Sébastien Chabal
Date of birth | 8 December 1977 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Valence, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 113 kg (249 lb; 17 st 11 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sébastien Chabal (born 8 December 1977) is a French former
Chabal played professionally for 16 years and won the
He is known for his full beard, long hair and ferocious tackling, leading the French rugby fans to nickname him l'Homme des Cavernes (Caveman). With this look, he has a number of lucrative commercial contracts. He was one of the most popular sportsmen in France,[2] so much that local journalists wrote about Chabalmania.
Personal life
Born on 8 December 1977 in
While playing for Bourgoin-Jallieu, he married Annick[6] and became stepfather to her daughter who was born in 1994.[4][7] In 2005, he welcomed the birth of his daughter Lily-Rose.[4][7]
Chabal is a member of the 'Champions for Peace' club, a group of 54 famous athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by Monaco-based international organization Peace and Sport.
In 2019, Sébastien Chabal studied at EM Lyon Business School.[8][non-primary source needed]
Playing career
Early years
Chabal first tried rugby at the age of nine, but gave it up after just two months.[4] However, he again tried his hand at rugby when he was sixteen, by following two friends who played for the local club in Beauvallon.[5][9] This time, he discovered a passion for the game, and the camaraderie that follows matches.
He quickly made his way up, through the
On 11 October 2002, during the group stages of the 2002–2003 Heineken Cup, Bourgoin, with Chabal, defeated Sale Sharks 18–24 at Edgeley Park, the home of Sale Sharks. During this match, Jason Robinson received a yellow card for the first time in his career following a tackle from Chabal.[10][11] In the return match, Bourgoin again defeated Sale, but finished second in their group to Biarritz Olympique as they had scored fewer tries.[12]
During the 2003–2004 Heineken Cup, Chabal and Bourgoin played against Munster and Gloucester in the group stage. On 6 December 2003, Bourgoin lost their first match at home against the Irish province 17–18. Chabal scored the only try of the encounter, but Ronan O'Gara scored six penalty kicks.[13] One week later, Bougoin suffered a heavy defeat away at the hands of Gloucester 49–13, with Chabal again scoring the only try for his team.[14] Bourgoin lost against Gloucester at home, and lost five of six matches during their 2003–2004 European campaign, finishing third in their pool and were eliminated from the competition.[15] On 25 January 2004, the head coach of Bourgoin, Philippe Saint-André, was sacked after he applied for the position of head coach of the Welsh national team, left vacant following the departure of Steve Hansen.[16] The ambitious plan for Bourgoin initiated by Laurent Seigne under the direction of Pierre Martinet and Patrick Sébastien had ended.[17]
English experience
Following the departure of Saint-André, and after six years wearing the blue jersey of Bourgoin, Chabal wanted to change his horizons and continue his professional development as a player at another club. He wished to join
The
Chabal's second season with the English outfit brought more success. First, Sale reached the quarter-finals of the
The
The
For the
Philippe Saint-André had announced in December 2008 that he was to leave Sale Sharks at the end of the 2008–09 season with Kingsley Jones named as his successor.[36][37] Chabal had already announced that he wished to return to play in France, his family had already left England in September 2008.[38]
Return to France
After five years at Sale, Chabal officially signed a three-year contract with the French club
Shane Richardson, Chief Executive of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, an Australian rugby league club revealed the club had contacted Chabal's management to inquire about the possibility to switch codes, where he would play "a portion of his season with the club."[41] The club were unsuccessful in their attempts to pursue Chabal.
During the 2012–2013 and 2013–2014 seasons Chabal played for
International career
Although Chabal is primarily a back-row player, former France coach
At France's loss to England in the semi-final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Chabal was visibly distraught, as they failed to make it to the final.
Chabal was not included in Les Bleus squad for the
In May 2011 Chabal was left out of France's provisional 32-man squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.[44]
Other appearances
In February 2012, Chabal made an appearance with Balmain Rugby Union from
In January 2014, Chabal appeared in an advertising campaign for an online currency exchange company CurrencyFair as the "Currency Fairy".[46]
He is a member of the 'Champions for Peace' club,[47] a group of more than 90 famous elite created by Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organization placed under the High Patronage of H.S.H Prince Albert II. This group of top-level champions, wishes to make sport a tool for dialogue and social cohesion.
References
- ^ "FrenchRugbyClub Racing-Métro 92 squad". FrenchRugbyClub.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
- ^ Rodolphe Rolland (21 November 2008). "Chabal ou mi-Chabal ?". Le Monde (in French). France: nicerugby.blog.lemonde.fr. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
- ^ "Rugby : Sébastien Chabal, un Poilu chez les épilés". Le Nouvel Observateur (in French). France. Associated Press. 4 September 2007. Archived from the original on 27 February 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Stéphanie Platat (30 July 2007). "Dur au cuir". Libération (in French). France. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ a b c Gérard Muteaud (30 August 2007). "Chabal, sérial plaqueur". Le Nouvel Observateur (in French). France. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ "Image de la femme de Sébastien Chabal". Skyrock (in French). October 2007. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ a b Ronan Folgoas (12 March 2009). "Chabal pense à Toulon". Sportweek (in French). sportweek.fr. Archived from the original on 17 February 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ CHTIOUI, Tawhid. "Sébastien CHABAL @ EMLYON". Tawhid CHTIOUI. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ Éric Gourdoux (31 January 2009). "Portrait : Rencontrer – Sébastien Chabal intime". coolture.fr (in French). Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ Gérald Mathieu (12 October 2007). "Chabal, l'homme qui fait trembler toute l'Angleterre". Sportweek (in French). sportweek.fr. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- BBC. 11 October 2002. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- BBC. 18 January 2003. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- BBC. 6 December 2003. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- BBC. 13 December 2003. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- BBC. 24 January 2004. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- BBC. 25 January 2004. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- ^ Arnaud Tillous (August 2002). "Philippe Saint-André : " Plus de pression en France "". L'Équipe (in French). France. Archived from the original on 25 November 2006. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
- ^ a b "Sébastien Chabal: Sea Bass swims with the Sharks". The independent. UK. 7 January 2006. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- BBC. 22 April 2004. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- ^ "Chabal et Todd à Sale". L'Équipe. France. 23 April 2004. Retrieved 6 April 2009.[dead link]
- ^ Mike Averis (6 September 2004). "Leicester left for dead by Chabal Sale 26–19 Leicester". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ Castaignède, Thomas (13 September 2004). "Sale boom with Saint-André and Chabal the cartonneur". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ These two clubs finished first and second that at the end of the regular season and met in the final where Wasps beat Leicester 34–19 to win the title.
- ^ Jamie Jackson (8 May 2005). "Wasps on course for third". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
- ^ Robert Kitson (15 May 2006). "Robinson's slice of magic helps Sale end Wasps' reign Sale 22–12 Wasps". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ Michael Aylwin (28 May 2006). "Hodgson gets real kick out of grinding Tigers into the dirt Sale 45–20 Leicester". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ Robert Kitson (29 May 2006). "Sale driven to new heights by saviour Saint-André Sale 45–20 Leicester". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ Pierrick Taisne (10 December 2006). "Heineken Cup – Stade Français – Sale : 27–16 – Paris s'est fait peur". rugby365.fr. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
- ^ "Rugby – Ch.Européen – Sale-Brive : 49–24". L'Équipe. France. 4 April 2008. Archived from the original on 8 February 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- BBC. 19 December 2007. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- BBC. 19 October 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
- BBC. 16 January 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- ^ "Premiership: Chabal offre l'Europe à Sale". orange.fr (in French). 17 April 2009. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ "Sale down Quins' colours". guinnesspremiership.com. 17 April 2009. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ Andy Wilson (25 April 2009). "Mathew Tait earns Sale's bonus point but results elsewhere mean Sharks miss out on the play-offs". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
- ^ "Philippe Saint-André quittera Sale en fin de saison". sportweek.fr (in French). Sportweek. 4 December 2008. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
- ^ Duncan Bech (25 February 2009). "Jason Robinson takes charge at Sale". The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
- ^ "Rugby – XV de France – Chabal : " Je vais rentrer "". L'Équipe. France. 24 November 2008. Archived from the original on 29 May 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
- ^ "Rugby-Racing-Metro – Nallet et Chabal ont signé". L'Équipe. France. Agence France-Presse. 29 April 2009. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2009.
- ^ "French resistance to Dan Carter's high price". L'Équipe. France. L'EQUIPE. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
- ^ "Souths boss tried to lure hulking French Caveman into Rabbits' warren". 15 July 2008. Archived from the original on 29 August 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
- ^ The Guardian article: Chabal retirement
- ^ "Chabal backs France for home glory". RugbyRugby.com. 28 August 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
- ^ "France's Sebastien Chabal omitted from World Cup squad". BBC Sport. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
- ^ http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/super-rugby/the-caveman-sebastien-chabal-up-for-grabs-after-confirming-move-to-australia-to-play-super-rugby/story-e6frf4qu-1226271200264 Retrieved 27 February 2012 Fox Sports Australia Rugby
- ^ "Sebastian Chabal Stars in Bizarre Advert as 'The Currency Fairy'". Bleacher Report.
- ^ "Meet Our Champions for Peace". Retrieved 23 December 2019.