Aurélien Rougerie
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| Full name | Aurélien Rougerie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 26 September 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Beaumont, Puy-de-Dôme, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 104 kg (229 lb; 16.4 st) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Jacques Rougerie, Christine Dulac | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Amandine Rougerie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Aurélien Rougerie (born 26 September 1980) is a rugby union player who plays on the wing and Centre for France and captains ASM Clermont Auvergne in the French Top 14.
Career
Rougerie was born in Beaumont, Puy-de-Dôme. His father, Jacques Rougerie, was also a French international, playing at loosehead prop while his mother was an international at basketball (107 caps).
France
Rougerie debuted with the French national team against South Africa in 2001.
Club
Rougerie sued Phil Greening of England for a hand off during a European game in 2002 that left him with a throat injury forcing him to undergo 3 larynx surgeries. Greening was ordered to pay £29,000 in compensation.
In 2007, he won the European Challenge Cup with Clermont against Bath at the Stoop of Twickenham (22-16). Then he captained the Clermont Auvergne side that won the French championship, the Bouclier de Brennus, after 10 unlucky chances, against Perpignan in a one way final (19-6) on 29 May 2010.
It was initially alleged by a prominent New Zealand newspaper that Rougerie was responsible for eye gouging All Black captain Richie McCaw during France's 2011 Rugby World Cup Final defeat. Footage of the action was aired on the Re:Union show on Sky Network Television in New Zealand. Firstly he is shown head butting the prone Richie McCaw trapped in the ruck, then raking his fingers across McCaw's eyes. The period for match citing passed and Rougerie escaped suspension. An action of this type could have seen him banned from the game for up to 6 months.[1]