| Date of birth | 11 November 1986 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Montpellier | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Weight | 93 kg (14 st 9 lb) | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Current status | |||
| Position(s) | Fly-half, outside centre | ||
| current team | Montpellier | ||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Fly-half, outside centre | ||
| Youth clubs | |||
| Pic-Saint-Loup | |||
| Professional / senior clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2004– | Montpellier | 106 | (331) |
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2008– | France | (35) | 70 (9T, 2C, 1P, 6D) |
François Trinh-Duc (born 11 November 1986) is a French rugby union player for Montpellier Hérault RC in France's top division of rugby union, the Top 14. Trinh-Duc's regular position is at fly-half or outside centre.
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Trinh-Duc was born in Montpellier.
He started playing rugby at the age of 4 at the Pic-Saint-Loup rugby school near his native city.[1] There, he played with his future Montpellier team-mate Fulgence Ouedraogo. They both entered the club's youth teams at "Cadet" level (U-13/14) and are said to be inseparable friends.
With fellow Montpelliérains Louis Picamoles and Julien Tomas, he is part of a quartet of home-grown talents embodying the success of the Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club's attempt at "shaking up the old order" of French rugby in the Septimanie terroir which had always been historical rival Béziers's stronghold.[2]
He was called up by Marc Lièvremont to the France squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship,[3] and has played in all of France's matches in the competition to date.
Trinh-Duc's drop goal helped France beat England 19-12 at Eden Park[4] in quarter final in 2011 Rugby World Cup. He came on as a substitute for the injured Morgan Parra in the 23rd minute of the final against New Zealand. He set in motion the move that led to Thierry Dusautoir's try in the 47th minute and converted the try to make the score 8-7. With 15 minutes remaining and the score still at 8-7, France were awarded a penalty to put them in front for the first time, but Trinh-Duc's 48m penalty attempt was wide of the mark and the All Blacks went on to win the final.[5]
Trinh-Duc was noted as one of the first ever rugby players of Vietnamese origin to play for the French national side.[6][7] During a press interview, Trinh-Duc revealed that he inherited Vietnamese heritage from his paternal grandfather, who was born in Vietnam.[8] Trinh-Duc's grandfather, Trịnh Đức Nhiên, migrated to France during the First Indochina War and settled near Agen in Lot-et-Garonne. Nhien later married an Italian woman, from whom Trinh-Duc's father, Philippe was born.[9][fn 1]
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![[1]](http://www.travailleurs-indochinois.org/Images converties/trinh_duc_nhien.jpg){kind=link}