Vietnamese-origin rugby star comes visiting

By Hoang Nguyen   October 7, 2019 | 09:15 pm PT
Vietnamese-origin rugby star comes visiting
Francois Trinh Duc plays rugby with children at the Saigon Rugby Club, October 1, 2019. Photo courtesy of French Embassy in Vietnam.
French-Vietnamese rugby player Francois Trinh Duc was in Vietnam from October 1 to 6 to promote the sport and explore his roots.

Coming at the invitation of the French embassy, his first stop was Ho Chi Minh City, where he visited the Saigon Rugby Club on October 1.

He met up with the French community and watched the game between France and the U.S. at the Rugby World Cup on October 2.

He then left for Hanoi the next day to meet students at the Hanoi French International School before going to the nearby Hoa Binh Province to interact with the rugby youth team.

He said: "I want to encourage children to go outdoors more often and play more sports to maintain good health. Although football is the most popular sport in the world and even in Vietnam, rugby has its own charm as well, such as the oval shape of the ball."

On October 6, the last day of his trip, Trinh Duc again visited the Hanoi French International School and provided commentary in French on the match between France and Tonga.

He said his grandfather used to live in a place 30 kilometers from Hanoi, and he is trying to find his relatives to understand his roots.

Born in Montpellier in the south of France in 1986, he owes his Vietnamese origins to his grandfather, who moved to France in the 1950s.

He was passionate about rugby since childhood and progressed rapidly. He was selected for the national under-19 team in 2008. Three years later he played in the World Cup in which France finished runners-up to New Zealand. He currently plays for Racing 92 in France's top division of rugby union, the Top 14.

 
 
go to top