Real tennis Real tennis Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis (originally called "lawn tennis") is derived. It is also known as court tennis in the United States, formerly royal tennis in England and Australia, and courte-paume in France (a reference to the older, racquetless game of "jeu de paume", the ancestor of modern handball and racquet games; many French real tennis courts are at "jeu de paume" clubs). The term "real" was first used by journalists in the early 20th century as
Sport in France runner-up on three occasions, most recently in 2011. France hosted the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Rugby league ("rugby à treize" or "jeu à treize") has been played in France since the 1930s, and is most popular, like rugby union, in the south of the country. The sport arguably achieved its height in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s when the French national team made it to World Cup finals and won test series against Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand. A France-based team, the Catalans Dragons, participates in the European Super League tournament, which has helped boost the sport's profile