Marcel Communeau made his debut in France’s first ever official international against the visiting All Blacks in January 1906 and went on to win 21 caps for his country, scoring three tries.

The Stade Français back-row forward became the first Frenchman to appear in 20 matches and was captain on Les Bleus’ introduction to the Five Nations Championship in 1910. 

Communeau gained national hero status in 1911 when he led France to a 16-15 victory against Scotland, the team’s first win in the competition. He is also credited with asking for the team to adopt the coq gaullois as the team's emblem.

During World War I, Lieutenant Communeau served the French Air Force and Army, winning the Military Cross for bravery in 1918. The stadium of his hometown club, Beauvais, is named after him and local students compete for the prestigious Marcel Communeau Cup.