René Duffort (born 20 April 1923) is a French former professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

and

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 it ...

footballer and coach who represented France national rugby league team and coached them in multiple Rugby League World Cups.

Career

Duffort started to play rugby union for Côte Basque during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. At the end of the war, he returned to rugby league, which was forbidden by the

Vichy regime Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...

between 1941 and 1944 and joins

RC Roanne XIII Racing Club de Roanne XIII are a French Rugby league club based in Roanne, Loire in the Rhône-Alpes region. The club plays in the Rhône-Alpes League of the French National Division 2. History Racing Club de Roanne XIII were one of the pione ...

with which he wins two championships in 1947 and 1948 and later,

Lyon Villeurbanne XIII Lyon Villeurbanne XIII are a semi-professional rugby league club from the town of Lyon, Rhône-Alpes in France. Formed in 1934 they are one of the oldest clubs in France. During the 1950s they won both the league and cup. They currently play in ...

, with which he became champion in 1951. Between 1951 and 1953, he joins Celtic de Paris to then return to Lyon in 1953. He earned 22 caps for France and represented

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

during the 1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duffort, Rene 1923 births Possibly living people People from Soustons Sportspeople from Landes (department) Rugby union players from Nouvelle-Aquitaine French rugby league players France national rugby league team players Rugby league halfbacks Celtic de Paris players Lyon Villeurbanne XIII players RC Roanne XIII players France national rugby league team coaches French rugby league coaches Celtic de Paris coaches Lyon Villeurbanne XIII coaches