Camille Bonnet facts for kids
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Bonnet in 1943
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| Date of birth | 31 August 1918 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Loubédat, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 17 November 2020 (aged 102) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Valence, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Camille Bonnet (born August 31, 1918 – died November 17, 2020) was a famous French rugby union player. He was known for winning the 1944–45 French Rugby Union Championship, which is a very important rugby competition in France.
Contents
Camille Bonnet's Rugby Journey
Camille Bonnet was born in a town called Loubédat in the southwest of France in 1918. When he was 18, a talent scout from the SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne rugby club noticed how good he was. In 1936, he joined the club and also started studying at a school in Agen.
Playing for SU Agen
Camille played for SU Agen for most of his career, until 1948. In 1939, his team did very well and reached the semi-finals of the French Championship. They played against USA Perpignan but lost the game.
During a time when rugby union and rugby league were separate, Camille was asked to play for a rugby league team. However, he decided to stay with his beloved SU Agen club.
In 1943, SU Agen made it to the championship final. They played against Aviron Bayonnais but unfortunately lost by a small score of 3–0. Camille later said that was the only game they lost that season! They played many games, showing how dedicated they were to rugby.
Winning the Championship
Camille Bonnet became a real star towards the end of the 1945 season. He scored a special kind of kick, called a drop goal, in each of the last five games. His amazing playing helped SU Agen win the championship game against FC Lourdes with a score of 7–3.
That same year, his team also won another big competition called the Coupe de France. They won against AS Montferrand in a very close match, 14–13.
In 1947, SU Agen reached the championship final again. This time, they played against Stade Toulousain in a very exciting match. However, they lost with a score of 10–3.
Moving to a New Club
After a while, things at the SU Agen club started to change. In 1948, Camille Bonnet decided to join a new team called Sporting Club Graulhetois. This was a great move for him and the club!
His new team quickly became very successful. They won the Third Division and then the Second Division. This meant they moved up to play in the top French rugby competition, the French Rugby Union Championship, the very next year.
Becoming a Coach
After he stopped playing rugby, Camille Bonnet became a coach for Sporting Club Graulhetois. As a coach, he led the team to the final of the 1956–57 French Rugby Union Championship. They played against Racing Club de France but lost the final game.
Later, he briefly coached another team called Valence Sportif. After that, he retired from rugby and lived in the city of Valence.
Camille Bonnet passed away on November 17, 2020, at the amazing age of 102, after getting sick.
Awards and Achievements
Camille Bonnet achieved many great things during his rugby career:
- Champion of France (1945) – This means his team won the top rugby championship in France.
- Champion of France Division 2 (1949) – His team won the second division championship.
