In June 2017,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

played a three-test series against

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

as part of the 2017 mid-year rugby union tests. They played the Springboks over the three-week June International window (5 June–25 June), and the matches were part of the fifth year of the global rugby calendar established by the

World Rugby World Rugby is the world governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international rug ...

, which runs through to 2019. This was France' first visit to South Africa since 2010 and the first test series between the teams since 2005. The last time the sides met was during the 2013 end-of-year international, where South Africa won 19–10 in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

Fixtures

Squads

Note: Ages, caps and clubs are as per 10 June 2017, the first test match of the tour.

France

On 27 May, France named a 35-man squad ahead of their three-test series against

. On 29 May, Nans Ducuing was called up to the squad as an injury replacement for Djibril Camara. On 5 June, Paul Jedrasiak and François Trinh-Duc were called up to the squad as injury cover for Arthur Iturria and Camille Lopez. Coaching team: * Head coach:

Guy Novès Guy Novès (born 5 February 1954) is a former French rugby union player and most recently coach of the French national team. Born in Toulouse, Novès, who played on the wing, was capped seven times for his country, and played with Stade Toulousa ...

* Defence coach:

Gerald Bastide Gerald is a male Germanic given name meaning "rule of the spear" from the prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Variants include the English given name Jerrold, the feminine nickname Jeri and the Welsh language Gerallt and ...

* Backs coach: Jean-Frederic Dubois * Forwards coach:

Yannick Bru Yannick Bru (born 22 May 1973) is a French rugby union coach, currently serving as the breakdown coach on South African team Sharks. He will become the head coach at Union Bordeaux Bègles in the Top 14 at the start of the 2023/24 season. Bru was ...

South Africa

South Africa named a 31-man squad for South Africa's three-test series against

on 23 May 2017. Coaching team: * Head coach:

Allister Coetzee Allister Coetzee (born in Makhanda) is a South African rugby union coach and former player, currently in charge of the Namibian national team on a part time basis, whilst also head coach of Rugby Rovigo in Italy. He served as the head coach o ...

* Defence coach: Brendan Venter * Backs coach:

Franco Smith Petrus Francois Smith (born 29 July 1972 in Lichtenburg, South Africa) is a former South African international rugby union player. He is now the head coach for Glasgow Warriors. His regular playing position was fly-half or centre. Playing c ...

* Forwards coach:

Johann van Graan Johann Christoffel van Graan (born 18 March 1980) is a South African rugby union coach, currently the head coach for Bath. Coaching career Van Graan did not have any top level playing career. With family background in rugby, he showed very s ...

Matches

First test

Notes: *

Andries Coetzee Andries 'Boeboes' Coetzee (born 1 March 1990) is a South African rugby union player for the in United Rugby Championship. He usually plays as a fullback. From 2011 to 2020, he played for in Super Rugby and in the Currie Cup. In 2013 Coetze ...

, Ross Cronjé,

Dillyn Leyds Dillyn Yullrich Leyds (born 12 September 1992 in Somerset West, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player for the South Africa national team and Stade Rochelais in the French Top 14. He can play as a fullback, fly-half or wing. Career ...

, Raymond Rhule and Courtnall Skosan (all South Africa) and Mohamed Boughanmi and

Vincent Rattez Vincent Rattez (born 24 March 1992) is a French rugby union player who plays the regular position of wing and he currently plays for Montpellier and the France national team. International career Rattez was part of the French squad for the 2017 ...

(both France) made their international debuts.

Second test

Notes: * Nans Ducuing and

Damian Penaud Damian Penaud (born 25 September 1996) is a French professional rugby union player, who plays as a Wing (rugby union), wing or a Centre (rugby union), centre for Top 14 club ASM Clermont Auvergne, Clermont and the France national rugby union team, ...

(both France) made their international debuts. Penaud scored a try on his debut. *

Elton Jantjies Elton Thomas Jantjies (born 1 August 1990) is a South African professional rugby union player for the South Africa national team, the in the Japan Rugby Football Union and the in the Currie Cup. Jantjies made his professional debut with the L ...

passed 100 international points.

Third test

Notes: * Ruan Dreyer (South Africa) made his international debut. * South African captain

Warren Whiteley Warren Roger Whiteley (born 18 September 1987) is a South African former professional rugby union player for the in Super Rugby, the in the Currie Cup and the in the Rugby Challenge. His regular playing position was eighthman. He has pr ...

was declared as forfeit just before the kick-off.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:France 2017 rugby union tours

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

2016–17 in French rugby union 2017 in South African rugby union