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Argentina’s contribution to elite level rugby in France was on full show at the Nuit du Rugby in Paris this evening. Both Gonzalo Quesada and Sergio Parisse won prestigious awards at what was the 12th edition of the Nuit du Rugby.
The Nuit du rugby is an organized ceremony which, once a year, recognizes the excellence of players, coaches and officials in the Ligue nationale de rugby (LNR). Awards are distributed over both the first and second division, namely the Top 14 and Pro d2.
The captain of Stade Français, Sergio Parisse won the player of the Top 14 award. In doing so he became the first Italian international to win the award. Paris left Argentina to move to his parents country and began his professional career there before moving to France. He becomes the second Argentine player to win the award following Juan Martín Hernández who won in 2007.
Parisse’s clubmate, the uncapped Jonathan Danty won the revelation of the season award. The 23 year old has been named in Guy Novès’ roster for the Six Nations Championship. Missing from the Six Nations will be injured winger Yoann Huget who won French international player of the year.
Another injured winger, Canadian Taylor Paris was one of three finalists for the Player of the Pro d2 award which was won by Pau’s Irish back-rower James Coughlan. Referee Jérôme Garces who officiated Argentina’s World Cup Quarter Final win over Ireland won referee of the year.
Both Toulon and Stade Français were awarded trophies. Toulon for being Champions Cup winners and Stade Français for winning the Top 14. The Parisian’s Argentine coach, Gonzalo Quesada lifted the trophy for the best coaching staff of the year award.
The Buenos Aires fly half joins an impressive list of coaches to have won the award but is in a league of his own in being both a non-Frenchman and yet to be a Head Coach at international level. Guy Novès is a previous multiple time winner while Italian coach Jacques Brunel won the award in 2009 after coaching Clermont to the title. The following year Clermont won with Vern Cotter and Joe Schmidt as the coaches. They are now the respective Head coaches of Scotland and Ireland.
At 41 years of age Quesada is also notably younger than Novès, Brunel, Cotter and Schmidt. Their respective ages are 61, 61, 53 and 50. French media named him as a candidate for Head Coach of France. A position in charge may yet eventuate with the Argentine a prime candidate to take over the helm at Los Pumas in due course.
