Popular Sports in France
France is a sports enthusiast's haven. Whether you are into indoor or outdoor sports, individual or team games, or relatively safe or extremely dangerous activities, the place has it all. Here are some popular sports practiced in this magnificent country.
Football and ruby are two of the most well-known sporting activities in France. In fact, its national football team is one of the most successful in the world, especially during the turn of the 21st century. Rugby is also very popular, especially in Paris and the southwest region of the country. The national rugby team competes in every World Cup and takes part in the yearly Six Nations Championship.
The second most popular sport in France is tennis with more than a million licensed players in 2005 alone. The country also hosts the Roland Garros Grand Slam tournament, one of the most prestigious events in international tennis. It is also considered to be the most physically demanding in the world thanks to the slow playing surface and the absence of a tiebreak in the final set of the five-set men's singles matches.
Because mainland France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean, water sports are popular, especially professional sailing, which is focused on singlehanded ocean racing. Every four years, the country hosts the Vendee Globe, an extremely tough around-the-world sailing race. Finally, another sport that is gaining popularity is parkour, a physical activity that was developed in France. Considered a street sport, parkour requires the athlete to overcome obstacles in his path by adapting his movements to the environment. Thus, athletes may dexterously climb, jump, and somersault through walls, windows, rails, and other structures to get from one place to another at the fastest time possible.
