Shocking confession
Rugby star cannot remember a single game
04/15/2025 – 07:18 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
He was an icon on the rugby field. Now Sébastien Chabal talks about his dramatic memory losses.
His striking beard is still there – a little longer than before and of gray strands. The hair also continues to wear Sébastien Chabal. Years ago he stood for hardness like no other. They called him “anesthetist” because his tackling opponents sent the ground in rows – often passed out. Now the 47-year-old talks about what has stayed with the YouTube channel in an interview with the YouTube channel: nothing.
He no longer has a memory, says Chabal – not to his games, not to the hymns before the kick -off. And not even the moment when his daughter was born. “It is true, I no longer have a memory – and if I don’t say any, I don’t mean any,” said the former French international.
Chabal stood on the pitch 62 times for France. With 1.91 meters and 120 kilograms, it was considered the epitome of physical dominance in rugby. He always sang the Marseillaise loudly and became a national figure through his appearances – especially in the rugby crazy southwest of the country. Companies hired him for advertising campaigns, in the Musée Grévin there is a wax figure of him today.
But fame and risk were always close together at Chabal. The many blows against the head are probably the cause of his amnesia, he suspects. His body carries traces of the career: crumpled ears, deep voice, but no longer memories.
After the interview, the topic was present in the French evening news. A discussion about the risks of rugby sport has been running since then. Critics have long warned of the consequences of constant collisions: head against shoulder, knee against skulls, head against head. Neurologists explain that even smaller vibrations can change the brain in the long term.
At the same time, defenders in the Rugby world emphasize that a lot has changed since Chabal’s end of career. Today there are more protective measures, security protocols and mandatory head protection. Comparisons with boxes, ice hockey or American football should relativize. But Chabal’s history could damage the image of sport – and deter parents to send their children in this direction.
Chabal is not the only one who reports on late consequences. Other ex-professionals suffer from dementia or inexplicable changes in behavior. Many silence from shame. The fact that such a prominent name speaks openly could change something. Chabal is now working as a TV commentator and may have opened a door with his openness.
He was asked whether he had already been examined by a specialist. His answer: “No, why too, the memory does not come back anyway.”