Damien Chouly
Birth name | Damien Chouly | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 27 November 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Limoges, France[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 3 ½ in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 111 kg (17 st 7 lb 245 lb)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Damien Chouly ([da.mjɛ̃ ʃu.li]; born 27 November 1985) is a former French rugby union footballer. He played for Brive, Perpignan, and Clermont Auvergne in the Top 14, commonly in the Number 8 position.
Career
Early years
Chouly first appeared on the professional scene in 2004 when playing for Brive in the then Top 16. He played for Brive for three years, appearing for the club 50 times and scoring 2 tries (10 points). For the 2007–08 Top 14 season, Chouly signed for the growing Perpignan side, and in his debut season he made 25 appearances for the club. He was part of a solid pack that helped guide the club to fourth in the regular season, but getting knocked out by Clermont (21–7) in the semi-final. He played in all but 5 matches in the 2008–09 Top 14 season, making only 3 appearances of the bench in the 28 appearances. He played the full 80 minutes in the Top 14 final against Clermont, coming out victors 22–13 in Damien's second season with Perpignan. However, Clermont gained revenge the following season, beating Perpignan 19–6 in the 2009–10 Top 14 season final. Since that loss to Clermont, Perpignan failed to progress to the knock-out stages finishing 9th and 11th in Chouly's final two season with Perpignan.
Clermont
In 2012, Damien Chouly signed with Perpignan's close rival
In the 2014–15 Top 14 season, Damien was named captain of Clermont by new head coach Franck Azéma.
France
Damien Chouly first represented France at Under 21 level in 2006. He was part of the U21 squad that won the 2006 Under 21 Rugby World Championship, after beating South Africa U21 24–13. The following year he was named in the France national squad for the 2007 tour of New Zealand. He made his debut in the opening test on 2 June, coming off the bench in a 42–11 loss. The following week he made his run on debut, starting at 6 to play the full 80 minutes. He was believed to be in contention for a place in France's squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but head coach Bernard Laporte opted for experience in the 30-man squad. He wasn't selected again for France until 2009, when he toured New Zealand and Australia in the June test window, after putting in strong performances for Top 14 Champions Perpignan.
After signing with Clermont in 2012, he returned to the French set-up after nearly 3 years out of the International scene. He did however represent the
Honours
References
- ^ "La fiche de DAMIEN Chouly. Rugby – L'Equipe.fr". L'Équipe.
- ^ "Damien Chouly". ultimaterugby.com.