Sport

Fencing helps breast cancer recovery in France

French association Solution Riposte uses fencing to improve physical and mental health post-surgery.

From Devon and Serre Chevalier to the South Pole; para-skier's epic challenge

Former army officer sets off on a world-first 911km solo South Pole trek

Vendée Globe round-the-world solo sailing race begins in France

Gruelling non-stop race is among world’s most extreme

practical

Netflix, BeIN, Disney: half-price deal to mark French TV giant Canal’s anniversary

Deal includes sports channels that show Premier League and Champions League football, NBA basketball as well as access to Disney+, Apple TV+ and Netflix

First hobby horse club launches in France

Hailed as an exciting new pony club, it combines a love of athletics and horses

Learning French: the origins and meaning of fada

This regional slang word is connected to fairies and a major French football club

Tour de France 2025 route revealed: will it pass near you?

Both the men’s and women’s races will be held entirely in France

Ditch diets, stay active and self-care: Enjoy life the French way

Columnist Cynthia Spillman explains the secret of healthy living in France

Make sense of playing sports in France

We look at what is involved, from fees to join associations, to needing a doctor's certificate to declare you are physically fit

Being active can help you better integrate into new life in France

Readers who took up new sporting pursuits after moving to France describe their experience

Tickets for Olympic athlete parade in Paris sold out in under two hours

Athletes expected to take part include judo gold medallist Teddy Riner, record-breaking swimmer Léon Marchand and rugby star Antoine Dupont

The French marathon where runners eat cheese and drink wine along the route

The Olympics put the focus on serious sport, but the Marathon des Châteaux du Médoc in the south of the country is offering a little light relief

Rules for medical certificates and sport in France

Rules are different for adults and children and were recently changed

How trail running has boomed in popularity in France

More than a million people are now thought to take part in the organised off-road runs each year - but some say the rise is damaging the sport

Career change in France: from UK prison officer to badminton coach

Steven Aldrid, 70, tells how he draws immense satisfaction from helping others grow to love sport

Visually impaired fans get hi-tech goggles to watch sports in France

The technology is not yet widely available but remains free to use at certain venues thanks to partnerships

Seven everyday French expressions borrowed from the world of sport

Jeter l’éponge, coiffé au poteau, garder le cap - find out where these come from and how to use them

Why a British Olympic medal was reallocated to France 124 years later

France has been awarded a cycling silver medal originally given to Great Britain more than a century after the race took place

Are tickets for Paris Olympics or Paralympics still available?

There is still time to grab tickets to this summer’s most exciting sporting events

Seven key French expressions to help you understand Le Tour de France

The 100-year-old annual bicycle race has long-standing traditions and even its own vocabulary

Baffled by the Tour de France rules? Read these four points

It is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world but do you know what the jersey colours mean and why riders are not only trying to finish in the fastest time?

Tour de France 2024: day-by-day route tracker

The race is underway! Follow it here as the cyclists make their way around the country until July 21

Can French sports fans really take live cockerels into matches?

French rugby fans are renowned for letting cockerels loose on pitches in international games

Tour de France to start in Barcelona in 2026

The race will travel abroad for the fourth time in five years

CALENDAR: See Euro 2024 football schedule and French TV guide

Including channels for quarter and semi-finals as well as the final itself

French admin stops 'parkruns' in France

Volunteer-led network operates in 21 countries but has run into a legal hurdle in France over participants and medical certificates

UK jockey gets French residency card meeting after public complaint

James Reveley tells us about ordeals to obtain a titre de séjour after victory in prestigious ‘president’s race’ in Paris

UK jockey wins French race - then asks Macron about his residency card

James Reveley, who has lived and raced in France for eight years, queried why he had not been given a card after he won the Prix du président

WATCH: Brothers’ battle in French table tennis final ends in tears

Older brother Alexis Lebrun comes out on top - and jumps on the table to celebrate while his brother cries

Briton’s parachute fails in 140m French base jump - and he survives

A tree broke his fall and he was lucky enough to drop just as some French fishermen were nearby and could help

SEE: 15 outstanding French golf courses recommended by professionals

These ‘best courses’ range from the very south to the north of the country

French, English and Irish swim team sets new Channel record

The team - including French ‘seal’ Stève Stievenart - withstood water temperatures of just 7-9C

Key cultural and sporting events in France in 2024

The Olympics and a Tour de France first are among the highlights of a jam-packed cultural calendar

Runner breaks new record in Normandy - at age 82

The athlete ran at an incredible 18 km/h per hour, breaking both the Normandy and French records

Where are the best places to grow old in France?

Is your region on the list? The south-west did particularly well in the ranking

Call for action over disappearance of rural footpaths in France

Campaigners say the paths are part of France’s heritage but are are at risk from farmers, residents and developers

Boost for horse and pony clubs in France

A major VAT reduction coming this January will help owners cope with rising costs

France makes bid to host 2030 Winter Olympics

Proponents say they are aiming for a ‘simple and sustainable’ event, but critics have called the plans ‘an aberration’

Petanque refs threaten to boycott French contest over drunk players

‘The day we have a death in the field because of alcohol, we will say: "Something should have been done",' said one referee

Tour de France 2024 route revealed: Will it pass near you?

For the first time since 1975 the race will not finish in Paris

Will sports sessions be reimbursable throughout France?

The plan has been trialled for certain patients and found to have a positive impact

Tax, dentist fees, TV sport, letters: Ten practical updates for France

We look at key announcements you may have missed

7 places to visit in France for free with this weekend’s Heritage Days

We list some sites that are not yet full for reservations - but be quick

Rugby exclusive: How France became the team to beat in World Cup

Former national rugby coach Philippe Saint-André tells us how ‘les Bleus’ were transformed into winners

France heatwave: what does a red alert change for the public?

19 departments will face the highest alert on Wednesday

Money-saver: Sports gear at a discount in France

Lack of funds are no longer a reason not to keep active, thanks to an association that collects and sells used sporting equipment

Rugby brings French town alive with colour and collective pride

When La Rochelle became European champions for a second consecutive year in May, some 50,000 fans gathered for a victory parade at the town’s old port, including British supporter Lynn Andrews

Speeding fines, dental fees: New changes you may have missed in France

A number of announcements made in June are already in force or are set to be implemented later in the year

It was not all bad: Five good news stories from France this week

From cave paintings to free rail cards, our overview of news with a positive angle

France Qatar 2022: Minister sends LGBTQ+ message with rainbow jumper

The minister, who watched France beat England 2-1 last night, wore a blue jumper with rainbow sleeves. It comes as France celebrates victory in Doha

‘I studied for my Bac in France, and travelled to Britain for rowing’

Gold medal-winning rower tells us that she is the product of two countries and how she coped growing up

French sport ‘longe-côte’ or sea wading is growing competitive event

How the simple sea wading activity went from healthy exercise to a recognised sport in France and beyond

Can I ask a foreign GP for a French sports certificate?

Joining a sports club in France will often require asking a doctor for a medical certificate. We look at whether this can be done in your home country

Glow-in-dark boules ball solved night game problem for French inventor

The electronics engineer found his evening pétanque sessions cut short by poor light - he invented the answer

Older people should be prescribed free sport, says French minister

The sports minister said that improving activity levels helps to ‘roll back loss of autonomy’ and that GPs should prescribe club access

How to join a sports club in France: admin, medical and fees explained

Joining a sports club is a great way to keep fit and make friends - we look at what is involved

Petition to ban cockfights in France reaches over 30,000 signatures

The sport is still legal in parts of the Nord and Pas-de-Calais, with around 9,000 fights per year

France continues its free summer swimming lessons for children

Classes aim to help four to 12-year-olds gain competency in water, with studies showing that 25% of drowning incidents involve children under six. Here’s how to book a place

Vendée Arctique race departs from western France today

The 3,500 nautical mile race, which is one of the races on the road to qualifying for the Vendée Globe, is set to depart at 17:00 and will see sailors make a loop around Iceland

French industry expert: UK’s printed sport ticket tradition aids fraud

He said Liverpool’s preference for printed - rather than digital - tickets made it so much easier for fakes to be made for the Champions League final

What’s coming up? The week ahead in France

This week sees a meeting over the chaos outside Saturday’s Champions League final, gardens open days, tax deadlines, the French Open winner crowned and more

What is the hockey-like game of choule that is played in Normandy?

The sport originated in the 1400s but virtually disappeared after World War Two. It is now making a comeback with the help of locals and enthusiastic foreigners

Wimbledon ban on Russian tennis stars is wrong; France has alternative

An international lawyer argues that Britain’s decision to ban Russian tennis players recalls a dark time in American history. France has declined to ban the players for now

Sport stars in France urge voters to stop Marine Le Pen winning

In an open letter Tony Parker, Yannick Noah and almost 50 other athletes say the far-right presidential candidate ‘embodies the opposite of inclusive sporting values’

Confusion over French adventurer death: Portugal denies finding body

The team of Jean-Jacques Savin, 75, said his body had been found with his capsized ‘canoe’ but now this is disputed

French adventurer dies age 75 during Atlantic solo rowing attempt

Jean-Jacques Savin was found after his team lost communication with him on Friday morning. The exact circumstances of his death have not yet been determined

Foreign sportspeople will have to be vaccinated to compete in France

This requirement will come into force with the government’s new vaccine pass law

Covid-19 France: cycling for exercise

I have two small questions about confinement: 1. I understand the ban on competitive or sporting cycling, but can I use my bike for exercise as long as I keep to a 1km limit from my home? 2. Can a couple both go in a car to the shops, but only one does the shopping and the other stays in the car?