Al Charron

Who is Al Charron?

Al Charron is a former Canadian rugby union footballer. He played 2nd row and all three loose forward position at club and international level back-row forward and was capped 76 times for the Canadian national team, the Canucks.In fact he also played briefly in a game at prop when his team was shorthanded after injuries and send-offs suffered by his teammates. He played club rugby for the Ottawa Irish, Bristol and Pau and Dax and also Moseley in England. Represented the Eastern Ontario union for many years winning the National interbranch championship in 1992 and winning the National provincial championships twice with Ontario in 1995 and 1996.

Charron was a favourite with the supporters of many of the European clubs he played for. While playing with Mosley and Bristol he was voted the supporters' Player of the Season for 1996/97 1998/99 respectively and was awarded the BBC West Rugby Player of the Year award in 1999. Voted on two occasions as Canada's outstanding player for the year.

Charron was a vital member of the highly regarded Canadian forward pack that did so well at the 1991 Rugby World Cup, defeating Fiji and Romania and giving both France and New Zealand a hard time. He was the only Ontario player on the field against New Zealand, the others all coming from British Columbia. He scored a famous try to defeat Wales at Cardiff Arms Park in autumn 1993. That day he was playing out of his usual flank position, packing down in the second row for an injured Norm Hadley.