Serge Blanco

Serge Blanco (born 31 August 1958 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a former rugby union footballer who played fullback for Biarritz Olympique and the French national side, gaining 93 caps, 81 of them at fullback. His alternative position was wing.

Blanco was born in Caracas to a Venezuelan father and a Basque mother, but was raised in Biarritz, France. He made his international debut against South Africa at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on 8 November 1980, which France lost 37–15.

Career

He scored the deciding try in the semi-final of the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, France winning 28–24 against hosts Australia. He also won Grand Slams with France in the 1981 and 1987 Five Nations Championship.

Serge Blanco captained the French side in the 1991 Rugby World Cup before retiring after their quarter-final defeat by England on 19 October 1991. He won a total of 93 caps (a record at the time) and still holds the record for the most tries scored for France (38). Despite his international success he has failed to win the national championship with his club Biarritz Olympique, despite making a final appearance in 1992. This match against Toulon was his last first-class rugby union match. In 1997 Serge Blanco was among the inaugural set of rugby players inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was also inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.