Thomas Castaignède
Encyclopedia
Thomas Castaignède is a former French
rugby union
footballer from Mont-de-Marsan
, Gascogne.
Born in Mont-de-Marsan
, Aquitaine
, Castaignède played as a junior and senior for Stade Montois
in various positions, initially as fly-half or centre, and latterly as fullback. He joined Toulouse
to help them win French titles in three successive seasons, and lifted the inaugural European Cup
with the club.
Castaignède entered the international scene in 1995 when his drop goal defeated England
in the final minute of a Five Nations. Having joined Castres Olympique
in preparation, in 1999 he was called for the 1999 Rugby World Cup
, playing a single game, but had to pull out due to a thigh problem.
Castaignède joined Saracens
in 2000 but in November of that year he suffered an Achilles
injury while warming up for France
against Australia. The injury kept him out for 18 months, until April 2002. In 2003, he was dropped from the national team, with Bernard Laporte
preferring Brian Liebenberg
, and not returning until November 2005 against Australia
when he appeared as a substitute in a 26-16 win.
Developing his career in preparation for his retirement, Castaignède became a rugby union columnist for The Guardian
, a television pundit for Canal+
and occasionally ITV Sport
, and started an association and occasional work with French banking group Société Générale
. On 10 May 2007, despite offers to return to France with various clubs, Castaignède announced his retirement from the sport after the 2007 Rugby World Cup
in September, choosing to pursue a career in banking in London
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer from Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan is a commune and capital of the Landes department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Mont-de-Marsan airbase « Constantin Rozanoff » is a major installation of the French Air Force. The base includes CEAM , an air defense radar command reporting centre, and an air defence control...
, Gascogne.
Born in Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan is a commune and capital of the Landes department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Mont-de-Marsan airbase « Constantin Rozanoff » is a major installation of the French Air Force. The base includes CEAM , an air defense radar command reporting centre, and an air defence control...
, Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
, Castaignède played as a junior and senior for Stade Montois
Stade Montois
Stade Montois is a French rugby union team that plays in the 2011–12 season in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system.They were founded in 1908 and play in yellow and black...
in various positions, initially as fly-half or centre, and latterly as fullback. He joined Toulouse
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
to help them win French titles in three successive seasons, and lifted the inaugural European Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
with the club.
Castaignède entered the international scene in 1995 when his drop goal defeated England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in the final minute of a Five Nations. Having joined Castres Olympique
Castres Olympique
Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906...
in preparation, in 1999 he was called for the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
, playing a single game, but had to pull out due to a thigh problem.
Castaignède joined Saracens
Saracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
in 2000 but in November of that year he suffered an Achilles
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
injury while warming up for France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
against Australia. The injury kept him out for 18 months, until April 2002. In 2003, he was dropped from the national team, with Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte is a rugby union coach and former French Secretary of State for Sport. He is currently the head coach at Toulon, having taken over in 2011 from Philippe Saint-André, who had been named the new head coach of the France national team. Laporte himself is a former head coach of France,...
preferring Brian Liebenberg
Brian Liebenberg
Brian Liebenberg is a South Africa-born French rugby union footballer. His usual position is at centre, where he plays for the Top 14 club, Stade Français, as well as the national team. He was a part of Stade Français' championship victory of 2004, as well as the runner-up of the French...
, and not returning until November 2005 against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
when he appeared as a substitute in a 26-16 win.
Developing his career in preparation for his retirement, Castaignède became a rugby union columnist for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, a television pundit for Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
and occasionally ITV Sport
ITV Sport
ITV Sport is a sport producer and brand name owned by ITV plc. It was formed from the amalgamation of Granada Sport, Carlton's sports department and ISN, the sports division of London News Network. The company produces Champions League and FA Cup Football, along with coverage of England's national...
, and started an association and occasional work with French banking group Société Générale
Société Générale
Société Générale S.A. is a large European Bank and a major Financial Services company that has a substantial global presence. Its registered office is on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, while its head office is in the Tours Société Générale in the business district of La...
. On 10 May 2007, despite offers to return to France with various clubs, Castaignède announced his retirement from the sport after the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
in September, choosing to pursue a career in banking in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.