Diego Ormaechea

Diego Ormaechea

Full name	Diego Ormaechea
Date of birth	September 19, 1959 (1959-09-19) (age 52)
Place of birth	Montevideo, Uruguay
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	15 st 6 lb (98 kg; 216 lb)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Number eight
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1979-1999 2000-2001	Carrasco Polo Club Carrasco Polo Club
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1979-1999	Uruguay	73	(79)

Diego Ormaechea (born Montevideo, 19 September 1959) is a former Uruguayan rugby union player and a current coach. He played as a number eight. His profession is Veterinary Surgeon specialised in Racing Horses. He is one of the top veterinary surgeons in South America in his discipline.

Ormaechea is considered the greatest Uruguayan rugby player of all time. His contribution to rugby has been significant, not only as a player and coach, but as an inspirational personality that attracts many youngsters to the sport. He was introduced to rugby as a fifteen year old in 1976, and played for over two decades.^[1] He played most of his career at Carrasco Polo Club, winning the national championship thirteen times.

He also holds the national record for Uruguay, with 73 caps and 16 tries scored, 79 points in aggregate, during 20 years, from 1979 to 1999.

Ormaechea, aged 40 years old, was also the oldest player ever at the Rugby World Cup finals, in 1999, being the captain in his country first ever presence at the event. He scored a try in the 27-15 win over Spain.

He left rugby for a year, but later returned for a final season at Carrasco Polo Club, before putting an end to his long career, in 2001, aged 41.

Ormaechea was the coach of the Uruguay national team that qualified and played at the 2003 Rugby World Cup finals. He managed to win again a game, at the 24-12 defeat of Georgia.

Ormaechea is currently the coach of Carrasco Polo Club.

Together with his friends Washington Amarillo and Eduardo Loedel Soca ( Resident in Scotland) inspired, promoted and implemented the changes that took Uruguayan Rugby to participate in all Under 17, 18, 19 amd 20 international competitions and also Sevens.

References

• Richards, Huw A Game for Hooligans: The History of Rugby Union (Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh, 2007, ISBN 9781845962555)

1. ^ Richards, Chapter 13, Resisting the Inevitable, p236

External links

• Diego Ormaechea Statistics

Persondata
Name	Ormaechea, Diego
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	19 September 1959
Place of birth	Montevideo, Uruguay
Date of death
Place of death