Tony Marsh (rugby player)

Rugger
name = Tony Marsh


caption =
birthname = Tony Marsh
nickname =
birthyear = 1972
birthmonth =08
birthday =12
placeofbirth = Rotorua, New Zealand
dateofdeath =
placeofdeath =
height = height|m=1.88
weight = 97
ru_position = rugbycentre|capital=yes
ru_amateuryears =
ru_amateurclubs =
ru_amupdate =
ru_nationalteam = France
ru_nationalyears =2001-04
ru_nationalcaps =21
ru_nationalpoints =(35)
ru_ntupdate=2007-03-08
super14 = Canterbury Crusaders Auckland Blues
super14caps =
super14points = (5)
super14years = 1998 1996-97
super14update=2007-03-08
ru_province = Counties
ru_provinceyears =
ru_provincecaps =
ru_provincepoints =
ru_provinceupdate=2007-03-08
ru_amateuryears =
ru_amateurclubs =
ru_amupdate =
ru_clubyears = 1998-2007
ru_proclubs = ASM Clermont Auvergne
ru_clubcaps =
ru_clubpoints =
ru_clubupdate =2007-03-08
other =
occupation =
family =
spouse =
children =
relatives =
school =
university =

Tony Marsh (born 12 August 1972 in Rotorua) is a New Zealand-born rugby union player who has represented France playing at rugbycentre.

At the beginning of the 1990s, he played club rugby in Manurewa and Ardmore before playing National Provincial Championship rugby with Counties.

Tony Marsh joined the Blues Super rugby franchise in 1996, winning the Super 12 in 97, before switching to the Crusaders with whom he won the title in 1998. He is one of the few players who managed to win back-to-back Super Rugby titles with different franchises.

Later that year he left New Zealand for France and signed for Top 12 club Montferrand, now known as Clermont, with whom he reached the final of the league on two occasions, 1999 and 2001, won the European Challenge Cup in 1999 and the French national cup two years later.

After three years in France he became eligible to play for "les Bleus" and Bernard Laporte named him in the French squad in 2001. He went on to win 21 French caps between 2001 and 2004, scoring 7 tries and helping France win the Grand Slam in 2002.

Early in 2003 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer but overcame the disease after gruelling months of chemotherapy sessions and rejoined the French team, reaching the semi final stage of the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Tony Marsh played his last game for France in 2004 and his last game for Clermont came in the 2007 French Championship match against Stade Francais, Clermont lost the game narrowly, but they did end the season as European Challenge Cup winners.

After few months off rugby , he has rejoined the club and he is now one of the fitness coaches for Clermont.

External links

* [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/36_4571.php?player=1441 ERC Stats] http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/my_club/saracens/6641665.stm