Olivier Magne
Encyclopedia
Olivier Claude C. Magne (born 11 April 1973 in Aurillac
, Cantal
) is a French
former rugby union
footballer and a current coach.
Magne was a rugby god and back row forward, known especially for his speed and handling in open field play. He represented 89 times, scoring 14 tries.
He joined his hometown team, Stade Aurillacois, as a boy in 1979. He later played for Brive and US Dax
, before joining AS Montferrandaise
for the 1999–2000 season.
He made his international test debut at the age of 23 on 15 February 1997 as a replacement against Wales
during the 1997 Five Nations Championship
. The game was won 27–22 and France went on to win the tournament with a Grand Slam. He played a starring role in the 1999
and 2003
Rugby World Cup
s, playing in all France’s matches in both tournaments. The highlight of his career was probably the 1999 Rugby World Cup final, where he ended on the losing side as France were beaten 35–12. He also played a barnstorming role in the 1999 semi-final defeat of the All Blacks
.He is only one of two French forwards to have participated in four Grand Slam
-winning teams.
He was a regular member of Bernard Laporte
’s squads, playing in all France's matches in the 2004 Six Nations Championship
. Magne played in the mid-year Tests against and but missed the November internationals through injury. His last international appearances were against the All Blacks
during France's mid-year tour to New Zealand
in June 2007. He was not selected in the French squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
; he was placed on the reserve list but was not called upon.
In June 2005, Magne signed a two year contract with London Irish
. At the end of his contract, in 2007, he returned to France
and took up a coaching position with his former club, CA Brive. On June 1, 2008, Magne declared that he won't be the coach for the next season.
On November 9, 2009, the Greek Rugby Federation announced that Magne would be taking over as the new coach of the Greece national team.
Aurillac
Aurillac is a commune in the Auvergne region in south-central France, capital of the Cantal department.Aurillac's inhabitants are called Aurillacois, and are also Cantaliens or Cantalous in Occitan....
, Cantal
Cantal
Cantal is a department in south-central France. It is named after the Cantal mountain range, a group of extinct, eroded volcanic peaks, which covers much of the department. Residents are known as Cantaliens or Cantalous....
) is a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
former rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer and a current coach.
Magne was a rugby god and back row forward, known especially for his speed and handling in open field play. He represented 89 times, scoring 14 tries.
He joined his hometown team, Stade Aurillacois, as a boy in 1979. He later played for Brive and US Dax
US Dax
Union Sportive Dacquoise, also known as US Dax, is a French rugby union club currently playing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system....
, before joining AS Montferrandaise
ASM Clermont Auvergne
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...
for the 1999–2000 season.
He made his international test debut at the age of 23 on 15 February 1997 as a replacement against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
during the 1997 Five Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
. The game was won 27–22 and France went on to win the tournament with a Grand Slam. He played a starring role in the 1999
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
and 2003
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
s, playing in all France’s matches in both tournaments. The highlight of his career was probably the 1999 Rugby World Cup final, where he ended on the losing side as France were beaten 35–12. He also played a barnstorming role in the 1999 semi-final defeat of the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
.He is only one of two French forwards to have participated in four Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
-winning teams.
He was a regular member of Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte is a rugby union coach and former French Secretary of State for Sport. He is currently the head coach at Toulon, having taken over in 2011 from Philippe Saint-André, who had been named the new head coach of the France national team. Laporte himself is a former head coach of France,...
’s squads, playing in all France's matches in the 2004 Six Nations Championship
2004 Six Nations Championship
The 2004 Six Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-tenth series of the northern...
. Magne played in the mid-year Tests against and but missed the November internationals through injury. His last international appearances were against the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
during France's mid-year tour to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in June 2007. He was not selected in the French squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
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 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
; he was placed on the reserve list but was not called upon.
In June 2005, Magne signed a two year contract with London Irish
London Irish
London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
. At the end of his contract, in 2007, he returned to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and took up a coaching position with his former club, CA Brive. On June 1, 2008, Magne declared that he won't be the coach for the next season.
On November 9, 2009, the Greek Rugby Federation announced that Magne would be taking over as the new coach of the Greece national team.