Daniel Hourcade

Daniel Hourcade

Full name	Daniel Hourcade
Date of birth	1958 (age 56–57)
Place of birth	San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
Rugby union career
Current status
Position(s)	Head Coach
current team	Argentina
Playing career
Position	Scrum-half
Coaching career
Years	Club / team
2013- 2010-2013 2010-2013 2008-2009 2008 2006-2007 2004-2006 2004-2008 2002-2003 2001-2004 2001 1993-2001	Argentina Argentina Jaguars Pampas XV Stade Rouennais  Portugal women's  Portugal (Asst)  Portugal sevens Grupo Desportivo Direito Huirapuca  Argentina sevens  Argentina U-21 Uni Tucumán
correct as of 1 November 2013.

Daniel Hourcade (born San Miguel de Tucumán, 1958) is an Argentine rugby union coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Argentina.^[1] He was the head coach of the Argentina Jaguars and the Pampas XV side that played in the Vodacom Cup in South Africa.

He had a brief player career at the Universitario Rugby Club de Tucumán. He began his coaching career in 1993 where he worked up the coaching ranks in the Universitario Rugby Club de Tucumán side. This included a 3 year tenure as the head coach of the Senior side. He left the Tucumán side to become head coach of the Argentina Under-21 side before being named head coach of the Argentina sevens side between 2001 and 2004.

Hourcade left the UAR in 2004 to take up the role of head coach of Portuguese domestic club Grupo Desportivo Direito. This role was in parr with he duties as head coach of Portugal sevens side and assistant head coach of the Portugal national side - which he was the role of through Portugal's first appearance in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He finished his stint in Portugal in 2008 following his stint as head coach for the Portugal women's national rugby union team. Hourcade also had a brief stint in France when he coached Stade Rouennais in the Fédérale 2 league.

Hourcade returned to the UAR in 2010 when he became the head coach of the Argentina Jaguars, where he led the Jaguars to four consecutive championships in the Americas Rugby Championship and led the team to second in the IRB Nations Cup. He also led the team to numerous victories over test sides including a 2-0 test series win over Russia in 2010.^[2]

In 2011, he led the Pampas XV to the 2011 Vodacom Cup final with out losing a match along the way. His side would have to face the defending champions the Blue Bulls who lost 14-9.^[3]

In October 2013, his Argentina coaching career reached his apex when he was announced as Head Coach for the national senior side for the 2013 end-of-year rugby union tests through to the 2015 Rugby World Cup.^[4] His first match in charge was against England on 9 November 2013.

On 5 October 2014, Hourcade guided Argentina to their first ever win the Rugby Championship, defeating Australia 21-17 at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, their first win over Australia in 17 years. Despite that win, Argentina finished in last place in the Rugby Championship for the third consecutive year.

References