Ledesma
An elite hooker who is now the head coach of Argentina
Mario Ledesma Bio
Mario Ledesma is a former Argentina international who was one of the greatest hookers to ever play the game. Since his retirement in 2011, he’s been a successful coach and is now the head coach of the Argentinian national team. Mario Ledesma was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.
Mario Ledesma began his playing career at Curupaytí in Buenos Aires. Although he started his career as a flanker, he was converted to a hooker during his time at the club. The switch was highly successful and he caught the attention of several European clubs. As a result, he signed his first professional contract with Narbonne in 2001.
After impressing during his stint at Narbonne, Mario Ledesma then moved to Castres in 2003, where he stayed until 2005. During this time, he played in the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time.
Following his stint as Castres, Mario Ledesma then signed for Clermont, where he stayed for the rest of his senior career. Between 2005 and 2011, he made 179 appearances for the side and helped them capture the European Rugby Challenge Cup and the Top 14.
Although he was a fan favourite in France, Mario Ledesma is undoubtedly best known for his career with the Argentinian national team. Between 1996 and 2011, he made 84 appearances for his country. This included an impressive string of performances at the Rugby World Cup in 2007, where Argentina finished third.
Since retiring from rugby in 2011, Mario Ledesma has embarked on a successful coaching career. He’s since enjoyed spells as a forwards coach for Stade Français, Montpellier and Australia. Since then, he’s become a head coach and he’s now the head coach of Argentina.
