"Felix Potin" Famous French Rugby Players

  

      

     

   

  

For memorabilia collectors only !

Here are 12 of the most famous French rugby players from the 1920s and before... published by French retailer Felix Potin in 1908 ("Second Collection") and 1922 ("Third Collection").

These trade cards are part of impressive collecting albums dedicated to "Famous French People", both comprizing of 510 cards covering all aspects of political, cultural, scientifical, artistical, sporting,etc... life in France at the time.

Both albums have been entirely scanned by a passionate French trade card collector (online, in French @ imagivore.fr) : 1908 "Second Collection" is here, and 1922 "Third Collection" is there...

My "rugby" series is complete... which is always a great news for a collector !.. even though I have spotted two sportsmen (a "miler" in the 1908 album and a boxer in the 1922 album) who also have a good rugby track record...

Let's introduce these "Famous Players"...

Above is Henri Amand (Stade Français), a true pioneer, international cap n°1, captain of the first French side to play against the mighty All Blacks in 1906... and the only rugger to deserve a trade card in this 1908 "collection"...

Below are some of the most greatest players before and after WW1... All of them (11 cards) feature in the 1922 "collection"...

Fernand Forgues (Bayonne), Jean "The Sultan" Sebedio (Carcassonne and other teams), Félix "René" Lasserre (Bayonne, Cognac) and Philippe Struxiano (Stade Toulousain) were capped before the War broke up... the latter three were also capped in the 20s...

The other players, led by René Crabos (RCF and other teams) with Robert Thierry (RCF), François Borde (RCF and Stade Toulousain), Alfred Jauréguy (RCF ans Stade Toulousain), Raoul Got (US Perpignan), Fernand Vaqué (or Vaquer - US Perpignan) and Jean Clément (RCF) are emblematic of this talented generation who emerged in the 20s to turn France into a competitive opponent to Home Countries... most (*) of them are here, on the day of their first win in Murrayfield (1921)

(*) except Thierry and Jauréguy... who was possibly running too fast for the photographer... you could find this fantastic player here or there (with François Borde)...