3. France (6x Runners-Up / 0 Finals Victories)
France have taken away silver medals on six separate occasions, which is a record for an international men’s rugby side. Les Bleus have had their heart broken in the Rugby World Cup Final three times, which is an unfortunate accolade they share with England. France were the runners-up of the first ever Rugby World Cup in 1987, as they suffered a 29-9 defeat to the All Blacks. The 20-point score margin is also a winning record for any RWC Final, matched only by the 2019 final.
France also lost the 1999 final against the Wallabies, and then the 2011 final provided an unwanted sense of Deja vu, with another defeat to New Zealand with the Web Ellis Trophy on the line. France added their latest silver medal after the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup Final, as England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie grabbed an 80th minute equalising try, before Owen Farrell’s conversion took the match to extra time for a dramatic England win.
The final two silver medals in France’s hidden trophy cabinet came in the 1920s. This took some researching, yet Les Bleus actually entered their officially recognised team into the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games. This may seem like an impressive accolade, yet in 1920 the only other entrants were Team USA, with the duo joined by Romania four years later.
Rugby 15s was pulled from the Olympics after 1924, with Rugby Sevens making its debut in Rio 2016. Unfortunately for Les Bleus, their all six of their Six Nations titles come without the specified ‘final’, and have no impact upon their successes for this list.