Lucien Mias Obituary – Lucien Mias, the captain of the French national rugby team that won their first ever Five Nations championship victory in 1959, passed away on Sunday night at the age of 93, as confirmed by the mayor of Mazamet, the town where he had a long career as a player.
Mias was Born on September 28, 1930 in the small village of Saint-Germain-de-Calberte, about 80 kilometres north-west of Nimes, Mias began his rugby career with Narbonne before moving to Mazamet.
After his rugby career, Mias became a trailblazer in the medical field, adopting and defending a “humanist” approach in his speciality, geriatrics. “Rugby mourns a great man who left his mark on our history,” wrote French Rugby Federation (FFR) president Florian Grill on X.
Lucien Mias was selected 29 times for the French national team, including six as captain. Mias, also known as ‘Doctor Pack’ due to his professional role as a general practitioner, began his international career in 1951.
Mias, a 1.89-metre lock forward, captained Les Bleus on their historic winning tour of South Africa in 1958 and retired at the age of 29 after leading them to victory in the Five Nations the following year.
He also helped France to their first wins at Twickenham in 1951 and Cardiff seven years later, as well as a monumental first-ever victory over the All Blacks in 1954, a hard-fought 3-0 win at the Stade Colombes in Paris. With 17 caps under his belt, Mias’s career was then put on hold but he returned in 1957, 20 kilos lighter and with a wiser head, winning another 12 caps in the next two years.
“In addition to his athletic prowess, Lucien Mias will be remembered as a magnanimous, modest individual who was held in high regard by all,” the FFR stated in a statement. Although Mazamet failed to secure the Brennus Shield, he did advance to the quarterfinals of the French championship in 1958 before succumbing to Lourdes 25-8.
In the 1951 Five Nations, Mias made his international début against Scotland. From that point forward, until 1954, when France shared the title with England and Wales, he appeared sixteen times.
Feel free to leave a message of condolences and prayers for the family and friends of the deceased in the comments section as it will go a long way for them during this difficult time.
__________
Thank you for taking the time to engage with our articles! Your curiosity, attention, and thoughtful consideration make our work worthwhile. Your comments, shares, reflections and follows on our facebook page enrich the discourse and foster a sense of connection across the digital landscape.