Former France captain passes away
NEWS: Former France rugby captain Jean-Pierre Bastiat died Wednesday at the age of 71 following a stroke, those close to him said.
Bastiat played 32 times for France and was part of a back row with Jean-Pierre Rives and Jean-Claude Skrela on the team that won the Grand Slam in 1977, using the same 15 players in every game.
He was also part of the teams that won the Five Nations in 1970 and 1973. In 1978, he took over as captain of France, but at the end of that year a knee injury ended his career.
The French Rugby Federation said it was mourning the loss of “an emblematic French captain.”
The imposing Bastiat, who was 1.99 m tall and weighed 110 kilo, played his entire club career with Dax and he became director of rugby at Dax after retiring and served as club chairman in the 1990s.
Former France coach Bernard Laporte send out a tweet in which he called Bastiat a “monument”, a “hero” and an “emblem of Dax” adding “he was a shining man, committed to and caring of others”.
The native of Pouillon, 15 kilometres south of Dax, worked in insurance and in 1989 ran for the European Parliament representing the right-wing Hunting, Fishing, Nature and Traditions party, which later became the Rurality Party.
“He was my manager when I made my debut at Dax. He saw me grow up and accompanied me with kindness and benevolence”, said France team manager Raphael Ibanez
Nous apprenons avec une profonde tristesse le décès, à l’âge de 71 ans, de Jean-Pierre Bastiat, capitaine emblématique du rugby français.
Le rugby français est en deuil, la FFR présente toutes ses condoléances à sa famille et ses proches. https://t.co/hq8Ejw8AyR
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) February 3, 2021
