Rugby Union Career
Gasnier joined French rugby union club Stade Français from October 2008 on a two year deal worth approximately €300,000 a season. Upon joining the Paris club he was coached by former NSW Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie. After finishing the rugby league season with the Dragons, Gasnier flew out to France to start his rugby union career when the Dragons dropped out of the finals. For his début with Stade Français on 26 September 2008, Gasnier played right wing and ran in for a try, finishing off a fine display of passing rugby by the Stade backs, against Bourgoin-Jallieu at the Stade des Alpes in Grenoble before getting injured. On 24 January 2009 he scored the decisive try in a Heineken Cup victory over Ulster. Gasnier also scored a brilliant solo try beating eight defenders in a 30 metre run to the line in Stade Français' 23–18 victory over French rivals SC Albigeois at the Stade Jean Bouin in Paris on 5 November 2009. He is known as "Les Gaz!" by the fans.
Gasnier continued his prolific 2009/10 season by scoring his 6th try of the campaign against Bayonne in round 15 in front of more than 70,000 fans at the Stade de France in Paris. This made him the Top 14's leading try scorer and he continues to impress after switching codes. In April–May 2010 Gasnier was reportedly talking with coach Rod Macqueen about the possibility of Gasnier signing with the Melbourne Rebels for the team's début in the expanded Super 14, February 2011.
Read more about this topic: Mark Gasnier
Famous quotes containing the words union and/or career:
“The only hope of socialism resides in those who have already brought about in themselves, as far as is possible in the society of today, that union between manual and intellectual labor which characterizes the society we are aiming at.”
—Simone Weil (1909–1943)
“My ambition in life: to become successful enough to resume my career as a neurasthenic.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)