Édouard Ponsinet (1923 – 22 October 2006) was a French
rugby league player for
AS Carcassonne and club
Lézignan in the
French rugby league championship competition. He also represented the
France national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league matches. They are referred to as ''les Chanticleers'' or less commonly as ''les Tricolores''. The team is run under the auspices of the Fédération Française ...
on eighteen occasions; his position of choice was in the
second row.
Ponsinet originally had his background in
athletics and at the age of eighteen was a member of both the French junior
triathlon and
sprinting
Sprinting is running over a short distance at the top-most speed of the body in a limited period of time. It is used in many sports that incorporate running, typically as a way of quickly reaching a target or goal, or avoiding or catching an op ...
teams; a year later he was crowned French junior triathlon champion, and ran a one hundred metre time of 11.3 seconds.
In early 1940 Édouard was courted by French rugby league club
AS Carcassonne but before he was able to play a competition game for the club the new
Vichy government outlawed
rugby league forcing all clubs to play
rugby union or cease to exist. AS Carcassonne become ''ACE Carcassonne'' for a short time and played rugby union over the next three years, until the Vichy government was taken out of power and the Carcassonne club reverted to rugby league.
Over the next ten years with AS Carcassonne Ponsinet became a vital member of the club's first team helping them to achieve five
French rugby league championship titles and four
Lord Derby Cups. During these golden years with Carcassonne Ponsinet cemented his place in the
French national side forming a lethal combination with fellow
Élie Brousse. Over these years in French colours on the international scene, Édouard became known as one of the premier forwards in the game, as in his strong performances against the
Australians during their 1951 tour to
Oceania.
He retired from the professional game at the end of the 1952 season, before accepting a job as a coach at the
Lézignan club the following year.
Ponsinet died on 22 October 2006 at the age of 83.
References
External links
1923 births
2006 deaths
AS Carcassonne players
France national rugby league team players
French rugby league coaches
French rugby league players
Lézignan Sangliers coaches
Rugby league players from Carcassonne
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