Birth name | Esteban Abadie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 1 December 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Le Mans, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 100 kg (220 lb; 15 st 10 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Esteban Abadie (born 1 December 1997) is a French rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Toulon and the France national team. [1]
Born in Le Mans, Sarthe, [2] [3] Esteban Abadie came through the youth ranks of Racing 92, [2] where he made his first and only appearance with the first-team during the 2017–18 season against Stade Toulousain. [4]
In 2019, he joined CA Brive, where he was a standout player, despite his team struggling with relegation. [4]
He had established himself as one of the most regular Top 14 player, excelling both as a line-out specialist and an efficient ball-carrier, [2] earning him a move to RC Toulon in June 2023. [3] [4] There he quickly emerged as one of the leaders of his team, under the supervision of Pierre Mignoni and Sergio Parisse. [2] [5]
Abadie was first called to the France senior team in January 2024 for the Six Nations Championship, [4] [6] [7] [8] despite the player then being injured. [9]
Esteban Abadie is part of a rugby family, his dad Geoffrey Abadie , [4] his grandfather Alain Abadie and his great-uncle André Abadie having all played at professional level. [10]
The France national rugby union team represents the French Rugby Federation in men's international rugby union matches. Colloquially known as Le XV de France, the team traditionally wears blue shirts with a Gallic rooster embroidered on the chest, white shorts and red socks in reference to the French national flag. Les Bleus mostly play home matches at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship along with England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. France have won the tournament on 26 occasions, winning the Grand Slam 10 times.
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 Rugby 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.
Rugby Club Toulonnais, also referred to as Rugby Club Toulon or simply Toulon, is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon and competing in the Top 14. Located on the French Riviera, in the Provence region, the club plays its home games at the 17,500-capacity Stade Mayol.
Bernard Laporte is a rugby player, coach and former French Secretary of State for Sport. From 1999 to 2007, Laporte was the head coach of the France national team. In 2011, he became the head coach at Toulon, after Philippe Saint-André became the new national team coach. He was previously the coach at Stade Français. He was the first fully professional head coach of France. Laporte was president of the French Rugby Federation from December 2016 to January 2023.
Jean-Claude Skrela is a former coach of the French national rugby union team. His son, David Skrela, is a French rugby union player and his daughter, Gaëlle Skrela, is a professional basketball player.
Pierre Guillemin was a French rugby union player, who represented France, Paris and Racing Club de France (RCF).
Cornell du Preez is a South African-born rugby union player. His regular playing positions are Flanker, No 8 and currently loose forward, he plays for Toulon in the Top 14 and represents Scotland internationally.
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 2016–17 Top 14 competition was the 118th French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). Two new teams from the 2015–16 Pro D2 season were promoted to Top 14 this year, Bayonne and Lyon in place of the two relegated teams, Agen and Oyonnax. It marked the first time that both promoted teams had returned on their first opportunity after relegation.
Antoine Dupont is a French professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Top 14 club Toulouse and captains the France national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the world and of his generation.
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.
Ange Capuozzo is a professional rugby union player who plays as a full-back or a wing for French Top 14 club Toulouse and the Italian national team.
Théo Ntamack is a French rugby union player, who plays for Toulouse.
Matthias Halagahu is a French professional rugby union player, who plays as a lock for Top 14 side Toulon. Born in Metropolitan France, he is of Wallisian descent through his father and made his debut with his club in October 2020.
Antoine Gibert is a French rugby union player, who plays for Racing 92.