{{short description|French rugby union player}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Abel Albert | image = Le demi de mêlée français Albert reçoit le ballon en sortie de mêlée (France-Allemagne, JO de 1900).jpg | caption = Albert receives the ball after the scrum during the France-Germany match | birth_name = | full_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1873|01|31|df=y}} | birth_place = 6th arrondissement of Paris, France | death_date = {{death date and age|1919|09|27|1873|01|31|df=y}} | death_place = 4th arrondissement of Paris, France | height = | school = | university = | relatives = | occupation = | position = | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | amatyears1 = | amatteam1 = | amatapps1 = | amatpoints1 = | years1 = 1900 | clubs1 = Cosmopolitan Club | apps1 = | points1 = | repsevensyears1 = 1900 | repsevensteam1 = France national rugby union team | repsevenscomp1 = 1 (1) | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's rugby union}} {{MedalCountry | {{FRA}} }} {{Medal|Comp|Football at the Summer Olympics}} {{MedalGold|1900 Paris | Team competition}} }} '''Abel Albert''' (31 January 1873 – 27 September 1919) was a French rugby union player who competed in the rugby event of the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, being a member of the French rugby team that won the gold medal.<ref name=Oly>{{cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/17863 |title=A. Albert |work=Olympedia |access-date=1 March 2025 }}</ref>
==Early life== Abel Albert was born in the 6th arrondissement of Paris on 31 January 1873.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archives.paris.fr/arkotheque/visionneuse/visionneuse.php?arko=YTo2OntzOjQ6ImRhdGUiO3M6MTA6IjIwMjQtMDEtMjMiO3M6MTA6InR5cGVfZm9uZHMiO3M6MTE6ImFya29fc2VyaWVsIjtzOjQ6InJlZjEiO2k6NDtzOjQ6InJlZjIiO2k6MjE1NTUzO3M6MTY6InZpc2lvbm5ldXNlX2h0bWwiO2I6MTtzOjIxOiJ2aXNpb25uZXVzZV9odG1sX21vZGUiO3M6NDoicHJvZCI7fQ==#uielem_move=0%2C0&uielem_rotate=F&uielem_islocked=0&uielem_zoom=56 |title=1873, Naissances, 06 - Visionneuse |trans-title=1873, Births, 06 - Viewer |language=fr |website=archives.paris.fr |accessdate=1 March 2025 }}</ref>
==Sporting career== Albert began his sporting career at Cosmopolitan Club, where he played as a halfback.<ref name=Oly/> Together with Frantz Reichel, André Roosevelt, and Jean-Guy Gautier, he was a member of the French team that competed in the rugby event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris.<ref name=Oly/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/olympics.htm |title=Rugby at the Olympics |website=www.rugbyfootballhistory.com |access-date=1 March 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.olympiandatabase.com/index.php?id=33496&L=2 |title=French athletes at the Paris 1900 Olympics |website=www.olympiandatabase.com |access-date=1 March 2025 }}</ref> Albert and Cosmopolitan teammate André Rischmann were the only players of the French team who were not members of either Racing Club de France and Stade Français.<ref name=Saga>{{cite web |url=https://www.ffr.fr/actualites/federation/saga-olympique-1900-ou-les-droles-de-medailles |title=Saga Olympique: 1900 ou les drôles de médailles |trans-title=Olympic Saga: 1900 or the strange medals |language=fr |website=www.ffr.fr |date=20 July 2016 |access-date=1 March 2025 }}</ref>
On 14 October, he was among the 17 who aligned against Frankfurt (representing Germany), starting as a midfielder alongside Léon Binoche, and even though they were not used to play together, which was an enormous advantage for the Frankfurt midfielders, they were able to help their side to a 27–17 victory.<ref name=Saga/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k46242815/f2.item.r=albert.zoom |title=Football-Rugby - Match France-Allemand |language=fr |website=gallica.bnf.fr |publisher=L'Auto |page=2 |date=16 October 1900 |accessdate=1 March 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6578982s/f272.image.r=albert.zoom |title=L'équipe nationale |trans-title=The national team |language=fr |website=gallica.bnf.fr |publisher=Le Sport universel illustré |page=272 |date=1900 |accessdate=1 March 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://finalesrugby.fr/personnes/albert-a- |title=Albert A. |language=fr |website=finalesrugby.fr |accessdate=1 March 2025 }}</ref> For the decisive match against Moseley Wanderers (representing Great Britain) on 28 October, Henriquez de Zubiera and Albert were replaced by Giroux (SF) and Gondouin (RCF), as France won gold medal with a 27–8 victory.<ref name=Saga/>
==Death== Albert died in the 4th arrondissement of Paris on 27 September 1919, at the age of 46.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archives.paris.fr/arkotheque/visionneuse/visionneuse.php?arko=YTo2OntzOjQ6ImRhdGUiO3M6MTA6IjIwMjQtMDEtMjMiO3M6MTA6InR5cGVfZm9uZHMiO3M6MTE6ImFya29fc2VyaWVsIjtzOjQ6InJlZjEiO2k6NDtzOjQ6InJlZjIiO2k6MjU4NDUwO3M6MTY6InZpc2lvbm5ldXNlX2h0bWwiO2I6MTtzOjIxOiJ2aXNpb25uZXVzZV9odG1sX21vZGUiO3M6NDoicHJvZCI7fQ==#uielem_move=0%2C0&uielem_rotate=F&uielem_islocked=0&uielem_zoom=58 |title=1919, Décès, 04 - Visionneuse |trans-title=1919, Death, 04 - Viewer |language=fr |website=archives.paris.fr |accessdate=1 March 2025 }}</ref>
==Honours== ;France *Summer Olympics: **'''Gold medal (1)''': 1900
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Albert, Abel}} Category:1873 births Category:1919 deaths Category:Rugby union players from Paris Category:French rugby union players Category:Rugby union players at the 1900 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic rugby union players for France Category:Olympic gold medalists for France Category:Medalists at the 1900 Summer Olympics