Paul Barrière was born on 8 June 1920 in Espéraza and died on 29 May 2008 in Biarritz, aged 88.[1] He was president of the Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII from 1947 to 1955.

Barrière played rugby union for Espéraza in 1936 and Carcassonne.[1][2]

During World War II, Barrière joined the French Resistance and operated in Aude.[2] Whilst in the resistance, he met French leaders of rugby league which had been banned by the collaborationist Vichy government.[2]

After the war, Barrière, along with Marcel Laborde who served as president of the French Rugby League between 1944 and 1947, worked to re-establish rugby league, which had been severely disrupted.[1] Barrière became vice-president of the French Rugby League on 16 September 1944 at the Hotel Regina in Toulouse. He was elected president on 2 July 1947 at a meeting in Bayonne. Barrière was the driving force behind the agreement to create the International Rugby League Board and to institute a World Cup.[3] When asked for his opinion on moves to name the World Cup trophy after him, Barrière refused the honour.[2]

Under Barrière, the French national team undertook its first tour of the southern hemisphere.[2]

From 1990 until 2004 Barrière organised the Festival de la Cite in Carcassonne for musical theatre.[2]

In 2008, Barrière was posthumously awarded the inaugural RLIF Spirit of Rugby League Award which was created to honour those deemed to have made a significant contribution to the sport during their lifetime.[4][5]

Barrière was survived by his wife, Jeanine, and her daughter, Babette.[1]

The Rugby League World Cup trophy was named the Paul Barrière Trophy, starting from the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.[6][7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Décès de Paul Barrière : le festival de la Carcassonne est orphelin". La Dépêche du Midi (in French). Toulouse. 30 May 2008. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Disparition de Paul Barrière" (in French). sport.fr. 30 May 2008. Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
  3. ↑ Ferguson, Andrew. "THE FRENCH BARRIERE THAT WOULDN'T BREAK" (PDF). MenofLeague. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  4. ↑ Ledger, John (19 November 2008). "World Cup finalists united in effort to raise spirits". The Yorkshire Post. Yorkshire. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  5. ↑ "Hayne named International Player of the Year". Australian Rugby League. 2009. Archived from the original on 9 September 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  6. ↑ "Rugby League World Cup trophy renamed after former RLIF President". Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "Rugby League World Cup trophy to be named The Paul Barriere Trophy – Digicel SportsMax". Retrieved 11 July 2016.
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