- Sebastien Chabal revealed earlier this month he is struggling with memory loss
- Chabal has now spoken again about his problems since retiring from rugby
French rugby icon Sebastien Chabal has spoken out for the first time since revealing he cannot remember any of his glittering career.
Chabal, 47, won 62 caps for France between 2000 and 2011 and was widely regarded as one of the most fearsome players of his era thanks largely to his imposing size and infamous shaggy beard.
But he admitted earlier this month that he has no recollection of a ‘single second’ of his playing days and that he cannot even remember the birth of his daughter due to his struggles with memory loss.
Chabal’s story sparked a major reaction from the rugby community, and he addressed the public’s response in a TV interview with the Canal Rugby Club on Sunday.
He declared himself ‘sad’ that so many people had been surprised by his struggles, and called for more to be done to help players who have experienced similar problems to him after hanging up their boots.
‘I found it (the public’s response) a bit sad,’ Chabal said. ‘We who are close to the players’ fields, we know that there are players who have said loud and clear that they have real troubles, real problems in their daily lives and unfortunately this has not been relayed or supported.
Sebastien Chabal (pictured) revealed earlier this month he cannot remember any of his career
Chabal has spoken out again about his struggles with memory loss since he stopped playing
Chabal cannot recall his greatest moments on the pitch or the birth of his daughter
‘That’s what annoyed me a bit. It’s not because the bearded man says he doesn’t remember that we should have made a big fuss. We should have been better interested in people for whom daily life is difficult.’
Chabal spent five years in England during his career with Sale Sharks, and won the European Challenge Cup in his maiden season in 2005.
Twenty years on from that triumph, Chabal stated it is ‘almost completely erased from my memory’.
As well as having difficulties remembering his greatest moments on the pitch, Chabal also spoke about how his memory loss affects his everyday life.
‘You notice it when you talk with friends,’ he explained. ‘In a conversation, I’m not the one who talks the most – maybe it’s my temperament – and I’m not the one who says “do you remember?”
‘I listen, I agree, we don’t want to talk about it too much, we hide a little, we try to protect ourselves or not face the truth but it’s been a long time. This morning, my wife asked me if I remembered when my parents came (to Sale)… I have no memories.
‘In the interview, I said that I didn’t remember the birth of my daughter, it’s a reality. My wife tells me but I don’t know. A memory is often accompanied by emotions, sensations, images… I hardly have that anymore. It’s not a blackout but as far as rugby is concerned, I don’t have much anymore.’
Concussion in rugby has become a major talking point in recent years, but that was not the case when Chabal was playing at the highest level.
Chabal has called for more to be done to help players experiencing similar issues to him
Chabal spent five years in England with Sale Sharks but has no memories from that period of his life
He admitted he is unsure whether suffering concussions during his career led to his current state, but conceded medical checks back then ‘weren’t very advanced’.
Chabal wants to learn more about his condition and has vowed to seek treatment as he confirmed he has a doctor’s appointment later this week.
‘I’m going to get checked out, get treated,’ he announced, as he bids to improve his quality of life 11 years on from his retirement.
