Chabal: I’m no superstar

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Hey, my name is The Web Guy, and I first published 'Chabal: I’m no superstar' on 7th November, 2007, within the Rugby Union section.


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France international and Sale Sharks number eight Sebastien Chabal has told saytantahsports.com he is uncomfortable with his fame and status as an icon.

The back-row forward enjoyed an impressive World Cup campaign with France, but could not help Le XV de France all the way to the final on home soil.

The 29-year-old became a big star in his homeland during the summer thanks to his spectacular rugby and trademark long hair and thick beard.

Despite being voted sexiest man in France and being firmly in the spotlight, ‘Seabass’, as he is dubbed, wants to remain focused on his one and only passion, rugby.

The robust forward, who joined Sale from Bourgoin in 2004, refuses to be considered an idol by fans and just wants to help his club win the Guinness Premiership title and European Challenge Cup, both feats which he has achieved since arriving in the North West of England.

“I’m not a star,” he told saytantahsports.com.

“I hope that you are here to talk about rugby and nothing else because I don’t like to talk about my fame.

“I am just a rugby player among other ones.

“It has not been difficult to return from the World Cup. On the contrary it’s quite easy. I needed to return to my club in order to move on because we spent four months with L’Equipe de France and the ending has not been a happy one.

“We were very disappointed so I want to concentrate myself quickly on other objectives and see other things.

“We [Sale] are ambitious, and like every season we are going to try to win the English league again. We also want to win the European Challenge Cup because unfortunately we haven’t been able to qualify for this season’s Heineken Cup.”

The Frenchman plays alongside fellow countrymen Lionel Faure, Sebastein Bruno and Julien Laharrague at Sale, something he believes is a strength of the side.

“It is nice to have all those Frenchmen in the team, it helps me to feel at home,” he added.

“Since [director of rugby] Philippe Saint Andre arrived, there have always been three or four in the team, which is a huge boost.”

Chabal is targeting the European Challenge Cup as not only a success for this season, but a means for qualifying for next season’s premier European tournament, the Heineken Cup.

Sharks play against French side Montpellier on Thursday as the ECC gets underway.

“We are going to give everything to win this cup, no doubt,” he said.

“Winning it would qualify us for the Heineken Cup next year, which is an objective of ours. Of course it is not a major title, but at least it is a title.

“I don’t think the fact that we don’t play in the Heineken Cup [this year] will make us fresher because we will play a lot of games anyway.

“They will be of less intensity, but it is a lot of games nonetheless.”

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