Robert Soro
| Date of birth | 28 November 1922 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Odos, France | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 28 April 2013 (aged 90) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Arreau, France | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 243 lb (110 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
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Robert Soro (28 November 1922 – 28 April 2013) is a French former international rugby union player.[1]
Biography
A native of Odos, Soro was the son of a Spanish carpenter and played junior rugby for Stadoceste Tarbais.[2] He moved on to FC Lourdes during World War II, from where he debuted for France in the 1945–46 Victory Internationals.[3]
Between 1945 and 1949, Soro was capped 21 times for France as a lock forward, missing only one match over this span.[4] His nickname the "Lion of Swansea" was coined by the British press after his efforts to help France achieve victory on Welsh soil for the first time at St. Helen's in 1948.[5] He formed a second row partnership with Alban Moga and it was Moga's demotion from the French XV which caused the dispute between the Soro and the French authorities that brought about the end of his international career. He gained his later France caps after crossing to US Romans Péage.[6]
Soro operated a tobacco and stationery store in Arreau for a number of years.[3]
See also
References
- ^ "Romans-sur-Isère. Robert Soro, le gros lion de Swansea". Le Dauphiné (in French). 21 April 2017.
- ^ "Robert Soro : le lion de Swansea". La Dépêche (in French). 2 July 2011.
- ^ a b "Robert Soro s'est éteint à l'âge de 90 ans". La Dépêche (in French). 29 April 2013.
- ^ "Robert Soro, une puissance dévastatrice". La Nouvelle République des Pyrénées (in French). 22 July 2021.
- ^ "Les grands sportifs des Hautes-Pyrénées : Robert Soro, une puissance dévastatrice". La Dépêche (in French). 22 July 2021.
- ^ "L'ancien international, Robert Soro, nous a quittés". Rugbyrama (in French). 28 April 2013.
External links
- Robert Soro at ESPNscrum
- Robert Soro at Fédération Française de Rugby