Top 5 Rugby Players Who Became Winemakers

It seems like it’s just a short step from the rugby field to the vineyard, given how many talented rugby players we’re seeing make the switch to become passionate winemakers! It makes you wonder what makes the transition from the stadium turf to the vineyards of the châteaux seem so effortless.

Pieter de Villiers, the South African living in Montpellier

Pieter de Villiers was born and raised on his family’s vineyards in South Africa. It was therefore only natural that he turned to winemaking after retiring from his rugby career. Convinced of the region’s potential, he acquired Domaine Montgros near Montpellier.

Gérard Bertrand, star winemaker

The son of a winemaker, Gérard Bertrand took up rugby at a very young age. He took over the Domaine de Villmajou, his father’s estate in Corbières, and soon found himself at the helm of a wine trading business. Gérard Bertrand drew on the values of rugby to become a successful businessman: a sense of the game, a competitive spirit, strategy, and the ability to read people.

Olivier Brouzet: An International Success

After a successful international career, Olivier Brouzet now runs Château Haut-Francarney in the Canon-Fronsac appellation. His wines are exported as far as the United States, but above all, his ambition is to make great wine!

Jean-Pierre Rives, a versatile rugby player

Here is a man who loves to wear many hats: rugby player, sculptor, and now winemaker. The Toulouse native, who had the honor of designing the French national team’s latest jersey, has also purchased a 30-hectare estate in the Corbières region, right across from the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Gaussan.

Olivier Dauga, the Winemaker

For the "Winemaker," as he is known, his passion for wine developed gradually through conversations with his grandfather, a winemaker, and trips to Australia. Based in the Bordeaux region, he is now a wine consultant and one of the most renowned in Bordeaux.