France Triumphant: Historic Victory At Six Nations 2025

The 2025 Six Nations Championship has wrapped up with France proclaiming victory, cementing its status as the most formidable force in European rugby. After several weeks of intense competition, the French national rugby team, affectionately known as the XV de France, clinched their 27th title and their 19th time winning it outright by overpowering Scotland by 35-16 on March 15, 2025.

According to France Télévisions, who presented the event, the tournament recorded unprecedented viewership numbers. A staggering 38.8 million viewers tuned in across the 15 matches broadcasted, marking this as the highest viewership ever for the Six Nations tournament, up by 2.7 million from the previous year. Matches featuring France averaged around 7.3 million viewers, translating to an impressive market share of 45.7%. This means nearly half of all television viewers were captivated by the games!

The championship finale against Scotland attracted over 9.5 million viewers on average, with peaks reaching 10.7 million at key moments. Gabriel Pujol, the head of sports programming at France Télévisions, noted, "It marks the best ever audience for France Télévisions during the tournament and the highest recorded since the start of 2025. It's thrilling to see such immense engagement with rugby among French audiences." 

Early January ushered the XV de France as they prepared for the challenge. Unfortunately, the lead-up was not without its share of obstacles. Expecting to debut numerous stars, injuries clouded the prospects as some injuries hampered key players. Romain Ntamack, who spent 18 months away from international duty, faced scrutiny over his readiness, with hopes hanging on his prior performance with Toulouse.

Coach Fabien Galthié had his work cut out for him. Significant absences were felt when key players like Charles Ollivon and Gaël Fickou were ruled out due to serious injuries, and winger Léo Barré entered concussion protocol.

Despite these struggles, the tournament kicked off with optimism, and France demonstrated their prowess by defeating Wales 43-0. The match proved the team's dominance, even leading to controversial moments. During this game, Ntamack received a red card for foul play, inciting debate within rugby circles. "This isn’t characteristic of him. We’ll need to rally without him moving forward," said team captain Antoine Dupont.

The absence of Ntamack opened the door for another playmaker, as Thomas Ramos assumed the role of fly-half for the subsequent matches. Pressure mounted, especially with the match against England looming. The XV de France faced defeat during this clash, which rattled the team's confidence. "It felt like we let one slip away—just one of those matches you can't afford to lose," reflected Dupont after the game.

With their backs against the wall, the French squad rebounded against Italy, illustrating their true potential with a whopping score of 73-24. Youth emerged as the driving force of the performance, with fresh talents like Théo Attissogbe and Mickaël Guillard making their presence felt.

The much-anticipated match against Ireland on March 8, 2025, turned out to be one for the books. The team overcame great adversity but showcased remarkable mental resilience, fighting back to earn comprehensive victory and signaling their return to form following the struggles of the previous year. Post-match, Dupont refuted claims of doubt among the players, urging the team’s spirit to remain high.

Yet, the game was not without its scars. A horrific injury to Dupont himself left fans fearing for the future. He sustained a ruptured cruciate ligament, ending his season prematurely. The team reacted with immense emotional weight, acknowledging the sacrifices made by Dupont, who had grown to be indispensable to the team’s success.

“You never want to see anyone go down like this, particularly someone of Antoine’s caliber,” said teammate François Cros. “We owe it to him to push forward and deliver results.”

With passionate fans cheering from home and maintaining faith during their greatest lows, the final match against Scotland would determine the ultimate fate of the XV de France. Stepping onto the pitch with everything at stake, the team executed their seasoned strategies—shoring up defense and capitalizing on opportunities—leading to the denouement of their Six Nations saga.

Despite moments of discord and controversy peppered throughout their campaign, the XV de France rose to the occasion for one last celebration, reveling under the illustrious title of champions as they hoisted the trophy high toward the sky.

Totaling eight tries across five matches during the tournament, Louis Bielle-Biarrey stands out as one of the players who made significant contributions. Bielle-Biarrey has broken records by scoring more tries than any player has previously managed during the Six Nations format. He’s now nominated for Player of the Tournament along with his contemporaries: Tommy Freeman, Tommaso Menoncello, and Blair Kinghorn. Voting for the title remains open until March 24, 2025.

To sum up, fans are already buzzing with anticipation for the next season. Will the XV de France continue their dominance? Setting records both on-field and with engagement levels, this year’s edition raises the bar for what’s possible! France Rugby’s tumultuous campaign has left lasting impressions—powerfully echoing their fight to reclaim the trophy and solidify rugby’s devoted following across the nation.