The New Zealand Mat Blacks won the two-yearly three-test series 41-25 in Sydney, to win the Henselite Trophy for the 17th time.
French was lead in the all-South Island men's triples team that beat Australia 24-15, 27-19 and 26-20 in the three tests.
The other members of the triples team were Gary Low (Southland) and Simon Thomas (Ashburton).
The trio were joined by Grant Rayner (Wellington) in the men's four that lost to Australia 22-10, 13-12 and 27-18.
The winning team in each discipline gains the prized Australasian medal.
French (32), a Dunedin painter, will add this medal to his collection of 21 Otago titles and the New Zealand champion of champions singles gold medal.
French and Suzanne Mackie (Southland) were the only new caps in the 14-strong New Zealand team.
Mackie was in the mixed fours team that beat Australia 23-7, 13-11 and 17-13 and gained her Australasian medal.
The team was skipped by former Otago representative Grant l'Ami (Taranaki), who was captain of the New Zealand team.
The other team members were Tauranga's Paul Smith and Fiona Keegan.
Mackie and Keegan lost the women's pairs to Australia 29-7, 14-12 and 20-19.
Smith, l'Ami and Ashley Diamond (Upper Hutt Valley) were the only members of the New Zealand team to win both their disciplines and bring home two Australasian medals.
Smith and l'Ami also won the men's pairs 16-15, 25-23, 22-10 while Diamond won the men's singles when he beat George Draffen (Australia) 24-23, 29-18 and 28-12 and the mixed 8-bowl pairs with Sheree Holmes (Upper Hutt Valley).
New Zealand won the first and second tests 12-10 and the third test 17-5.
