View source for Paul Gustard

{{short description|English rugby union player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2016}}
{{BLP sources|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name               = Paul Gustard
| image              =
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = Paul Simon Keith Gustard
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1976|2|2}}
| birth_place        = [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], [[England]]
| height             = {{height|m=1.93}}
| weight             = {{convert|108|kg|stlb}}
| ru_currentteam     = [[Stade Français]]
| ru_currentposition = Manager
| ru_position        = [[Flanker (rugby union)|Flanker]]
| years1             = 1997–2002
| clubs1             = [[Leicester Tigers]]
| years2             = 2002–2006
| clubs2             = [[London Irish]]
| years3             = 2006–2008
| clubs3             = [[Saracens F.C.|Saracens]]
| ru_clubupdate      = 
| repyears1          = 1997
| repteam1           = [[England national under-20 team|England U21]]
| repyears2          = 2002–2005
| repteam2           = [[Barbarian F.C.|Barbarians]]
| repcaps2           = 2
| reppoints2         = 0
| ru_ntupdate        = 
| coachyears1        = 2008–2009
| coachteams1        = [[Saracens F.C.|Saracens]] (assistant coach)
| coachyears2        = 2009–2016
| coachteams2        = [[Saracens F.C.|Saracens]] (Defence Coach)
| coachyears3        = 2016–2018
| coachteams3        = [[England national rugby union team|England]] (Defence Coach)
| coachyears4        = 2018–2021
| coachteams4        = [[Harlequin F.C.|Harlequins]] (Head of Rugby)
| coachyears5        = 2021–2022
| coachteams5        = [[Benetton Rugby|Benetton]] (Assistant coach)
| coachyears6        = 2022–2025
| coachteams6        = [[Stade Français]] (Defence coach)
| coachyears7        = 2025–
| coachteams7        = [[Stade Français]]
| ru_coachupdate     = 
| spouse             = 
| school             = [[Royal Grammar School, Newcastle]]
| university         = [[Northumbria University]] 
}}

'''Paul Gustard''' (born 2 February 1976) is a former [[rugby union]] footballer who played for [[Leicester Tigers]],<ref name="tigs">{{cite web|title=Paul Gustard profile|url=http://www.leicestertigers.com/rugby/leicester_tigers_senior_squad.php?player=3957&includeref=dynamic|publisher=Leicester Tigers|accessdate=20 February 2013}}</ref> [[London Irish]] and [[Saracens F.C.|Saracens]] at [[Flanker (rugby union)|flanker]]. He was captain of rugby and educated at the [[Royal Grammar School, Newcastle|Royal Grammar School]] in Newcastle and is the son of former [[Gosforth]] favourite Steve Gustard, who was the club's leading try scorer for several seasons in the late 1970s. He gained Full County Cap honours with Durham County and was selected to captain the England U21 tour to Australia under manager Jeff Probyn. He was the only player not to be attached to a Premiership Rugby Squad. He is currently the manager of [[Top 14]] side [[Stade Français]]

Gustard was offered a full-time contract by [[Bob Dwyer]] to join [[Leicester Tigers]] in the summer of 1997 following the England U21 tour, and went on to make his debut against [[Leinster Rugby|Leinster]]<ref name="tigs" /> in the [[Heineken Cup]], which preceded his try-scoring league debut against [[Sale Sharks|Sale]] in October 1997. Gustard went on to make 97 competitive appearances for the Tigers, including being a used replacement in the Heineken Cup final versus [[Stade Français]],<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2001/may/21/rugbyunion.heinekencup200001
|title=Healey's flash of genius seals lion-hearted Tigers triumph
|publisher=theguardian.com
|date=19 May 2001 |accessdate=7 September 2014}}</ref> and being part of the squad where they won four Premiership titles in his five years at the club.

He left in 2002 to join [[London Irish]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Gustard makes Irish switch|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/1790137.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=20 February 2013|date=29 January 2002}}</ref> and went on to make 98 appearances in four years for the Exiles, including a spell as the first-team captain before he moved in 2006 to join London rivals Saracens, where he was part of a squad that were two of the club's most successful years competing in four semi finals in six competitions, including the last-minute loss to [[Munster rugby|Munster]] in the semi-final of the Heineken Cup in 2008 under head coach [[Alan Gaffney]]. Gustard went on to make 48 appearances for the Men in Black, before incoming head coach [[Eddie Jones (rugby union)|Eddie Jones]] offered him the role of assistant first-team coach. Following Jones's departure from the club, Saracens appointed as Director of Rugby the former Springbok centre [[Brendan Venter]], who made Gustard his defence and forwards coach.

Gustard's playing career was blighted by injury, but he managed to represent England at all levels and the Barbarians. He was in the England pre World Cup squad in 1999 of 36 before it was reduced to 30,<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/rugby_union/415634.stm
|title=Rugby Union Gustard joins England squad
|publisher=BBC
|date=9 August 1999 |accessdate=18 June 2015}}</ref> but ultimately he never played for the senior side.

On 17 December 2015 it was announced that Gustard had been appointed as the England Rugby team's defence coach, supporting the recently appointed team coach, Eddie Jones. Jones noted that "He has overseen Saracens' growth as a team, he has produced an aggressive defence system there and we are hoping he can do the same for England."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35126411 |title=Paul Gustard: England's Eddie Jones appoints new defence coach |date=17 December 2015 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

On May 21, 2018 it was announced that he would be the new Head of Rugby at [[Harlequin F.C.|Harlequins]] ahead of the [[2018–19 Premiership Rugby|2018–19 season]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.quins.co.uk/news/harlequins-appoint-england-coach-gustard/|title=Harlequins Appoint England Coach Gustard|website=www.quins.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-05-21}}</ref> He left the role by mutual consent in January 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=21 January 2021|title=Paul Gustard to leave Harlequins|url=https://www.quins.co.uk/news/club-statement-20-jan-2021/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=21 January 2021|website=Harlequin Football Club}}</ref> It was confirmed the following week that he had joined Italian side [[Benetton Rugby|Benetton]] as an assistant coach.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-26|title=Paul Gustard is back in the job a week after leaving Harlequins|url=https://www.ruck.co.uk/paul-gustard-is-back-in-the-job-a-week-after-leaving-harlequins/|access-date=2021-01-26|website=Ruck|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://benettonrugby.it/visita-in-villa-minelli-per-il-nuovo-staff-tecnico-biancoverde/|title=VISITA IN VILLA MINELLI PER IL NUOVO STAFF TECNICO BIANCOVERDE|date=22 July 2011|work=Benetton Rugby|access-date=22 July 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{ESPNscrum|27242}}

{{Stade Français squad}}
{{Top 14 managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gustard, Paul}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of Northumbria University]]
[[Category:English rugby union players]]
[[Category:Leicester Tigers players]]
[[Category:London Irish players]]
[[Category:People educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Newcastle upon Tyne]]
[[Category:Saracens F.C. players]]
[[Category:Rugby union flankers]]
[[Category: Stade Français Paris coaches]]