 Armand playing for Exeter Chiefs, 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Donovan Wade Armand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 September 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Harare, Zimbabwe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 115 kg (18 st 2 lb; 254 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Maritzburg College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Cape Town | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Donovan Wade Armand (born 23 September 1988) is a former Zimbabwean-born England international rugby union footballer. Originally from Zimbabwe, he played as a flanker for Exeter Chiefs in the English Premiership. [1]
Armand grew up in Zimbabwe and attended Highlands Junior School in Harare.
After the Zimbabwean land-reform, Armand moved to South Africa and attended Maritzburg College. He made his debut with the South African team Western Province on 10 March 2012 in a 51–22 victory over the Boland Cavaliers. [2] He finished the 2012 Vodacom Cup season with six appearances and one try.
Due to injuries sustained by loose-forwards Duane Vermeulen and Nick Köster on the Stormers' 2012 Australasian tour, Armand received a call-up to the squad for the final tour game against the Western Force. The match ended in a 17–3 Stormers victory. He made his Super Rugby debut as a 75th-minute replacement for Nizaam Carr. [3]
Armand was a fixture in the 2012 Western Province Currie Cup side and started the winning final against the Sharks in Durban.
He has also represented the Ikey Tigers in the Varsity Cup. [4]
On 17 July 2013, it was confirmed that Armand would be joining English Aviva Premiership side Exeter Chiefs on a two-year contract. [5] Armand has been a key player in Exeter Chiefs successful 2017 Aviva season becoming Champions of England on 27 May 2017. He was named man of the match in the final, where the Chiefs recorded their first ever league win with a 23-20 extra-time victory over Wasps.
Armand made his Exeter Chiefs debut against the Leicester Tigers in the Aviva Premiership in September 2013. He appeared 11 times in the 2013–14 season, mostly as a substitute. In 2014–15, Armand appeared 12 times, starting in 10 of those appearances. Armand had a breakout season in 2015–16, appearing 21 times in the Aviva Premiership, starting each match and playing a total of 1,611 minutes. Armand also appeared in the Chiefs' European Champions Cup campaign and started the 2016 Aviva Premiership final. Armand was nominated for the Aviva Premiership player of the year award, which was won by Alex Goode.[ citation needed ] Armand won the Exeter Chiefs Supporters' player of the year award for 2016 [6] and also earned an England Saxons call up for their summer tour of South Africa. He started the final and was voted man of the match as Exeter Chiefs defeated Wasps to be crowned champions of the 2016-17 English Premiership. [7] He announced his retirement following the 2021–22 season. [8]
In 2016, Armand was selected for the England Saxons' tour of South Africa. [9]
In 2017 Armand was named in the touring squad to Argentina. [10] Armand won his first international cap for England on 10 June 2017 in their 34-38 victory over Argentina, coming on as a substitute in the second half. Armand's second cap and Six Nations Championship debut came as a late sub in England's defeat to Ireland in the 2018 tournament.
Kai Horstmann is a Zimbabwe born English rugby union player who plays for Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership. He formerly played for Worcester Warriors and Harlequins and has made over 175 Premiership appearances to date.
Mathew Drew Turner is a South African born rugby union player who currently plays for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR).
Thomas Waldrom is a former rugby union player who played for Exeter Chiefs in the English Premiership and represented England from 2012 to 2013. Born in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, he qualified for England through his grandmother, winning four caps.
Ernst Joubert is a South African former rugby union player. He played at Number Eight for Saracens in the Aviva Premiership from 2009 to 2015 and was the vice captain of the team. He retired from all rugby at the end of November 2015.
Exeter Chiefs is an English professional rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
Michael Kenworthy Rhodes is a rugby union footballer who formerly played for English Premiership side Saracens. He played as a flanker, but had been occasionally used as a lock.
Luke Anthony Cowan-Dickie is an English professional rugby union player for Exeter Chiefs in the English Premiership. He plays primarily as a hooker but can also play prop.
Aidon Davis is a South African rugby union player for Exeter Chiefs in England's Premiership Rugby. He previously played for the Cheetahs in the Pro14 and the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup. His regular position is flanker or number eight.
Joseph Stephanus Theuns Lewies is a South African rugby union player for the Harlequins in the Premiership in England. His regular position is lock.
Sikhumbuzo Notshe is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the Cell C Sharks in Super Rugby and Western Province in the Currie Cup. His regular playing position is flanker.
Dylon Frylinck is a South African rugby union player, who most recently played for Griquas. He is a utility back, that mainly plays at scrum-half.
Francois Daniel "Slak" van Wyk is a South African rugby union player who currently plays as a loosehead prop for Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby. He has previously played for Northampton Saints in the Premiership, the Western Force in Super Rugby as well as Western Province in his native South Africa.
Oliver Jonathan Devoto is an English rugby union player, who plays for Exeter Chiefs as a utility back primarily as a centre and fly-half.
Huw Richard Forbes Jones is a Scottish international rugby union player who plays as a centre, although he can also play as a full-back or winger. He is in his second spell playing for Glasgow Warriors, having spent the 2021-22 season playing in England for Harlequins.
Wilco Mario Louw is a South African rugby union player for the Harlequins in Premiership Rugby. His regular position is tighthead prop.
Johannes Frederick 'Jacques' Vermeulen is a South African rugby union player for the Exeter Chiefs in the Gallagher Premiership. His regular position is flanker but he can also play as a lock or number 8.
Chad Solomon is a South African rugby union player for the Stormers in Super Rugby and Western Province in the Currie Cup and in the Rugby Challenge. His regular position is hooker.
David George Ribbans is a South African born English rugby union player, currently playing with English Premiership side Northampton Saints. His regular position is lock.
Samuel David Simmonds is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a back row forward for Premiership Rugby side Exeter Chiefs. After graduating through their academy, Simmonds made his Exeter Chiefs debut in November 2012.
Alec Hepburn is an English rugby union player who plays as a loosehead prop for Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership.