11 Facts About Puig Aubert

Puig Aubert's nickname "Pipette" was a reference to his smoking habits, which at several stages saw him smoking on the field.

Puig Aubert was known to not tackle a player if he believed it would demonstrate the fault of his team-mates for not previously making the tackle, a cause of some controversy during his career.

The Puig Aubert family emigrated to Carcassonne, France while Robert was still in his infancy, and it was there where Robert would carve out his immortality in French sport and rugby.

Puig Aubert agreed upon terms with AS Carcassonne and played his first match of rugby league the 13 November 1944 against Beziers.

Puig Aubert would go on to lead the club to four French championship titles, four Lord Derby cups and runners-up in the championship on four occasions along with three runners-up medals in the Lord Derby cup.

In 1959 Puig Aubert signed for lower division side Castelnaudary but with his weight and fitness problems continuing to decline he was only limited to several appearances for the season before he altogether retired from competitive rugby league football at the age of 35 with the completion of the season.

Puig Aubert made his international rugby league debut for the French national side at fullback during the 1944 season while on tour in Great Britain.

Puig Aubert immediately achieved a cult following and status among rugby league fans and the sporting public for his unorthodox and unpredictable play coupled his lax attitude towards defence and his odd onfield antics such as often playing while smoking at the same time.

Puig Aubert captained the 1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand, Les Chanticleers first such tour.

Over a span of 10 years in the international game Puig Aubert would make 46 appearances for the national side scoring a total of 361 collective points in his 27 test matches, four World Cup appearances and 15 European cup caps including two victorious tournament campaigns.

In 1969 Puig Aubert was selected to lead the French national team selection committee a position he held for the next decade.