The inaugural match between the Royal Navy and the French Navy was held in 2005 as part of the Trafalgar 200 celebrations.  The original plan was for the match to be played at Twickenham as the curtain raiser to England V France.  Unfortunately bad weather forced the match to be relocated to the neighbouring pitch at Kneller Hall.  The fixture quickly became established and took on its own unique identity marked by often uncompromising play.  After two matches in Paris the French Navy decided to host the Royal Navy in their south coast port of Toulon, a town with a long standing rugby tradition.  The 10,000 crowd in the Stade Mayol took the fixture to a new level and the following year the Royal Navy Rugby Union approved the awarding of caps for this fixture.  A return to Stade Mayol was again try-less for the Royal Navy whilst the Navy's 21-10 win in 2013 continued the trend of the away team winning.  In 2015 the Marine Nationale finally achieved their first away win as they produced a second half comeback to win 33-19 at US Portsmouth RFC.  It was a fitting achievement as the match also marked the stepping down of their head coach who had guided their team since the first fixture in 2005.

Since that first away win the Marine Nationale have remained the dominant team recording further wins in both 2016 and 2017. These results meant that for the first time in the short but already meaningful history of the competition the Marine Nationale have a winning record over the Royal Navy.

Geraint Ashton Jones - July 2017

YearRN v MNMatch Details
2024MN (10) 19 - 7Stade De la Rabine, Vannes (n/a) Dobson [1 x T] Gott [1 x C] New Caps: MacAdams, Mills, Rigelsford, King, Teear-Bourge, Lindsay, Dobson, Mallett, Hussell Team: Beasley, Williams, Cleverley, MacAdams, Williams, Mills, Hayler (C), Matavesi, Rigelsford, Gott, Chambers, King, Raumakita, Teear-Bourge, Duncan Reps: Mallett, Lindsay, Watson, Scott, Hussell, Toogood, Rutter, Dobson
2023RN (8) 30 - 13Plymouth Albion RFC, [350] , Williams, Matavesi, Gliddon [1 x T] Hanley [ 2 x P 3 x C] Gott [1 x P] New Caps Alton K, Williams R, Boulton R, Toogood J, Hanley J, Gliddon H, Rees S, Cleverley D, Scott W, Cador L Team: Alton, Williams, Watson, Boulton, Pascoe, Vakalutukali, Matavesi, Hayler (C), Toogood, Hanley, Gliddon, Gott, Rees, Rudder, Duncan Reps: Evans, Cleverley, Scott, Spencer, Papp, Rutter, Cador, Bowden
2022MN (9) 33 - 7Stade De la Rabine, Vannes (n/a) Mitchell [1 X T] Gott [1 x C] New Caps: Ives R, Williams J, Papp T, Hughan G, Gott J, Baker, K, Rudder J, O'Brien R, Rutter D, Lowe J, Mitchell R, Frankland L, Carter S, Wakefield A Team: Ives, Priddey (C), Waner, Kirwan, Williams, Papp, Spencer, Hughan, Rees, Gott, Chambers, Baker, Raumakita, Rudder, O'Brien Reps (all used): Frankland, Beasley, Watson, Wakefield, Mitchell, Carter, Rutter, Lowe
2021N/ANot Played Covid19
2020N/ANot Played Covid19
20 Mar 2019RN (7) 47 - 3Brickfields, Plymouth (tbc) Matavesi [2 x T], Spencer, Myers [1 x T], Rees [1 x T, 2 x C, 2 x P] Loydall [1 x T, 2 x C, 1 x P] New Caps: Janes B, Duncan C, Bridgen K, Spencer M, Coy P, Johnson D, Kirwan J Team: Duncan C, Myers E *, Raumakita S *, Janes B, Dimmock-Williams R *, Loydall G *, Rees G *, Hayler J *, Matavesi S *, Pascoe E *, Makepeace S * (C), Watson B *, Robinson C *, Priddey B *, Terry J * Reps: Beasley K *, Wilman A *, Kirwan J, Spencer M, Johnson D, Bridgen K, Coy P, Chambers B * (all used)
4 Apr 18MN (8) 33-14Stade Mayol, Toulon [~9000} J Humphrey [2 xP], E Pascoe [1xT] New Caps C Frogley, B Cook, B Chambers, A WIlman Team: Beasley, Priddey (Capt), Frogley, Pascoe, Makepeace, Matavesi, Hayler, Cook, Rees, Huntley, Chambers, Loydall, Raumakita, Myers, Humphrey Reps Evans for Beasley, Wilman for Frogley, Mason for Makepeace, Fox for Pascoe, Harvey for Cook, Moore (not used) Welling for Humphrey, Dimmock-Williams for Myers
22 Mar 2017MN (7) 19 - 15Brickfields, Plymouth (tbc) M Bowden, D Fairbrother [1 x T], J Humphrey [1 x P, 1 x C] R Cadywould (729), J Basher (730) 1st caps RN Team: K Mason, B Priddey (capt), C Robinson, E Pascoe, M Harvey, B Fox, D Taylor, D Fairbrother, G Rees, R Cadywould, M Bowden, J Basher, E Myers, G Welling, J Humphrey. Reps: H Collins, G Evans, M Owen, O Mason, L Cooper, C Moore, N Huntley, S Raumakita
23 Mar 2016MN (6) 28-6Stade Mayol, Toulon [~7000} J Humphrey [2 xP], C Moore, B Watson, G John Rees, T Kava, G Loydall, C Warner 1st Caps. RN Team: Evans *, Priddey (Capt) *, Court *, Pascoe *, Lamsin *, Fox *, Hayler *, Fairbrother *, Moore, Huntley *, Bowden *, Tichias *, Davies S *, Raumakita *, Humphrey Reps: Collins *, Mason *, Warner, Watson, Kava, John Rees, Loydall, Buinimasi *
1 Apr 2015MN (5) 33-19US Portsmouth RFC [800] B Priddey [1xT], J Humphrey [1xC, 4xP] S Puleston, J Jones, E Pascoe 1st Caps RN Team: Mason *, Priddey (Capt) *, Terry *, Harvey *, Cormack *, Puleston, Raumakita *, Fairbrother *, Stephen *, Huntley *, Welling *, Tichias *, S Davies *, Marlin *, Humphrey * Reps: Collins *, Beasley *, Blackburn *, Pascoe, Cowley *, Jones, Buinimasi *, T Davies *
19 Mar 2014MN (4) 32 - 7Stade Mayol, Toulon [~9500] G Welling [1xT], T Davies [1xC], T Cowley, M Harvey, D Fairbrother, S Davies, Vakalutukali, K Wood, H Collins 1st caps Team: K Mason *+, B Priddey * (C), J Terry *, T Cowley, M Cormack *, M Harvey, S Laird *, D Fairbrother, D Pascoe *, N Huntley *, G Welling *, M Tichias *, S Davies, J Humphrey *, T Davies * Reps: H Collins, M Owen *, K Beasley *, D Taylor *, T Vakalutukali, I Cooper *, J Stephens*, K Wood
3 Apr 2013RN (6) 21 - 10US Portsmouth RFC [700] B Priddey, J Humphrey [1xT] D Pascoe [1xC, 3 xP] J Lamsin, D Taylor, M Tichias (703), C Thompson, G Welling, T Davies, J Terry 1st Caps Team: K Mson *+, B Priddey *, G Evans *, J Lamsin, M Cormack *, D Taylor, S Laird *, I Cooper *, D Pascoe (C) *, N Huntley *, J Marlin *, D Sleeman *, M Tichias, J Foster *, J Humphrey * Reps: K Beasley *, J Terry, J Court *, C Thompson, T Holiday (not used), T Davies, S Buinimasi *, G Welling
11 Apr 2012MN (3) 24 - 3Stade Mayol, Toulon [~9,300] D Pascoe [1xP] J Quarnivalu, B Fox, T Glover, D Bamford, N Huntley, J Humphrey, K Beasley, S Raumakita, D Smith [1st caps] Sam Laird [RN Man of the Match] Team: K Mason *+, G Evans *, T Blackburn *, J Quarnivalu, M Cormack *, B Fox, S Laird *, I Cooper *, D Pascoe (C) *, T Glover, J Drauniniu * , D Bamford, N Huntley, A Vance *, J Humphrey Reps: D Smith, K Beasley, H Mitchell-Heggs (not used), S Raumakita, G Jones (not used), J Foster (not used), D Sleeman
31 Mar 2011RN (5) 17 - 10Plymouth Albion RFC [~3500] J Drauniniu [1xT], Pascoe [4xP] I Cooper, S Laird, N Copeland, T Evans-Jones [1st caps] Team: K Mason *+, B Priddey *, M Roberts *, W Cairns *, S McLaren *, G Evans *, G Barden *, I Cooper, D Pascoe (C)*, W John *, J Drauniniu *, D Sleeman *, C MacRae *, A Vance *, D Smallbone Reps: T Evans-Jones, J Court *, N Copeland, S Laird, J Stephen *, S Llewellyn *, J Marlin
The Royal Navy Rugby Union Annual General Meeting agreed that from 2011 this match would be afforded cap status.
19 Mar 2010MN (2) 29 - 3Stade Mayol, Toulon [~10,000] N/A/ Caps Pascoe [1xC] M Owen, G Evans, M Roberts, N Copeland, S McLaren, K Morton, G Barden, M Cormack, D Pascoe, W John, J Stephen, D Sleeman, C MacRae, S Llewellyn, T Glover Reps: A Dennis, M Egglestone, J Marlin, D Smallbone
13 Mar 2009RN (4) 31 - 27US Portsmouth RFC [~2000] N/A/Caps Drauniniu, Priddey, Evans, MacRae [1xT], Lloyd [1xT, 3xC] Team: K Mason *+, B Priddey *, J Court *, D Chambers *, M Cormack (C) *, G Jones, A Dennis *, M Parker *, J Stephen, R Lloyd *, G Barden *, L Taylor, C MacRae *, J Drauniniu *, A Vance* Reps: G Evans *, M Roberts *, K Wise, J Volaisaya, W John *, S Buinimasi *, D Smallbone
2008RN (3) 18 - 13Stade Jean Buin, Paris [`2500] N/A/Caps K Mason, G Evans, M Roberts, J Doney, M Cormack, A Dennis, W Pilkington (C), M Parker, W John, R Lloyd, G Barden, C MacRae, S Llewellyn, J Drauniniu, A Vance Reps: D Turner, O James, C Patilla, M Salama, O Salmon, J Mills, S Buinimasi
10 Mar 2007RN (2) 12 - 8US Portsmouth RFC [~1200] N/A Caps Pascoe [4xP] K Mason, S Moss, S May, K Owens, M Cormack, W Jerrold, J Doney, G Evans, D Pascoe (C), T Gover, A Vance, J Caruana, G Barden, J Drauniniu, R Lloyd Reps Used: W John, G FEar, S Buinimasi
2006MN (1) 26-21Paris [~500] N/A Caps
2005RN (1) 20 - 5Kneller Hall [~400] N/A Caps