France captain Antoine Dupont and teammate Maxime Lucu laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Wednesday, November 11, as part of national armistice commemorations.
As head coach Fabien Galthié explained during his pre-match press conference, the entire team stopped at the Arc de Triomphe to reflect, stating, “Cet après-midi (mercredi), on va s’arrêter à l’Arc de Triomphe parce que c’est aussi le 11 novembre. On va donc se recueillir à l’Arc de Triomphe avec toute l’équipe de France. C’est important.”
The tribute was conducted in partnership with the Bleuet de France, a national solidarity association that supports war veterans, military casualties, and victims of terrorism, as reported by Le Figaro.
The event served as both a national duty and a central element of the team’s preparation for Friday’s clash at the Stade de France. The French Rugby Federation also honored the memory of those who died on the front during the First World War.
𝟏𝟏 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐞 🇫🇷 Antoine Dupont et Maxime Lucu ont déposé, au nom du XV de France, une gerbe sur la tombe du Soldat Inconnu. En mémoire de ceux qui sont tombés pour la France🕊️@BleuetFrance | #XVdeFrance pic.twitter.com/vaXFNnhhyD
“I am a citizen of the Republic and we are all citizens of the Republic,” France head coach Fabien Galthié said during a press conference. “The French team is a citizen of the Republic and we have a series of events around November 13, of reflection, a thought, and above all asking ourselves questions about our society and the role we have in it.”
Galthié emphasized that the proximity of the November 11 armistice and the anniversary of the November 13, 2015, terrorist attacks were significant for the players. “These are dates that count in our history, in our construction, and it is also part of the preparation, of course,” Galthié told Sports – Orange.
The coach also said that on November 13, 2015, Guy Novès had been presented as the new national team coach earlier in the day before weekend matches were postponed.
Stade de France returns to the schedule
Friday’s match against the Springboks is the first sporting event held at the Stade de France on the anniversary of the November 13 attacks since 2015.
On that night eleven years ago, three suicide bombers attempted to enter the stadium during a football friendly between France and Germany, detonating devices outside the perimeter and causing one death and several injuries. At the time, terrorists also struck the terraces of the 11th arrondissement and the Bataclan.
While the French national football team has played twice on November 13 since the 2015 attacks, both matches were held at the Parc des Princes, rather than in Saint-Denis, against Kazakhstan in 2021 and Ukraine in 2025. The 2015 attacks resulted in 130 deaths and over 400 injuries across Paris and Saint-Denis, with two additional victims dying by suicide later.
The French Rugby Federation (FFR) has planned a pre-match spectacle titled “Faire Corps” (Standing Together) to honor the victims. “We are very aware of the strength of the symbol,” FFR president Florian Grill explained to RMC Sport.
“We wouldn’t have seen ourselves coming to the Stade de France on November 13, a date that is deeply marked in collective emotion, and not having this tribute.” Grill added, “Se souvenir, c’est aussi continuer à vivre, à partager, à rassembler,” and noted, “Je pense que c’est la force du rugby.”
La FFR organise l'hommage et les détails du match
According to Rugbyrama, the FFR developed the tribute in consultation with the victims’ association “Life for Paris” to ensure the tone remained sober and dignified.
Pour le match face à l’Afrique du Sud, Fabien Galthié a titularisé Antoine Dupont au poste de demi d’ouverture, tandis que Maxime Lucu jouera à la mêlée.
The formal commemorations will begin Friday morning with a ceremony at 8:45 at Gate D of the Stade de France, the location near where the initial explosions occurred in 2015.
Worth a look
