Christophe Dominici facts for kids
Playing for Stade Français in 2008
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| Birth name | Christophe Dominici | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 20 May 1972 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Toulon, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 24 November 2020 (aged 48) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Saint-Cloud, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Christophe Dominici (born May 20, 1972 – died November 24, 2020) was a famous French rugby union player. He played as a wing for 17 years, from 1991 to 2008. Christophe was a key player for Stade Français and the French national team. He scored 25 tries in 67 international games, becoming one of France's best rugby players. After retiring from playing, he also worked as a coach for Stade Français.
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Early Life and Sports
Christophe Dominici was born in Toulon, France. His family came from Corsica. When he was young, he was very good at football. He even trained with AS Monaco, a professional football club. There, he met Lilian Thuram, who became a close friend.
However, Christophe decided to focus on rugby. He showed amazing talent in rugby from a young age. He played regularly for a team called Solliès-Pont.
Rugby Career Highlights
Playing for Clubs
Christophe Dominici started his club rugby career in 1991 with RC La Valette. In 1993, he joined his hometown team, RC Toulonnais, where he played for four seasons.
In 1997, he moved to Stade Français in Paris. He played for this club until 2008 and became a legend there. During his time at Stade Français, the team won five French championships! After he stopped playing, he joined their coaching staff as an assistant coach for the 2008-09 season.
Playing for France
Christophe Dominici made his first international appearance for France in 1998. He scored a try in his very first game against England.
In 1999, he shone brightly at the 1999 Rugby World Cup. His speed was incredible, especially in France's semi-final match against the All Blacks. France won that game 43–31, and Christophe scored a memorable try.
He continued to score many tries for France. He scored four tries during the 2003 Rugby World Cup. In the 2004 Six Nations Championship against Italy, he had a tricky moment when he dropped the ball while trying to score. But France still won the game 25–0. He played in all five of France's Six Nations games in 2005.
On January 5, 2008, Christophe announced he was retiring from international rugby. He said that playing for France had been a huge part of his life. He felt it was time for new players to join the team.
Christophe Dominici played 67 games for France between 1998 and 2007. He scored 25 tries in total. Eight of these tries were scored across three World Cups. His last game was in October 2007, when France lost to Argentina in the World Cup bronze-medal match. He was part of the French team that won four Six Nations titles. This included Grand Slams (winning all games) in 1998 and 2004. Even though he wasn't a very big player, he was known for being able to get past the best defenses.
After Retirement
After retiring from playing rugby, Christophe Dominici worked as a sports expert. He appeared on French TV and radio shows. He also took part in the third season of Danse avec les stars, which is France's version of Dancing with the Stars. He danced with Candice Pascal.
In early 2020, he worked with a group from the United Arab Emirates. They tried to buy the Béziers rugby club in southern France, which was having money problems. However, the deal did not go through.
Rugby Achievements
Club Achievements
- French Rugby Union Championship/Top 14 Winner: 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07
- Heineken Cup (European Cup) Finalist: 2000–2001, 2004–05
- French Cup Winner: 1998–99
International Achievements
- Caps for France: 67 games between 1998 and 2007
- Tries: 25 tries (125 points)
- Six/Five Nations Appearances: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007
Rugby World Cup Appearances
- Rugby World Cup 2007: Played 3 games (against Argentina, Georgia, New Zealand), scored 2 tries (both against Georgia).
- Rugby World Cup 2003: Played 5 games (against Fiji, Japan, Scotland, Ireland, England), scored 4 tries (2 against Fiji, 1 against Japan, 1 against Ireland).
- 1999 Rugby World Cup: Played 5 games (against Canada, Fiji, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia), scored 2 tries (1 against Fiji, 1 against New Zealand).
Autobiography
Christophe Dominici wrote a book about his life called Bleu à l'âme (which means "Blue in the Soul"). It was published in May 2007.
See also
In Spanish: Christophe Dominici para niños
