 92) Locks Pierre-Henri Azagoh – (Massy) Killian Geraci – (Grenoble) Thomas Lavault – (La Rochelle) Alban Roussel – (Perpignan) Loose forwards Antonin Berruyer – (Grenoble) Ibrahim Diallo – (Racing 92) Charlie Francoz – (Stade Français) Jordan Joseph – (Racing 92) Cameron Woki – (Bordeaux Bègles) Sacha Zegueur – (Oyonnax) | Scrum-halves Arthur Coville (c) – (Stade Français) Jules Gimbert – (Bordeaux Bègles) Fly-halves Louis Carbonel – (Toulon) Romain Ntamack – (Toulouse) Centres Pierre-Louis Barassi – (Lyon) Adrien Séguret – (Lyon) Arthur Vincent – (Montpellier) Wings Iban Etcheverry – (Bordeaux Bègles) Maxime Marty – (Toulouse) Lucas Tauzin – (Toulouse) Full-backs Clément Laporte – (Agen) Matthis Lebel – (Toulouse) |
| (c) Denotes team captain |

### Award winners

The following France U20s players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2008:
World Rugby Junior Player of the Year :
| Year | Nominees | Winners |
| 2018 | Jordan Joseph | Jordan Joseph |
| 2018 | Romain Ntamack | Jordan Joseph |
| 2019 | Louis Carbonel | — |

## 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 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | 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 (4): 2009, 2014 – Grand Slam, 2018, 2025
** Runners-up (9): 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
** Third place (1): 2008