We have all known Boxing Day for years: that famous festive weekend when you find yourself slumped on the sofa, trying to digest the foie gras, the oysters and the yule log from three Christmas meals with the family — parents, grandparents, cousins, friends… and sometimes the neighbour who only popped in to say hello. As a viewer, you feast on all the matches broadcast on Canal+. As a player, you try to move around with some ease despite the few kilos put on three days earlier… the warm-up then becomes a sport in its own right.

This festive weekend is also driven, every year, by a strong social commitment. In 2025, the campaign was in aid of APF France handicap. According to the LNR, the operation rests on three levers: a national communications campaign, the auction of match shirts and balls, and a major appeal for donations.

Boxing Day also marks the halfway point of the season: this year, Stade Toulousain, once again, and Section Paloise are leading the dance. From 4th to 11th, however, the table remains very tight: only three points separate Stade Français (4th) from ASM (11th). Which is to say that everything can still swing.

This period, crucial for the table, allows some teams to make up ground and others to build a lead for the second half of the season. Much will also depend on the players’ ability to keep the festive excesses in check and resist the temptations of the family fridge.

For the players, it is never easy to string together weeks with little training because of family commitments, while still having to play 80 high-intensity minutes at the weekend. Just as some talk about the magic of Christmas, here we talk about the magic of Boxing Day — all the more so when it is for a good cause.