Phoenix de Wasquehal is the Men´s 2013 Champion in France. This is only the second season for this very young and talented team that won the Division 2 title last year.

Coming from the North of France, just outside Lille, they travelled all the way down to Grenoble in the Alpes for the play-offs. In semi-final, they beat the local “Tigres” 6-3, and in the final they clearly defeated IFK Paris 4-0. The 3rd place went to the 2012 champion, Lyon Pirates.

Photo: Phoenix de Wasquehal 2013 Champions

In the meantime the Trolls of Annecy won the Division 2 final against Caen Floorball (6-1). Both teams, as well as Nantes “Canonniers”, accede to Division 1 which will be extended from 8 to 10 teams next season, whilst Division 2 regular season will be played in four regional groups with a total of 24 teams (vs 21 this year).

Women´s Floorball Development

This growth in the number of clubs and players illustrates French floorball´s healthy and encouraging evolution. Another example comes from female floorball.

The second edition of the French league involved 4 regional teams and the 2013 title goes to the Lady’Storm, an Eastern team with players from Lyon, Grenoble, Saint-Etienne and Strasbourg.

The development of female floorball has been identified as one of the main strategic goals by the French Federation, which is proud to announce the birth of a Senior Women´s National Team. After two training camps since the beginning of the year, the Team is now aiming at playing their first official games in November.

Photo: Lady’Storm 2013 Champions

The two other strategic areas of development are Children and Trainers’ Education. As far as children are concerned, the season is not over yet since the last round of the first official competition ever, a regional league organized in the East of France, will be played in two weeks in Grenoble. This competition involves 5 teams for the moment but there are active teams in other parts of France and new projects for next season.

As far as education is concerned, the French Federation will organize a first seminar in October in Nantes, with the ambition to replicate it rapidly in other parts of the country, based on this first experience.

 - We know France is a country where things take time but every year we have good news to announce and growth to register, so we are very confident that we are on the right track. Most indicators are on green, and now we can get ourselves ready to meet Finland in February! Says Jerome Joille, French Floorball Association President.

 Source & more information: www.francefloorball.com