Ferocious France forward dies aged 77

NEWS: Former France international lock forward Alain Esteve has died at the age of 77 "following a long illness", his old club Beziers announced on Tuesday.

Esteve stood at over two metres tall, played 20 Tests between 1971 and 1975, and was a key member of the 1973 side that won the Five Nations.

He toured South Africa in 1971 and Australia the following year, and was part of the French team that beat the All Blacks 13-6 at the Parc des Princes in 1973.

With Beziers he won the French championship eight times.

"A legend of French rugby has passed away," said the French Rugby Federation in a statement. "The death of international number 618 will leave a great void in the history of French rugby."

Esteve's fearsome appearance persuaded former Wales hooker Bobby Windsor to dub him 'The Beast of Beziers' and in 2006 British newspaper The Times put him at number two in its list of 'Most Frightening Players'.

"A true legend of French rugby, a mythical second row with an extraordinary physique , the man nicknamed 'Le Grand'...left his mark on French and international rugby", said the Beziers club in a press release.

Long after the end of his career, Esteve made a name for himself in the nightlife world, as the owner of several nightclubs in Beziers. In 2004, he was convicted of "aggravated pimping", for exploiting the services of young women from Eastern Europe whom he had brought to France.