Federico Méndez

Federico Méndez

Date of birth	(1972-08-02) August 2, 1972
Place of birth	Mendoza, Argentina
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	108 kg (17 st 0 lb)
Rugby union career
Current status
Position(s)	Head Coach
Current team	Mendoza RC
Playing career
Position	Hooker
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
????-1996 1996 1997–98 1999–2000 2000–01 2002 2002–05 2005	Mendoza RC Natal Sharks Bath Northampton Bordeaux-Bègles Natal Sharks Mendoza RC Western Province
correct as of 26 September 2007.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1990–2004	Argentina	74	(70)
correct as of 26 September 2007.
Coaching career
Years	Club / team
2005–present	Mendoza RC

Federico Mendez (2 August 1972, Mendoza), also known as Freddie Mendez is an Argentine rugby union footballer. Méndez played professional rugby in South Africa, England and France. He also played for Mendoza Rugby Club in Argentina and won 74 caps for the Argentina national rugby union team, including appearances at four Rugby World Cups, in 1991, 1995 and 2003.

Biography

Playing career

Méndez started his career with Mendoza RC in his hometown; he made his Argentina debut as a teenager, and was sent off in a match against England for a punch on English lock Paul Ackford in 1990.

Méndez played in the 1995 Rugby World Cup and later played for Natal Sharks in South Africa winning the Currie Cup in 1996.

He played for Bath Rugby and Northampton Saints in England. He won the Heineken Cup in 1998 with Bath and then in 2000 with Northampton, thus becoming the first player to win the trophy twice. Mendez also won the player of the season award for Northampton Saints in the 1998–99 season.

Méndez then has a spell in France with Bordeaux-Bègles and a second spell with Natal Sharks before returning to Argentina to play for Mendoza RC.

Coaching career

Méndez announced his retirement from rugby in 2005, but returned to the game later that year for a brief spell as player-coach at Western Province in South Africa. He then went on to coach at his beloved Mendoza RC.

He recently turned down the position of scrum coach for the South African Springboks. He said he could not live with himself if he helped the Boks beat the Argentinian Pumas.

Méndez is currently on the panel of judges for the annual IRB Awards.

External links

• RWC 2003 profile