Sebastien Chabal

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By Jack Sawyer

Residence:		Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France
Birthdate:		Dec. 8, 1977
Career Highlights:		52 caps for French National Rugby Team with 30 points scored 2006 Orange Cup, Winner 2007 Six Nations Championship, Winner 2004/05 European Challenge Cup, Winner 2005-06 Guiness Premiership, Winner 2003 & 2005 Eurostar Trophy, Winner 2007 & 2009 Guiseppe Garibaldi Trophy, Winner
Affiliated Poker Room(s):		PokerStars Read our PokerStars.net review or pick up our exclusive PokerStars Bonus Code .
Personal Website:		SebastienChabal.com
Products:		N/A

Sebastien Chabal

Sébastien Chabal, born 8 December 1977 in Valence, Drôme, but raised in Beaumont-lès-Valence in the Drôme department in southwest France, is a French rugby union footballer who currently plays for RacingMétro 92 Paris and France. He is easily the most popular player on the French International Rugby Squad.

He is a very imposing figure; a mountain of a man standing at 6'3.5" tall and weighing in at 182lb (115kg) of rock hard muscle. And he looks like a bona fide bad-ass caveman; Chabal is well known for not shaving and his very long hair. Clearly then, he is not someone who you want to pick a fight with, and if you do, bettors everywhere would wager against you. And they'd be correct in doing so, judging by the numerous tackles you can watch on youtube in which Sébastien delivers hits on unsuspecting rugby players on the pitch. Sébastien talks the talk, but also walks the walk while showing the part.

Chabal demonstrated a passion for mechanical works at an early age, which led him to attend a Lycée professionnel where he studied for and obtained a 'brevet d'études professionnelles' in mechanics. Following his studies, Chabal worked as a milling operator in a Salmson factory (a French engineering company, initially in the automobile and airplane manufacturing area, turning to pump manufacturing in the 1960s) in Crest, Drôme. Here is where his other love, rugby, got into his life, because while working at the Salmson factory he would play rugby for the amateur club in Beauvallon. After some time, he then joined the club Valence Sportif and gave up his job at the Salmson factory to become a pro rugby union player.

The Valence Sportif played in the fourth division of French rugby, the Fédérale 2. Chabal made sure his stay there was not long enough to grow attached, and in a short time span he went to play for the CS Bourgoin-Jallieu which at the time, 1998, was in the top flight, the highest level of French domestic rugby. He also earned his first cap with the French national team shortly thereafter.

Chabal's run with the CS Bourgoin-Jallieu lasted for about 6 years, but did not yield any major victories (or their accompanying trophies). However, his play continued to shine as one of the few bright spots on the team. In 2004 many things went down with the CS Bourgoin-Jallieu including the sacking of then head coach Philippe Saint-André after he applied for the position of head coach of theWelsh's National Team. Chabal decided it was a good time to move from CS Bourgoin-Jallieu and continue his professional development as a player at another club. Saint-André, who became the sporting director of the English club Sale Sharks after his sacking from the CS Bourgoin-Jallieu, signed Chabal for two years and made him the Sale Sharks starting No. 8, which is the most important on-the-field position in the sport of rugby, reserved for only the best athletes who can combine size, speed, vision and power. Before that, Chabal had only played as flanker.

The 2004-05 English Premiership marked the return of the Sale Sharks to the top flight under the guidance of Saint-André. Chabal's run-good would finally kick in as his team would beat the Section Paloise 27-3 in the European Challenge Cup final and earn him his (as well as his entire team's) first big time pro trophy. In his second season with the Sale Sharks, the team would win the 2005-06 Guiness Premiership by beating the Leicester Tigers 45-20 in the final.

In 2007 he was on the French team that would win the Six Nations Championship. In a 2007-08 European Challenge Cup match against CA Brive, Chabal would score the first try for his side but would then injure his knee and be out of action for a month.

For the 2008-09 season, Chabal started playing in the second row instead of his more usual position of No. 8 or flanker.

In April of 2009, Chabal left the Sale Sharks after being granted an early release from his contract and signed a 3 year contract with the French club Racing Métro 92. This club was recently promoted to the top 14 in 2009 after winning the Pro D2 with 3 rounds to spare.

During his rugby career, Chabal had also a number of "eccentric" moments that actually made him famous, just like Manny Ramirez has had in the Major League Baseball (a phenomenon being referred to as Manny being Manny). A few of these include missing a tackle on an opponent and tackling the linesman instead, lurching towards the referee when blown up trying to tackle a player and whilst attempting a small kick just behind the back line, he miscued it completely and subsequently attempted to boot the ball over the posts whilst it was still on the ground. At a 2007 interview after a match of the Rugby World Cup 2007, a reporter asked Chabal if he may ask him a question in English. Chabal's response was "No, we are in France. We speak French."

He is also the highest paid player in rugby, thanks in part to all the sponsorships he receives. Being the most easily recognizable face in rugby surely helps, too.

But this is a poker site, so why are we talking about a French rugby player? Well, let's just say that Chabal joined the likes of ElkY and Arnaud Mattern as representatives of la Bleu Blanc Rouge (the French Flag, for those of you still a little green around the ears) for online poker juggernaut PokerStars. This also means that if you are ever playing in a live tournament somewhere, be it EPT, APPT, WSOP or the like, there is an outside chance you may see a menacing-looking bearded fellow sitting at your table. Be afraid, be very afraid because he'll tackle you, THEN take your chips. All you will see are PokerStars Black and Red colors and stars, lots of stars.

But as menacing as he is, Chabal also demonstrates a softer side, because he is always active in charity events. For instance, he played in the Ante up for Africa event (brainchild of Don Cheadle and Annie Duke), and he will be playing in this year's amFar AIDS research charity event. Chabal is always ready and willing to help, demonstrating true class.

You will find Sébastien online at PokerStars, playing under the screen name 'Chabal'.

Common misspellings: Sabastian, Sebastian, Sebastien, Chaval, Kabal, Cabal

Nicknames: Seb, Seabass, Cartouche, l'Homme des Cavernes (Caveman)

Learn more about Sébastien Chabal at PokerStars .

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