Gilbert Benausse (born 21 January 1932 in

Carcassonne Carcassonne is a French defensive wall, fortified city in the Departments of France, department of Aude, Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania. It is the prefectures in France, prefecture of the department. ...

– died 24 November 2006 in Carcassonne) was a French

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He played at the international level for

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and at club level for

AS Carcassonne Association Sportive of Carcassonne are a semi-professional rugby league football club based in Carcassonne in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie in the south of France. They play in the French Super XIII and are one of th ...

Lézignan Sangliers Lézignan may refer to: In geography: * Lézignan, Hautes-Pyrénées, a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, France * Lézignan-Corbières, a commune in the Aude department, France * Lézignan-la-Cèbe, a commune in the Hérault departme ...

and

Toulouse Olympique Toulouse Olympique or TO XIII is a professional rugby league club in Toulouse, south-west France. Founded in 1937, two years after the French Rugby League Federation, the club is a six-time winner of the French Rugby League Championship. The clu ...

, playing at , or .

Playing career

Gilbert Benausse succeeded Puig Aubert as the captain of France, and was one of the main protagonists of the victorious 1955 tour to Australia, and he competed in the 1954 Rugby League World Cup and 1957 Rugby League World Cup.

International honours

Gilbert Benausse won caps for

while at AS Carcassonne in 1951 against New Zealand (2 matches), in 1952 against Australia, in 1953 against Australia (2 matches), in the 1954 Rugby League World Cup against New Zealand, and Great Britain, in 1955 against Australia (2 matches), New Zealand, and Other Nationalities, in 1956 against Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand, in 1957 against Great Britain (3 matches), in the 1957 Rugby League World Cup against Great Britain, New Zealand, and Australia, and while at FC Lezignan in 1958 against Great Britain, in 1959 against Great Britain, and Australia, in 1960 against Great Britain, and Australia, in 1961 against Great Britain, and New Zealand (3 matches), in 1962 against Great Britain (3 matches), and in 1964 against Australia. Note: The total of 34 matches detailed above, is less the French record 49 International caps widely attributed to Gilbert Benausse, this could be due in part that prior to 1957, matches between France and Great Britain were not considered as Test matches by the

Rugby Football League The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the governing body for rugby league in England. Founded in 1895 as the Northern Rugby Football Union following 22 clubs resigning from the Rugby Football Union, it changed its name in 1922 to the Rugby Footb ...

, and consequently caps were not awarded, at least to the

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

footballers.

French Rugby League Championship

Gilbert Benausse played in AS Carcassonne's 1951–52 and 1952–53 French Rugby League Championship victories, and 1954–55 French Rugby League Championship defeat, and FC Lezignan's 1960–61 and 1962–63 French Rugby League Championship victories, and 1958–59 French Rugby League Championship defeat.

Lord Derby Cup

Gilbert Benausse played in AS Carcassonne's 1950–51 and 1951–52

Lord Derby Cup The Coupe de France Lord Derby (), or just Coupe Lord Derby ('Lord Derby Cup'), is the premier knockout competition for the sport of rugby league football in France, as well as the name of its championship trophy. The tournament was first conte ...

victories, and FC Lezignan's 1959–60 and 1965–66

victories, and 1960–61

defeat.

Lifetime honours

Gilbert Benausse was voted player of the tournament in the 1954 Rugby League World Cup. Gilbert Benausse was voted

footballer of the world in 1960. In 2001, Gilbert Benausse received the National Sports Career Prize awarded by the 'French Association for Sport without Violence and with Fair Play' (l'AFSVFP) from

Marie-George Buffet Marie-George Buffet (née Kosellek; born 7 May 1949) is a French politician. She was the head of the French Communist Party (PCF) from 2001 to 2010. She joined the Party in 1969, and she served in the government as Minister of Youth Affairs an ...

, the Minister of Youth and Sport.

Memorial honours

In Gilbert Benausse's honour, the Romieu Stadium has been renamed the Gilbert Benausse complex. Gilbert Benausse was included in the AS Carcassonne supporters all-time team announced on 24 January 2010.

Personal life

Gilbert Benausse was the brother of

(2 test matches against Great Britain) of the 1960s, René Benausse, and father of

and

, and of the 1990s and 2000s Patrice Benausse. Outside the pitch, he worked as a civil servant.

References

External links

Histoire – Le décret de Vichy (History – The Vichy decree)
(In French)

(In French) *[http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2010/01/26/762876-800-personnes-pour-les-70-ans-de-l-ASC-XIII.html 800 personnes pour les 70 ans de l'ASC XIII (800 people attend celebration for 70 years of AS Carcassonne)] (In French) {{DEFAULTSORT:Benausse, Gilbert 1932 births 2006 deaths AS Carcassonne players France national rugby league team captains France national rugby league team players French rugby league players Lézignan Sangliers players Rugby league players from Carcassonne Rugby league centres Rugby league five-eighths Rugby league halfbacks Toulouse Olympique players