Toulon are mourning one of their heroes. Overnight from Thursday to Friday, André Herrero, a figurehead of the Var club, died at the age of 87. Born in Puisserguier in the Hérault, he joined RCT at 17. A long love story then took root on La Rade, for a man who knew only Toulon throughout his career, and Nice in his final year.

A renowned lock or back-rower, André Herrero, the older brother of Bernard and Daniel, both rugby players themselves, won 22 France caps between 1963 and 1967. The Toulon man had begun his international career against Romania and ended it against the same side.

Into the Hall of Fame

“Le Grand” – as he was nicknamed – was twice a losing finalist with RCT, in 1968 and 1971. In 1970, Herrero did at least win the Challenge Yves du Manoir and, several years later, became coach and even president of the club. The former France international then went into the restaurant business.

France manager from 1992 to 1995, the Var native had been a member of the FFR. In 2021, in an interview with L’Equipe, he admitted he had been blown away by one of his former international team-mates, Mont-de-Marsan’s André Boniface. “He could do everything on a rugby pitch, including being unpleasant. At any moment, he was capable of cutting through the defence to score a try, and he was also very good at bringing his team-mates into the game“.

More recently, in 2023, André Herrero entered the RCT Hall Of Fame, alongside Marcel Baillette, Marcel Bodrero, Christian Carrere, Eric Champ, Jérôme Gallion, Joe Van Niekerk and Jonny Wilkinson.

“Toulon, RCT and French rugby are losing a legend. I am losing a big brother”, wrote an emotional Hubert Falco, the town’s former mayor. Before adding: “The “Giant”, “Dédé”, as everyone affectionately called him, marked his era with his strong character, his power, his rugby intelligence… and that unique way of making every generation love rugby”.

The Ruck Zone newsroom offers its most sincere condolences to his family, to those close to him, and to the Toulon club.