Sébastien Chabal has “no memory” of his rugby matches

Former French international Sébastien Chabal has " no memory " of the matches he played in his career, probably due to the concussions he suffered, the rugby player said in an interview. I have no memory of a single second of a rugby match I played.", declared Chabal (47 years old, 62 selections with the French XV) in an interview published on April 9 on the YouTube channel Legend.

“ I don't remember a single one of the 62 Marseillaises I experienced.", adds the former second or third row, who notably played for Bourgoin, Racing 92 and the English club Sale. Chabal, who does not mention the word concussion during the interview, has not consulted a neurologist. What for, memory will not return", says the player, who explains that he no longer has any memories of his daughter's birth.

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Class action against World Rugby

“ There are quite a few actions that are carried out by former players, collectives, because we have taken a few 'farts in the helmet'", acknowledges Chabal, one of the most high-profile French players in the 2000s.

In the United Kingdom, hundreds of former rugby players, including Welshman Alix Popham and English hooker Steve Thompson, winner of the 2003 World Cup, are involved in class-action legal proceedings against World Rugby and the English and Welsh rugby unions. Both Popham and Thompson have revealed that they suffered from early-onset dementia, caused by concussions suffered during their careers.

Like other contact sports—American football, soccer, ice hockey, combat sports, etc.—rugby is facing a rise in concussions, meaning brain trauma following a violent blow, whether directly to the head or to the rest of the body. Several studies have highlighted the link between these repeated blows and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, which can cause early dementia, memory loss, and ultimately a total loss of autonomy.

In June 2024, second row Bernard Le Roux, born in South Africa but who wore the French XV jersey 47 times, announced his retirement at the age of 35, after 18 months away from the field due to concussions.