Benazzi, who was born in Oujda, will become the 182nd member of the Hall of Fame when he is inducted at the World Rugby Council dinner in Dublin on November 17.
The former France captain earned 78 caps for Les Bleus between 1990 and 2001, scoring 12 tries. He played in three Rugby World Cups and captained France 15 times, including during the team’s 1997 Six Nations Grand Slam.
His path to the top of international rugby began in Oujda, where he first discovered the sport as a teenager.
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At 18, his performances with Morocco’s junior team during a European tour attracted the attention of French clubs. In 1988, he joined second-division side Cahors before moving to SU Agen, where he spent 12 years and established himself as one of France’s leading forwards.
Able to play at second row, flanker and number eight, Benazzi became known for his power, ball-handling skills and mobility.
He made his France debut against Australia in 1990. It was a difficult start: he was sent off for stamping. But the incident did little to stop his rise with the French team.
One of the defining moments of his career came in 1994, when France defeated New Zealand twice on tour. Benazzi played a role in the famous “try from the end of the world” at Eden Park, with Jean-Luc Sadourny finishing an attack that involved several French players.
A year later, Benazzi was part of France’s run at the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. He later returned to the World Cup in 1999 after recovering from a serious knee injury.
France reached the final that year after a famous 43-31 comeback win over New Zealand at Twickenham. Benazzi was selected in the tournament’s Greatest XV.
His international career also included the captaincy of France during the 1997 Six Nations Grand Slam.
After leaving international rugby, Benazzi finished his club career with Saracens in England before moving into rugby administration.
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He has served as vice-president of the French Rugby Federation in charge of international relations since 2023 and is also a member of the World Rugby Council. At the time of his Hall of Fame induction, he was chair of World Rugby’s Men’s High-Performance Rugby Committee.
Benazzi’s induction will add another chapter to a career that began in Morocco and took him to the highest level of French and international rugby.
He will join South African World Cup hero Joel Stransky, New Zealand great Zinzan Brooke, England’s Sue Day, US international Jen Crawford, New Zealand’s Rochelle Martin and former Argentina and Italy fly-half Diego Dominguez in the 2026 Hall of Fame class.
