Agustín Pichot (born 22 August 1974, in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
) is a retired
Argentine rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
player, formerly captain of the
Argentine team and the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
club
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
. In addition to Bristol, he played for
French sides
Stade Français and
Racing Métro after leaving Argentine team
CASI from
San Isidro in 1997. In 2011, he was inducted into the
IRB Hall of Fame
The World Rugby Hall of Fame (formerly the IRB Hall of Fame) recognises special achievement and contribution to the sport of rugby union. The World Rugby Hall of Fame covers players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other ...
.
He was Vice-Chairman of
World Rugby
World Rugby is the world governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international rug ...
between 2016 and 2020.
[
]
Playing career
Pichot made his debut for Los Pumas in April 1996 during the Pumas' tour to Australia, scoring a try
Try or TRY may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio
* ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs
* "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987)
* "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014)
* "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004)
* " Try (Ju ...
in the first Test in Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
. Pichot was capped another three times that year for the Pumas; playing in Tests against Romania, Italy and France during October. The following year he was capped another three times for Argentina, playing two Tests against France and one against Uruguay in June, scoring a try in the match against Uruguay. In October/November of the next year, he earned another four Test caps, playing in matches against Italy, France and the Wallabies, scoring a try in the second of two matches against the Wallabies. He moved from CASI to Richmond, and later switched to Bristol.
Pichot would be capped six times during the 1998 international season, including playing France three times, as well as playing matches against Italy, Romania and Wales, scoring tries in the games against Wales and Romania. In the lead up to the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
Pichot played two Tests against the hosts in June, and Tests against Scotland and Ireland that August, scoring a try in the Test against Ireland. He played five matches during the World Cup and helped the Pumas reach the quarter-finals. Argentina played France in their quarter-final, which France won 26–47, Pichot being one of Argentina's try scorers in the match.
After the World Cup Pichot captained Argentina for the first time in a Test against Ireland in June 2000, which Argentina won 34 points to 23. He was also capped another four times that year, playing two games against World Champions Australia and then matches against South Africa and England in November. He earned eight Test caps during 2001, and captained Argentina on three more occasions, in matches against Uruguay, the United States and Canada in May. He played six Tests the following year, captaining the Pumas during two of them (June Tests against England and South Africa).
Pichot then moved to Paris club Stade Français in 2003. He played two Tests during August 2003, including captaining the Pumas against Uruguay. He was named captain for the opening match of the 2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup. Originally planned to be hosted by India, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the Indian Rugby Union and Rugby World Cup ...
against hosts Australia. The Wallabies won the match 24–8. He also scored tries in the pool matches against Uruguay and Canada. He then captained the team in the last pool game against Ireland, which they lost 16–15. He was named to Argentina's 2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 2 ...
squad, which he captained successfully to a 3rd place showing in the World Cup, after a second win in the 2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 2 ...
against France in the 3rd/4th place playoff.
Pichot was the first foreign captain of a French team that won the French championship in 2007.
He spent the 2007–2008 season with Racing Métro, then in Rugby Pro D2, before retiring. Pichot briefly came out of retirement for one last stint with Stade Français in 2009. However, an injury suffered in April 2009 that ended his 2008–09 season led Pichot to call time on his playing career.
Pichot returned to Argentina for one final match on 27 June at CASI, an informal exhibition divided into three periods that saw nearly 60 players take the pitch, including many of his former CASI teammates and past and present Pumas. He was the only player to remain on the field through the match. Also present were Alex Wyllie
Alexander John "Grizz" Wyllie (born 30 August 1944) is a New Zealand rugby union former player and coach.
Playing career
Wyllie began his rugby career playing for Glenmark Rugby Club, in North Canterbury. During his first-class career he playe ...
, who coached the Pumas to their first World Cup quarterfinal in 1999; Marcelo Loffreda
Marcelo Loffreda (born May 17, 1959, in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an Argentine former rugby union footballer and coach. Loffreda won 44 caps with one as captain, playing at centre for the Argentine rugby union side (''los Pumas''). He played muc ...
, the Pumas' coach for their 2007 World Cup run; and Pichot's successor as Pumas captain, Felipe Contepomi
Felipe Contepomi (born 20 August 1977) is an Argentine rugby coach who is currently the backs coach at Leinster Rugby. He was a rugby union footballer who played fly-half or centre; his last club was Club Newman, in the first division of the U ...
, who was unable to play as he was recovering from a torn ACL
An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during inju ...
. Every player on the pitch wore #9, the standard number for starting scrum-halves.[
He narrated the Argentine version of the documentary ''Earth''.
On 24 October 2011, at the IRB Awards ceremony in ]Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
, Pichot was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame alongside 18 other key figures in the history of the Rugby World Cup.
Rugby administration
Pichot's boardroom career began in 2009 following an overhaul of the Argentine Rugby Union, known as UAR, which changed its long-standing amateur status and moved towards rugby as a professional game in Argentina.[ He became a member of the UAR Council that year, while still in his final season of rugby in France, and went on to be the driving force behind Argentina's integration into The Rugby Championship and Super Rugby.][
]
In 2016, less than a year after being elected Vice Chairman of World Rugby
World Rugby is the world governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international rug ...
, Pichot was making waves, calling for the three-year residency rule for eligibility to play for a country to be extended to five years, in the face of the view of other senior members of the WR Executive Committee. A few months later, he was voted most influential figure in world rugby, ahead of England head coach Eddie Jones, in a ranking by ''Rugby World
''Rugby World'' is a monthly rugby union magazine running since October 1960. It is published monthly by Future plc and edited by Owain Jones who took over from long-standing editor Paul Morgan in January 2012. Paul Morgan was long considered ...
'' magazine.
Pichot stood for election as World Rugby chairman in 2020 but, following his loss to incumbent Bill Beaumont
Sir William Blackledge Beaumont, (born 9 March 1952 in Chorley, Lancashire, England) is a former rugby union player, and was captain of the England rugby union team, earning 34 caps. His greatest moment as captain was the unexpected 1980 Grand ...
by 28 votes to 23, he vacated his seat on the World Rugby council.
Honours
* In 1995 he received the Olimpia Award
The Olimpia Awards ( es, Premios Olimpia) are Argentine sports awards given annually by the ' (Association of Sports Journalists) since 1954.
An ' (Silver Olimpia) is awarded to the outstanding performer in 41 sports.
Among the ' winners an ' ...
for rugby
* In 1998 he received Best Rugby Player
* In 1999 he received Sportsman Clarín Award of the year
* In 2000 he received the Platinum Konex Award
Konex Foundation Awards, or simply Konex Awards, are cultural awards from the Konex Foundation honouring Argentine cultural personalities.
History and purpose
Konex Awards are granted by the Konex Foundation, created in 1980 in Argentina. The pur ...
for Rugby
* In 2000 he again received the Olimpia Award
* In 2001 he received Best Rugby player
* In 2000/01 and 2002/03 he was voted Supporter's Player of the Season at Bristol Shoguns
Bristol Bears (officially Bristol Rugby Club or Bristol Rugby) are a professional rugby union club based in Bristol, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
The club was founded as Bristol Football Club in 18 ...
* In 2010, once again he received the Platinum Konex Award
Konex Foundation Awards, or simply Konex Awards, are cultural awards from the Konex Foundation honouring Argentine cultural personalities.
History and purpose
Konex Awards are granted by the Konex Foundation, created in 1980 in Argentina. The pur ...
for rugby
* IRB Hall of Fame
The World Rugby Hall of Fame (formerly the IRB Hall of Fame) recognises special achievement and contribution to the sport of rugby union. The World Rugby Hall of Fame covers players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other ...
Class of 2011
Achievements
* 75 tests with the Pumas
* Finals of the European Cup 2004/05
* Finals of the French Championship
The French rugby league championship (french: Le Championnat de France de Rugby à XIII) has been the major rugby league tournament for semi-professional and professional clubs in France since the sport was introduced to the country in the 1930s.
...
2005 (''Championnat de France de rugby'')
* Finals of the English Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in men's domestic Football in England, English football. First played d ...
2001
* Champion of France 2004 and 2007 (captain)
* 5th position in 1999 Rugby World Cup
* 3rd position in 2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 2 ...
* Captain and 3 position in 2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens
* Argentine Provincial Champion with Buenos Aires 1996
* Argentine National Club Champion with CASI
* Sevens National Champion with Buenos Aires 1994/1995
* Most selected Argentine player for the Barbarians
A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be les ...
Trivia
* ''Pichòt'' means "little" in Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language
Occitan (; o ...
.
References
External links
Official site
*
Stade Français profile
*
BBC short article
Konex Foundation
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pichot, Agustin
1974 births
Living people
Rugby union players from Buenos Aires
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in France
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in England
Argentine rugby union players
Rugby union scrum-halves
Club Atlético San Isidro rugby union players
Bristol Bears players
Stade Français players
Barbarian F.C. players
Richmond F.C. players
Argentine people of French descent
Argentina international rugby union players
World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees
Argentina international rugby sevens players