Tony Marsh (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Tony Marsh is a New Zealand
-born rugby union
player who has represented France
playing at centre.
At the beginning of the 1990s, he played club rugby in Manurewa
and Ardmore before playing National Provincial Championship
rugby with Counties
.
Marsh joined the Blues Super rugby team in 1996, winning the Super 12 in 97, before switching to the Crusaders with whom he won the title in 1998. He is one of the only players who managed to win back-to-back Super Rugby titles with different teams.
Later that year he left New Zealand
for France
and signed for Top 12 club Montferrand
, now known as Clermont, with whom he reached the final of the league on three occasions, in 1999, 2001 and 2007, won the European Challenge Cup
twice in 1999 and in 2007, as well as the now-defunct French national cup in 2001.
After three years in France he became eligible to play for les Bleus
and Bernard Laporte
named him in the French squad in 2001. He went on to win 21 French caps between 2001 and 2004, scoring 7 tries and helping France win the Grand Slam
in 2002.
Early in 2003 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer
but overcame the disease after gruelling months of chemotherapy
sessions and rejoined the French team, reaching the semi final stage of the 2003 Rugby World Cup
.
Marsh played his last game for France in 2004 and his last game for Clermont came in the 2007 French Championship match against Stade Francais, Clermont lost the game narrowly, but they did end the season as European Challenge Cup winners.
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...
-born 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...
player who has represented France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
playing at centre.
At the beginning of the 1990s, he played club rugby in Manurewa
Manurewa
Manurewa is the southernmost major suburb of Manukau City, one of the four cities that make up the metropolitan area of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 6km south of the Manukau City Centre, and 26km southeast of the Auckland CBD....
and Ardmore before playing National Provincial Championship
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
rugby with Counties
Counties Manukau Rugby Union
The Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Franklin district of New Zealand. The Steelers colours are red, white, and black horizontal bands. The 'Steelers' moniker is a reference to the nearby Glenbrook steel factory...
.
Marsh joined the Blues Super rugby team in 1996, winning the Super 12 in 97, before switching to the Crusaders with whom he won the title in 1998. He is one of the only players who managed to win back-to-back Super Rugby titles with different teams.
Later that year he left 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...
for 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 signed for Top 12 club Montferrand
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...
, now known as Clermont, with whom he reached the final of the league on three occasions, in 1999, 2001 and 2007, won the European Challenge Cup
European Challenge Cup
The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...
twice in 1999 and in 2007, as well as the now-defunct French national cup in 2001.
After three years in France he became eligible to play for les Bleus
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
and 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,...
named him in the French squad in 2001. He went on to win 21 French caps between 2001 and 2004, scoring 7 tries and helping France win the 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...
in 2002.
Early in 2003 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer
Testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...
but overcame the disease after gruelling months of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
sessions and rejoined the French team, reaching the semi final stage of the 2003 Rugby World Cup
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...
.
Marsh played his last game for France in 2004 and his last game for Clermont came in the 2007 French Championship match against Stade Francais, Clermont lost the game narrowly, but they did end the season as European Challenge Cup winners.
External links
- ERC Stats
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/my_club/saracens/6641665.stm