Agustín Pichot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Agustín Pichot
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Agustín Pichot at the Casa Rosada in 2007
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| Vice-chairman of World Rugby | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1 July 2016 – 12 May 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Oregan Hoskins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Bernard Laporte | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of Board of Directors of UAR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 1 July 2009 |
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Rugby career
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| Birth name | Agustín Pichot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 22 August 1974 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 77 kg (12 st 2 lb; 170 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Agustín Pichot (born August 22, 1974) is a famous retired Argentine rugby union player. He used to be the captain of the Argentine national team, known as the Pumas. He also captained the English club Bristol.
Besides Bristol, he played for French teams like Stade Français and Racing Métro. Before that, he played for his home team, CASI, in San Isidro, Argentina. In 2011, he was honored by being added to the IRB Hall of Fame. From 2016 to 2020, he served as the Vice-Chairman of World Rugby, a top organization in rugby.
Contents
Agustín Pichot's Rugby Career
Starting Out as a Player
Agustín Pichot played his first game for the Pumas in April 1996. This was during the Pumas' trip to Australia. He even scored a try in his very first Test match in Brisbane. Later that year, he played three more times for the Pumas. These games were against Romania, Italy, and France.
In 1997, he played three more times for Argentina. He scored another try in a game against Uruguay. The next year, he played four more Test matches. He scored a try in a game against the Wallabies, Australia's national team. Around this time, he moved from his club CASI to Richmond, and then later to Bristol.
Playing in World Cups
Pichot played six international games in 1998. He scored tries against Wales and Romania. Before the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales, he played several warm-up games. He scored a try against Ireland.
During the 1999 World Cup, he played five matches. He helped the Pumas reach the quarter-finals. In the quarter-final game, Argentina played France. France won, but Pichot scored one of Argentina's tries.
Becoming a Captain
After the 1999 World Cup, Pichot became captain of Argentina for the first time. This was in a game against Ireland in June 2000, which Argentina won. He played four more games that year, including two against the World Champions, Australia.
In 2001, he played eight Test matches. He was captain three more times. The next year, he played six Tests and captained the Pumas twice.
Moving to France and More World Cups
In 2003, Pichot moved to the French club Stade Français. He played two Tests in August 2003, captaining the Pumas against Uruguay. He was also named captain for the first game of the 2003 Rugby World Cup against Australia. He scored tries in pool games against Uruguay and Canada. He then captained the team in their last pool game against Ireland.
Pichot was chosen for Argentina's team in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He successfully led them to a third-place finish. They beat France for the second time in the tournament to win the bronze medal.
In 2007, Pichot became the first non-French captain to win the French championship. He played for Racing Métro in 2007–2008 before retiring. He briefly returned to Stade Français in 2009. However, an injury in April 2009 ended his playing career for good.
A Special Farewell Match
On June 27, Pichot played one last special match at his old club, CASI. It was an informal game with nearly 60 players. Many of his old teammates and Pumas players joined him. He was the only player who stayed on the field for the whole game. Everyone on the field wore the number 9 jersey, which is the number for scrum-halves.
In 2011, Agustín Pichot was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame. This happened at a ceremony in Auckland.
Agustín Pichot's Work in Rugby Management
Leading Changes in Argentine Rugby
Agustín Pichot started working in rugby management in 2009. This was after big changes were made to the Argentine Rugby Union, also known as UAR. The UAR decided to make rugby a professional sport in Argentina.
He became a member of the UAR Council that year. Even though he was still playing rugby in France, he helped make big changes. He was a key person in getting Argentina to join major rugby tournaments. These included The Rugby Championship and Super Rugby.
Becoming a Leader in World Rugby
In 2016, Pichot was elected Vice Chairman of World Rugby. This is the main global organization for rugby. He quickly started making important suggestions. For example, he wanted to change the rule about how long a player must live in a country to play for its national team. He suggested changing it from three years to five years.
A few months later, Rugby World magazine named him the most influential person in world rugby. He was ranked even higher than England's head coach, Eddie Jones.
In 2020, Pichot ran for election to become the Chairman of World Rugby. However, he lost to the current chairman, Bill Beaumont. After this, he left his position on the World Rugby council.
Agustín Pichot's Awards and Achievements
Awards and Honors
- In 1995, he received the Olimpia Award for rugby.
- In 1998, he was named Best Rugby Player.
- In 1999, he received the Sportsman Clarín Award of the year.
- In 2000, he received the Platinum Konex Award for Rugby.
- In 2000, he again received the Olimpia Award.
- In 2001, he was named Best Rugby Player.
- In 2000/01 and 2002/03, fans voted him Supporter's Player of the Season at Bristol Shoguns.
- In 2010, he once again received the Platinum Konex Award for rugby.
- He was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame in 2011.
Key Achievements in Rugby
- Played 75 Test matches for the Pumas.
- Reached the finals of the European Cup in 2004/05.
- Reached the finals of the French Championship in 2005.
- Reached the finals of the English Cup in 2001.
- Won the French Championship in 2004 and 2007 (as captain).
- Finished 5th in the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
- Finished 3rd in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
- Was captain and finished 3rd in the 2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
- Won the Argentine Provincial Champion title with Buenos Aires in 1996.
- Won the Argentine National Club Champion title with CASI.
- Won the Sevens National Champion title with Buenos Aires in 1994/1995.
- Was the most selected Argentine player for the Barbarians team.
Fun Fact
- The name Pichòt means "little" in the Occitan language.
See also
In Spanish: Agustín Pichot para niños
