Jean Dauger (Cambo-les-Bains, 12 November 1919 – 12 October 1999) was a French rugby union and rugby league footballer. He played as a centre. He was nicknamed Manech, which is a Lower NavarreBasque translation of his given name.
Career
Dauger first started his career at 17 years, as first-choice for Bayonne in 1936 while he was working locally at the cadastre.
In 1938, he shifts to the semi-professionalism of rugby league, playing for RC Roanne XIII alongside Robert Samatan and Max Rousié while working for the Devernois factory, not appreciating the pseudo-amateur mores of the championship at the time.
He was considered by the rugby league literature as "an attack prince" , "an exceptional back with dazzling start-up and an ultra-developed sense of game".[2][3]
His two union international caps in 1945 for France on 1 January 1945 against Army Rugby Union (greeted by Jacques Chaban-Delmas, who will play alongside him in the following test cap against the British Empire XV on 28 April 1945), caused a very grave crisis against other national teams, being the reason of a 8-year eclipse. His last cap was on 10 January 1953, also brought a new crisis against Scotland.
Later, Dauger became a journalist for Paris-Presse and wrote a book dedicated to rugby: Histoires... de rugby' (published by Calmann-Levy in 1965, redacted in 1967) with a preface written by Jean Prat, as well Le Rugby en dix leçons.
^Le Rugby à XIII le plus français du monde written by Louis Bonnery mentions 5 caps, l'Encyclopédie de Treize Magazine d'André Passamar mentions 6 caps.