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Major League Rugby (MLR) side the Dallas Jackals have announced the recruitment of Mario Ledesma on the Coaching Staff as Assistant Coach and Consultant. In doing so, the MLR franchise have a name known the world over for his carrer as a player and a coach.
Ledesma will not be the only Argentine on the Dallas Jackals staff. He joins Head Coach Agustin Cavalieri and GM Santi Sodini for the 2023 MLR season.
The 49-year-old played and coached at the highest level. He moved from his native Buenos Aires to play in France in 2001. Before doing so he played at Rugby World Cup 1999. He was among the best hookers of the tournament. Argentina reached the Quarter Finals, doing so after beating Japan, Samoa and Ireland.
His first professional team was Narbonne. He subsequently played for Castres and Clermont. During his career he appeared in multiple French Top 14 Finals. He was a champion with Clermont in 2010 and a RWC Bronze Final winner in 2007. In 2011 he played in his fourth RWC. His 84th and final cap marked his retirement.
Ledesma retired late; he was 38-year-old. He went from playing to coaching. His first position was a Forwards Coach for Stade Franãis. He also coached at Montpellier before moving to Australia. He was an consultant for the Waratahs and subsequently the Australian national team.
He returned to Argentina in 2018. He became the second head coah of Los Jaguares, Argentina’s then team in Super Rugby. Ledesma coached the team to the play-off’s in his first season. He then replaced Daniel Hourcade for the top coaching job in Argentine rugby – head coach of Los Pumas.
Ledesma coached Argentina from 2018-2021. Los Pumas did not have the RWC that they had hoped for in 2019 but it was compensated by a historic win over New Zealand in 2020. Never before had Argentina defeated the All Blacks.
