Thibaud Flament (born 29 April 1997) is a French professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for Top 14 club Toulouse and the France national team.

Thibaud Flament
Flament representing France during the Six Nations Championship
Date of birth (1997-04-29) 29 April 1997 (age 27)
Place of birthParis, France
Height2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)
Weight116 kg (256 lb; 18 st 4 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock, Flanker
Current team Toulouse
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2017–2018 Club Newman 16 ()
2018–2019 Loughborough Students 24 (50)
2019–2020 Wasps 16 (5)
2020– Toulouse 76 (40)
Correct as of 12 November 2024
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2021– France 28 (25)
Correct as of 16 November 2024

Early life

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Born in Paris, Thibaud Flament grew up in Brussels, Belgium where his father worked and founded an amateur rugby union club. He started rugby at the age of 8, playing for ASUB Waterloo, one of the best clubs in Belgium.[1] He left Belgium for the United Kingdom and Loughborough University to pursue his college studies, at the age of 18.[2]

Club career

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Flament began playing rugby for Loughborough Students RUFC, the famous British college team. Playing usually as a fly-half, he started in the fifth team and then changed of position, being converted to the second row due to his height and his weight gain. In 2017, he spent one placement year in Argentina playing for Club Newman before returning to Loughborough, now a first-teamer and an important player.[2]

Consequently, he drew the attention of Wasps and joined the Premiership team academy in June 2019. On 21 September 2019, he made his professional debut against Saracens in the 2019–20 Premiership Rugby Cup and scored a try.

After playing sixteen games with the Coventry club, Flament signed for Toulouse on 17 August 2020.[3] In his first year with the French club, he won the 2020-21 Top 14 and the 2020–21 European Rugby Champions Cup and then extended his contract until 2026 on 8 June 2022.[4]

International career

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He was first called to the French national senior team by Fabien Galthié on 18 October 2021, for the autumn internationals.[5] He earned his first cap for France on 6 November 2021 against Argentina, scoring a try on his debut. In 2022, he won the 2022 Six Nations Championship and the Grand Slam, clinching the title with a 25–13 win over England at the Stade de France.[6]

Career statistics

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List of international tries

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International tries
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 6 November 2021 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France   Argentina 14–10 29–20 2021 Autumn internationals
2 5 February 2023 Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy   Italy 0–5 24–29 2023 Six Nations
3 11 March 2023 Twickenham, London, England   England 0–15 10–53
4 10–32
5 21 September 2023 Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France   Namibia 38–0 96–0 2023 Rugby World Cup

Honours

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Toulouse
France

References

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  1. ^ "The incredible rise of Thibaud Flament". Rugby World. 12 February 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b Schofield, Daniel (15 March 2022). "Thibaud Flament: 'I wouldn't be playing for France today without support of Loughborough University'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  3. ^ Cameron, Ian (17 August 2020). "Wasps lock Flament to exit club, opening Ricoh door for hulking Montpellier foward". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  4. ^ Marco, Jeanne-Marie (8 June 2022). "Stade Toulousain : le deuxième ligne Thibaud Flament prolonge jusqu'en 2026". France Bleu (in French). Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  5. ^ Bissonnet, Vincent (18 October 2021). "XV de France - Qui sont les neuf novices de la tournée d'automne ?". Rugbyrama (in French). Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  6. ^ Schofield, Daniel (19 March 2022). "France win first Six Nations Grand Slam in 12 years as gutsy England fall short in Paris". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
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