:Serge Blanco

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Serge Blanco

| image = Serge Blanco cropped.jpg

| caption =

| birth_name =

| nickname = Pelé of Rugby

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|08|31|df=y}}

| birth_place = Caracas, Venezuela

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| weight =

| ru_position = Fullback or wing

| repteam1 = France

| repyears1 = 1980–1991

| repcaps1 = 93

| reppoints1 = 233

| ru_ntupdate =

| amatyears1 = 1974–1992

| amatteam1 = Biarritz

| ru_amupdate =

| occupation = President: Biarritz Olympique
Owner of [http://www.groupesergeblanco.com/ Groupe Serge Blanco]
Partner of the Brand [https://sergeblanco.com/?___store=en&___from_store=en Serge Blanco]
Administration council of Biarritz Olympique

| spouse =

| children =

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}}

Serge Blanco (born 31 August 1958) is a former rugby union rugby player who played fullback for Biarritz Olympique and the French national side, gaining 93 caps, 81 of them at fullback. His alternative position was wing. He was generally nicknamed by French rugby fans as the Pelé of Rugby.

Blanco was born in Caracas, Venezuela, to a Venezuelan father and a Basque mother, and was raised in Biarritz, France. He made his international debut against South Africa at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on 8 November 1980, which France lost 37–15.

Playing career

He scored the deciding try in the semi-final of the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, France winning 30–24 against co-hosts Australia.{{cite web| publisher=rwc2003.irb.com| title=Home side get Rugby World Cup off to a flyer| url=http://www.rwc2003.irb.com/NR/exeres/9439393D-557C-4C21-B762-515FCE8B4975.htm| accessdate=29 November 2006| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060507230709/http://www.rwc2003.irb.com/NR/exeres/9439393D-557C-4C21-B762-515FCE8B4975.htm| archivedate=7 May 2006| df=dmy-all}} He also won Grand Slams with France in the 1981 and 1987 Five Nations Championship.

Serge Blanco captained the French side in the 1991 Rugby World Cup before retiring after their quarter-final defeat by England on 19 October 1991. He won a total of 93 caps (a record at the time) and still holds the record for the most tries scored for France (38). Despite his international success he has failed to win the national championship with his club Biarritz Olympique, despite making a final appearance in 1992.{{cite web|publisher=bo-pb.com |title=Histoire du BOPB, un siècle de rugby dans le Pays Basque |url=http://www.bo-pb.com/club_historique.php |accessdate=29 November 2006 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061211201349/http://www.bo-pb.com/club_historique.php |archivedate=11 December 2006 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }} This match against Toulon was his last first-class rugby union match. In 1997 Serge Blanco was among the inaugural set of rugby players inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was also inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.{{cite press release |url=http://www.irb.com/history/halloffame/newsid=2042103.html#five+french+legends+into+irb+hall+fame |title=Five French legends into IRB Hall of Fame |publisher=International Rugby Board |date=19 March 2011 |accessdate=18 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505200906/http://www.irb.com/history/halloffame/newsid%3D2042103.html#five+french+legends+into+irb+hall+fame |archivedate=5 May 2011 |df=dmy }}

Administration

After retiring as a player, he continued serving Biarritz Olympique as their president. In this role he saw his club become French champions in 2002 and 2006. He was president of France's national professional league, Ligue Nationale de Rugby, until December 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.scrum.com/francetop14/rugby/image/87747.html|title=French Top 14 / Photo|date=4 December 2008|publisher=scrum.com|accessdate=10 March 2009}} He owns a chain of hotels and has given his name to a men's clothing brand.{{Cite web |last=Kimmage |first=Paul |date=31 August 2003 |title=The big interview: Serge Blanco |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/the-big-interview-serge-blanco-rrjbrzgkgnx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250308163640/https://www.thetimes.com/article/the-big-interview-serge-blanco-rrjbrzgkgnx |archive-date=8 March 2025 |access-date=8 March 2025 |website=The Times |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Richards |first=Huw |date=30 August 2018 |title=Blanco at 60: Epitomises all that is brilliant in French Rugby |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/24523976/serge-blanco-60-epitomises-all-brilliant-compelling-french-rugby |access-date=8 March 2025 |website=ESPN.com |url-status=live |language=en}}

In March 2009 he suffered a heart attack but recovered after surgery.{{cite web|url=http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_12370.php|title=Blanco revering after heart attack|date=10 March 2009|publisher=ercrugby.com|accessdate=10 March 2009}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}

References and notes

{{cite book

| editor-last = Bath | editor-first = Richard

| year = 1997

| title = Complete Book of Rugby

| publisher = Seven Oaks Ltd

| isbn = 1-86200-013-1}}

External links

{{ESPNscrum|8997}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyhalloffame.com/pages/blanco1997.htm |title=Serge Blanco |publisher=rugbyhalloffame.com |accessdate=4 June 2007 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121210130649/http://www.rugbyhalloffame.com/pages/blanco1997.htm |archivedate=10 December 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}
{{cite news|url=http://www.planetrugby.com/Story/0,18259,9818_2021086,00.html |publisher=planetrugby.com |accessdate=4 June 2007 |title=The Big Interview – Serge Blanco |date=27 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927203704/http://www.planetrugby.com/Story/0,18259,9818_2021086,00.html |archivedate=27 September 2007 |df=dmy }}
[http://www.thalassoblanco.com/ Thalasso Serge Blanco]
{{World Rugby Hall of Fame|704815}}

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Category:1958 births

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Caracas

Category:French-Basque people

Category:French people of Venezuelan descent