Pierre Villepreux (born 5 July 1943) is a former
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
rugby union player and coach. He played at full back and fly half for
Toulouse, and won 34 caps for
France between 1967 and 1972.
Villepreux was born in
Pompadour. While Villepreux had a distinguished career as a player,
World Rugby had the following to say about him when he was inducted into the
World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2018:
However, it was as an innovative, free-thinking coach that Villepreux was revered throughout the rugby world. He took as his coaching creed "flexibility and adaptability, not organisation” and espoused the traditional open French style of play.
He coached the
Italy national rugby union team from 1978 until 1981, and then returned to Toulouse as head coach. Working alongside
Jean-Claude Skrela, he coached Toulouse to the
national title
A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...
in 1985, the club's first since 1947, and would lead them to two more titles. After leaving Toulouse in 1989, he continued coaching in the European club ranks until France hired Skrela as its new head coach after a disappointing
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.
The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in Sou ...
campaign. Skrela then tabbed Villepreux as his top assistant. The partnership proved successful, with France winning the
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
and