 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Damien Chouly | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 27 November 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Limoges, France [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 111 kg (17 st 7 lb; 245 lb) [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Damien Chouly ( [da.mjɛ̃ʃu.li] ; born 27 November 1985) is a former French rugby union footballer. He played for Brive, Perpignan, and Clermont Auvergne in the Top 14, commonly in the Number 8 position.
Chouly first appeared on the professional scene in 2004 when playing for Brive in the then Top 16. He played for Brive for three years, appearing for the club 50 times and scoring 2 tries (10 points). For the 2007–08 Top 14 season, Chouly signed for the growing Perpignan side, and in his debut season he made 25 appearances for the club. He was part of a solid pack that helped guide the club to fourth in the regular season, but getting knocked out by Clermont (21–7) in the semi-final. He played in all but 5 matches in the 2008–09 Top 14 season, making only 3 appearances of the bench in the 28 appearances. He played the full 80 minutes in the Top 14 final against Clermont, coming out victors 22–13 in Damien's second season with Perpignan. However, Clermont gained revenge the following season, beating Perpignan 19–6 in the 2009–10 Top 14 season final. Since that loss to Clermont, Perpignan failed to progress to the knock-out stages finishing 9th and 11th in Chouly's final two season with Perpignan.
In 2012, Damien Chouly signed with Perpignan's close rival Clermont Auvergne on a three-year contract. He was head coach Vern Cotter's favoured N8, and helped form a strong pack to put Clermont top of the table in the regular season on Chouly's debut season. However, Clermont was knocked out by seed 4 team Castres Olympique in the semi-final, losing 25–9. He also helped Clermont make the 2013 Heineken Cup Final in Dublin, but lost to Toulon 16–15. He continued to develop in his second season at Clermont, taking up the vice captain roll. During the 2013–14 Top 14 season, Clermont were convincingly beaten on many occasions. Some include; a 30–19 loss to newly promoted Oyonnax, 43–3 loss to Montpellier, and most notable a 46–6 loss to Saracens in the 2013–14 Heineken Cup semi-final. In addition to this, Chouly was also part of the team that lost to Castres in the Top 14 semi-final at home – which was Clermont's first loss at home in 77 matches.
In the 2014–15 Top 14 season, Damien was named captain of Clermont by new head coach Franck Azéma.
Damien Chouly first represented France at Under 21 level in 2006. He was part of the U21 squad that won the 2006 Under 21 Rugby World Championship, after beating South Africa U21 24–13. The following year he was named in the France national squad for the 2007 tour of New Zealand. He made his debut in the opening test on 2 June, coming off the bench in a 42–11 loss. The following week he made his run on debut, starting at 6 to play the full 80 minutes. He was believed to be in contention for a place in France's squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but head coach Bernard Laporte opted for experience in the 30-man squad. He wasn't selected again for France until 2009, when he toured New Zealand and Australia in the June test window, after putting in strong performances for Top 14 Champions Perpignan.
After signing with Clermont in 2012, he returned to the French set-up after nearly 3 years out of the International scene. He did however represent the France A side in the 2010 Churchill Cup, making 2 appearances against Canada and the United States. Under the new coaching of Philippe Saint-André, Chouly found himself as first choice Number 8, and it was under Saint-André, Chouly scored his first try – against Fiji on 16 November 2013.
The Top 14 is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the France National Rugby League, also known by its French initialism of LNR. There is promotion and relegation between the Top 14 and the next level down, the Pro D2. The fourteen best rugby teams in France participate in the competition, hence the name Top 14. The competition was previously known as the Top 16.
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne is a French professional rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system. Clermont are two times French champions in 2010 and 2017. The rugby section is a part of a multi-sport club called AS Montferrand, which was founded in 1911 and adopted that name in 1919. Although the rugby section changed its name to the current ASM Clermont Auvergne in 2004, it is still frequently referred to as Montferrand both within and outside France.
Perry Thomas Freshwater is a retired English rugby union footballer. He is a loosehead prop and occasionally a hooker.
Rugby union in France is a popular team sport. Rugby union was first introduced in the early 1870s by British residents, which makes the country one of the few early exponents of the sport. Elite French clubs participate in the professional domestic club league, the Top 14. Clubs also compete in the European knock-out competition, the European Rugby Champions Cup, which replaced the Heineken Cup from 2014 to 2015.
Guy Novès is a former French rugby union player and most recently coach of the French national team. Born in Toulouse, Novès, who played on the wing, was capped seven times for his country, and played with Stade Toulousain from 1975 to 1987 and was a member of the team that won the Bouclier de Brennus in 1985 and 1986. He later coached the side in a tenure that lasted 22 years, when he won the French championship nine times and the Heineken Cup four times.
Clément Poitrenaud is a former French rugby union footballer. His usual position is at fullback but he also plays at centre. He most recently played for South African side the Sharks in Super Rugby, having represented Toulouse in the French Top 14 club competition between 2000 and 2016, and France between 2001 and 2012, including at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia and the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. He has since transitioned into a role of partner, father and coach.
Mario Ledesma Arocena is an Argentine rugby union coach and a former international rugby player. He played in Argentina's successful 2007 Rugby World Cup campaign and had a professional playing career in France spanning 10 years. Since retiring he has coached at the highest level in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and was most recently the head coach of the Argentine national team.
Napolioni Vonowale Nalaga is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He plays as a wing, flanker and Centre for London Irish. He is nicknamed Napoleon or Naps or Napo. His father, Kavekini Nalaga also represented Fiji in the 80's and just like his son, he played on the wing.
The 2008–09 Top 14 Competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). It ran from late August 2008 through the final at Stade de France on June 6, 2009, in which Perpignan lifted the Bouclier de Brennus with a 22–13 win over Clermont.
Sébastien Tillous-Borde is a former French rugby union player. He played scrum-half for his club rugby with Toulon after signing from Castres in 2011. After his retirement in 2018, he is now the backs coach for Toulon.
Maxime Mermoz is a French former professional rugby union player.
The 2009–10 Top 14 competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). It began on August 14, 2009 with a match between Toulon and Stade Français at Stade Mayol in Toulon, and continued through to the final at the Stade de France on May 29, 2010.
The 2010–11 Top 14 competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Home-and-away play began on August 13, 2010 and continued through April 2011. The regular season was followed by a three-round playoff starting in May that involved the top six teams, culminating in the final on June 4 at Stade de France. Toulouse won the Bouclier de Brennus for the 18th time, defeating Montpellier 15–10.
The 2011–12 Top 14 competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Home-and-away play began on August 26, 2011. Two new teams from the 2010–11 Rugby Pro D2 season were promoted to Top 14 this year, Lyon and Bordeaux Bègles in place of the two relegated teams, La Rochelle and Bourgoin.
Jacques Brunel is a French rugby union coach and former player. He was most recently the French national team head coach, having previously been assistant coach for his nation and had led the Italian national team between 2011 and 2016. Brunel, who has spent most of his career in France, formally coached his former team Auch, as well as Bordeaux Bègles, Colomiers, Pau and Perpignan.
Vernon Anthony Cotter is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player, who was most recently the head coach of the Fiji national team. He started his coaching career at Bay of Plenty including winning the Ranfurly shield for the first time in the union’s history He was part of the coaching staff for the successful Crusaders side between 2005 and 2006 winning 2 titles, before coaching in France with Clermont Auvergne between 2006 and 2014 coaching them to 6 finals and 2 titles including their first ever bouclier du Brennus coached the Scotland national team from 2014, including a quarter final at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and left his role in May 2017 as his contract was not extended by the Scottish Rugby Union. In January 2020 Cotter was appointed coach of Fiji, but resigned in January 2023. He is currently coaching the Blues and coached them to the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific title.
The 2013–14 Top 14 competition is a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Two new teams from the 2012–13 Pro D2 season were promoted to Top 14 this year, Oyonnax and Brive in place of the two relegated teams, Agen and Mont-de-Marsan. Home-and-away play began on 16 August 2013 and continued through to 3 May 2014.
The 2015–16 Top 14 competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Two new teams from the 2014–15 Pro D2 season were promoted to Top 14 this year, Agen and Pau in place of the two relegated teams, Bayonne and Lyon. Home-and-away play began on 22 August 2015 and ended on 23 May 2016. This was followed by a playoff stage involving the top six teams, culminating in the final on 24 June 2016 at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. The final was moved from its traditional site of the Stade de France in Saint-Denis because of a scheduling conflict with UEFA Euro 2016.
The 2018–19 Top 14 competition was the 120th season of the French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Two new teams from the 2017–18 Pro D2 season were promoted to Top 14 in place of the two relegated teams, Oyonnax and Brive.
The 2019–20 Top 14 competition was the 121st French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Two new teams from the 2018–19 Pro D2 season were promoted to Top 14 in place of the two relegated teams, Perpignan and Grenoble.
Playing was suspended after the 17th Matchday due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France. The season was officially cancelled without any winner or relegation/promotion on 6 May.