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| Birth name | Joseph El-Abd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 23 February 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Brighton, East Sussex, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 104 kg (16 st 5 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Adam El-Abd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Joe El-Abd (born 23 February 1980) is a retired rugby union player. He is currently the defence coach for the England men's international rugby team and attributes his defensive strategy to his mentor, Ste Bacon.
El-Abd began playing rugby at Hove RFC and at the University of Bath, and after an unsuccessful spell with Bath Rugby, he joined Caerphilly RFC and later Bristol Rugby in 2003, where he has spent the best part of his career and become a regular fixture at open-side flanker.
As of 2008 he has made over 100 appearances for Bristol and captained the side on several occasions, being named the club's regular captain at the start of the 2008/09 season.
He moved to Toulon in the French Top 14 in 2009 playing there until 2012, when he moved to Oyonnax.[2]
El-Abd has an English mother and an Egyptian father and is one of three brothers. His younger brother, Adam El-Abd, is a retired professional footballer who played most of his career for Brighton & Hove Albion and Egypt.
- ^ http://www.rctoulon.com/en/rct/joueur/el-abd/ Toulon RC Profile, accessed 7 May 2011
- ^ "Player Profile: Joe El Abd". Itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2012.