TOP COACHES AND EXPERTS

The professional coaches and different experts providing the training during our high level rugby camps are some of the most experienced and knowledgeable coaches and former rugby players around. The staff working with the professional coaches are all state-qualified and are specialised in the area they will be responsible for during the camp. For the duration of this high level rugby training camp, students will be trained daily by professional coaches and qualified experienced educators. Some of the workshops taking place during these high level rugby training camps will be led and/or supervised by professional rugby players (depending on their availability).

Jacques Delmas

Born in Montpellier, his playing career was as a hooker with RC Narbonne. He has coached Biarritz, Grenoble, Stade Français, Perpignan and Toulon, notably in charge of the forwards. He is a three-time French champion and two-time European champion. In June 2017, he was chosen to coach the French Barbarians alongside Pierre Mignoni for a two-match tour of South Africa. In September 2018, he gives the hand to the Inthalatz Rugby Larressore, and returns in 2019 at the head of CA Périgueux. He was also a consultant for Canal+. He is currently a coach at Provence Rugby, a ProD2 club.

Aubin Hueber

Scrum half and native of Tarbes. He played in Toulon from 1991 to 2000 then coached from 2003 to 2006 with Thierry Louvet and from 2008 to 2011 with Tana Umaga and Philippe Saint-André. French champion in 1992 and winner of the 6 Nations Tournament in 1993, he was also semi-finalist of the World Cup in 1995. Double world champion of the under 20 in 2018 and 2019 as coach of the forwards. He has 23 selections in the French team. In 2020 he is again called back by the FFR to coach the backs of the French under 18 team.

Sébastien Bruno

Born in Nîmes where he started his career as a rugby union player. He then played for France, and continued to play as a hooker for AS Béziers, Sale Sharks and RC Toulon. In 2006, he was part of the Sale Sharks team that won the Premiership title after a memorable game against Leicester. In 2015, he became the forwards coach at LOU. In 2015 he became the forwards coach during the World Cup. In 2020 he was called up again by the FFR to train the French Under 20s forwards.

Xavier Garbajosa

Born in Toulouse, he played as full-back, centre or winger at Stade Toulousain and Aviron Bayonnais. Triple French champion and twice European champion, he won two Grand Slams with France, for whom he played 32 times.

Vice-world champion, after his playing career ended he became the coach at La Rochelle and then Montpellier.

Marc dal Maso

Born in the Landes area, he played as hooker for Agen, Mont de Marsan, Colomiers, Pau and Perpignan. With 33 international caps, he participated in two Grand Slams and was vice-world champion with France in 1999. Assistant coach for Japan, Toulon and CA Brive.

Patrick Furet

Lock forward born in Corsica. He played for Perpignan, Castres and La Section Paloise. A line-out specialist, he has coached at Dax and Castres.

David Smith

smith

This winger of New Zealand and Samoan origin has played for the Blues, the Hurricanes, the Rugby Club Toulonnais, Castres and Narbonne. He has been French Champion twice and three times European champion.

Brian Liebenberg

liebenberg

Born in South Africa and naturalised French, he has played as a fly half and centre for Grenoble and the Stade Français. He is a three-time champion of France, has played for France 13 times and won the Grand Slam in 2004.

Geoffrey Palis

Geoffrey Palis

A native of Albi where he began his career, he has played fullback or wing at Castres since 2013. French international with 2 selections in the French team, he is French champion in 2018.

Benoit Baby

baby

Born in Lavelanet, learnt his rugby in Toulouse, and participated in winning the “Brennus shield” (French championship). In 2007 he joined ASM Clermont Auvergne. In February 2011 he signed with Biarritz. He can play in four different positions: fly half, winger, centre and full-back. Since 2020 he has been working at the training centre of Biarritz Olympique and the Crabos.

François Trinh-Duc

Francois-Trinh-Duc-stage-rugby

Born in Montpellier, he has been selected to play for France 66 times. He learnt his rugby at Pic Saint-Loup and then moved to MHR where he became vice-champion of France and won the Challenge Cup. He was again a finalist in the French championship with Toulon. Today he plays for Racing. Winner of the Grand Slam in 2010 and finalist in the 2011 World Cup.

Sébastien Tillous-Borde

Sébastien Tillous-Borde-Stage-rugby-airugby

Fly half, born at Oloron-Sainte-Marie. He began his career at Biarritz Olympique and then played for Castres and RC Toulon with whom he won the Top 14 in 2014 and three Champion Cups. At the end of his playing career he became the backs coach at RCT. In his international career, he was selected 19 times for France.

Gurthrö Steenkamp

gurthro

Prop forward who played for South Africa 53 times. He has played for the Bulls, Stade Toulousain and Stade Français. Winner of the Currie Cup and three Super Rugby cups, and champion of France in 2012. World Champion in 2007, today he is the scrum coach at Stade Rochelais after Colomiers.

Delon Armitage

Delon-Armitage-Toulon-stage-rugby

Born in Trinidad-and-Tobago, Delon started playing rugby aged 8 at Richmond before moving to France, where he played for Racing Rugby Club de Nice and also played for the France Under 16s. He then joined London Irish in England, where he remained from 2002 to 2012, before moving to Rugby Club Toulonnais until 2016. From 2016 to 2019 he continued his career at LOU. Delon plays as a full-back or winger. In addition he has been selected 26 times to play for England, and he participated in the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

Mathieu Bastareaud

Mathieu Bastareaud

Born in Créteil, he learned his rugby at RC Massy and Stade Français. He spent 8 seasons at Rugby Club Toulonnais where he won three European cups and a French championship. He won the Six Nations Tournament in 2010 and participated in the 2015 World Cup with France. He has been selected to play for France 47 times. As from 2019 he was repositioned as a number 8 and continued his career at LOU and Rugby United New York. At present he plays for LOU.

Philippe Benetton

benetton

Born in Cahors, he played as a flanker at Agen. He played for France 59 times, was champion of France and won the Six Nations Tournament three times, including one Grand Slam. He has also coached Racing Metro 92, Béziers and Perpignan.

Vincent Clerc

clerc

Born in Isère, he played as a winger at Grenoble, Stade Toulousain and RC Toulon. Highest scorer in the championship with 101 tries, he has won three Brennus shields and three European Cups. He has played for France 67 times, was vice-world champion and won three Six Nations Tournaments, including two Grand Slams.

Gérald Merceron

merceron

Born in Cognac, fly half and French international 32 times, he played in particular at RC Toulon, Clermont and Stade Rochelais. Two-times vice-champion of France, he won a European Shield trophy with the ASM and a Grand Slam with France.

Thierry Louvet

thierry-louvet

Born in Toulon, L’Indien is a legend of the RCT.
Third row, he was French champion in 1987, 1992 and finalist in 1989.
Reconverted coach alongside Aubin Hueber from 2004 to 2006, he is Pro D2 champion in 2005.

Eddy Labarthe

Eddy Labarthe stage rugby AIR

Trained in Boucau and Aviron Bayonnais, he is 72 times international Rugby VII and winner of the Plate in Hong Kong. He is the record holder of the number of tries scored for Aix en Provence, the club for which he played his entire career in the XV category as a winger.

Peio Dospital

Pierre Dospital stage rugby AIRUGBY

Monument of Basque rugby and native of Itxassou, he is one of the greatest pillars of French rugby. He spent his entire career with the Aviron Bayonnais, of which he was president, and was a finalist in the French championship in 1982. He has 27 selections in the French team and was winner of the Tournament in 1981 (Grand Slam) and 1983.

Benjamin Lapeyre

lapeyre

Born in Castres, he started his career in 2007 as a full-back with Castres Olympique. He then joined SC Albi where he became the kicker. He participated in SC Albi’s rise to the Top 14. From 2010 he joined RC Toulon for 2 years, where he deputized for Johnny Wilkinson as kicker. In June 2011, he participated in the French Barbarians’ tour of Argentina. Benjamin then played for several clubs, including Racing Métro 92, Stade Rochelais, CA Brive, AS Béziers and Castres Olympique.

Cédric Soulette

Cedric Soulette

Born and trained in Béziers, he started his career there before joining the Stade Toulousain in 1999. He will finish his career in Clermont in 2005. He played with the French national team from 1997 to 1999, playing as a prop. French champion with Toulouse in 2001 and winner of the European Cup in 2003. He has 13 caps for the French national team and made the Grand Slam in 1998 and was a finalist in the World Cup in 1999.

Teddy Thomas

teddy-thomas-stage

Born in Biarritz, after 9 years spent at Biarritz Olympique, his training club, he joined Racing 92 as a winger. He played in two tournaments with the French 7s rugby team and in 2014, Teddy joined the French XV rugby team,

Philippe Gallart

Philippe Gallart

Formed in Pézenas but born in Béziers where he played all his career as a prop. He has 18 caps for the French national team between 1990 and 1995 and has participated in four Six Nations tournaments. He then coached in Béziers and Agde.

Benjamin Boyet

boyet

Born in Vienne, he played as fly half during the Grand Bourgoin period, and at Aviron Bayonnais. An international player, he won a Six Nations tournament.

Nans Ducuing

Nans Ducuing Stage rugby

Born in Bazus-Aure and learnt his rugby at CO Saint-Lary-Soulan. He started his professional playing career at Perpignan,. He has played four times for France, and today plays at full-back or on the wing for Union Bègles Bordeaux.

Louis Carbonel

Louis Carbonel-stage-rugby-airugby

Born in Toulon where he learned his rugby and turned pro. He is two-times Under 20s world champion and one of the great hopes of French rugby.

Julien Ory

Julien Ory-stage-rugby

Born in Brusc and learned his rugby at La Seyne. He plays in the back row for Rugby Club Toulonnais. He was France Under 21s champion in 2019.

Baptiste Serin

Baptiste Serin-stage-rugby

Scrum-half born at La Teste-de-Buch, learned his rugby at the Parentis-en-Born club. Before joining RCT, he played at Union Bègles Bordeaux for 10 years with the youth team and as a pro. He has already been selected more than 40 times for France. He is one of the world’s leading players in his position.

Marc de Rougemont

derougemont

Born in Aubagne, he played for France, and at RC Toulon and CA Bègles Bordeaux where he played as hooker and prop forward. He was selected for France 13 times and won the Grand Slam in 1997 as well as the title of French Champion in 1993 with the RCT.

Christian Califano

christian-califano-stage-rugby

Born in Toulon, Christian is a former French international rugby union player who played as a prop forward. The clubs he played for during his career include Stade Toulousain, the Blues (he was the first French player to compete in the Super 12), SU Agen and Gloucester RFC. In November 2004 he was selected to play for the French Barbarians against Australia. In 2017 he was appointed Development Director of Provence Rugby. Then, in December 2017 he was appointed forwards coach for the Under 18 French B team. Rugby consultant for Eurosport since 2014 and for TF1 in 2011 and 2015 (World Cups).

Philippe Sella

Philippe Sella

Philippe was born in Tonneins. He is a legendary figure of French rugby, an international player who played as a centre. Fast, physical and skilful, an expert tackler, considered to be the best centre in the world for almost a decade, in particular he was the first player in the history of world rugby to be capped 111 times. He is the 2nd most capped player in the history of French rugby. After playing for more than 16 years at SU Agen, in 1996 he headed for England where he played for Saracens for 2 seasons and won the English club Cup in 1998.

Lionel Beauxis

Lionel Beauxis stage rugby AIR

Born on 24 October 1985 in Tarbes, Lionel played at fly half and full-back. He wore the jersey of several major French clubs: La Section Paloise, Stade Français, Stade Toulousain, Union Bordeaux Bègles, LOU, Oyonnax Rugby, and AS Béziers. He also played for France between 2007 and 2012, and returned once more for the 2018 Six Nations tournament. Lionel is renowned for his excellent kicking. Lionel was French Champion in 2007 with Stade Français and in 2012 with Stade Toulousain.

Rodrigo Capó Ortega

Rodrigo Capó Ortega stage rugby AIR

Born on 8 December 1980 in Montevideo in Uruguay, Rodrigo Capó Ortega played as a flanker or a lock forward. He was selected for Uruguay, and in particular wore the Castres Olympique jersey from 2002 to 2020 where he was captain. Rodrigo was champion of France twice, in 2013 and 2018. With more than 450 matches over an 18 year period, he is an emblematic figure of C.O., and became their ambassador at the end of his playing career. In 2021 he became the forwards coach at C.O.

THE HIGH LEVEL, A PHILOSOPHY

When I go to bed, I want to feel like I’ve done absolutely everything I needed to do to keep my life moving forward.
(Jonny Wilkinson)

If you’re never under pressure in your life, you’ll never achieve anything.
(Dan Carter)

The secret to a performance is the result of all those training sessions. Success is something that has to be earned, and for that, you have to work.
(Mathieu Bastareaud)

I don’t believe in magic. I believe in hard work.
(Richie Mc Caw)

Training and being dedicated to your work are the most important things for success.
(Brian O’Driscoll)

The only solution is to work hard. If you do that, you’ll have more success than failure.
(Antoine Dupont)

LET’S HEAR FROM THE PROS

During the week-long 100% rugby camp at the “Académie Internationale de Rugby”, in addition to training with experienced educators and renowned top quality coaches, students will receive advice from current and former professional players. Several of them have been kind enough to send you a short video message, and we would like to thank them very much for that.