Thibaut Flament: French Six Nations star in fertility treatment

Flament grew up in Belgium, but could not find a way into the French club system, and moved to Loughborough University for its rugby programme, where he arrived as a lanky player and initially played for the university’s fifth team.

His decision to chase balls in Argentina, rather than padding his CV in the UK, has helped bulk up his frame and turn him into a second-rower.

After the coronavirus lockdown was imposed, and shortly after making his debut for Wasps in September 2019, Flament made another big call. He has chosen to return to Belgium to train, rather than remain at the club accommodation he shared with Alfie Barbieri, now the number eight at Bath, among others.

“We saw the borders were closed, and the academy director at Wasps said travel was only allowed for emergency reasons,” Flament recalls with a smile.

“I said, ‘For me, this is an emergency – I don’t want to be stuck in the academy house in Coventry, I’m leaving tomorrow.’ I said to Alfie: ‘Sorry, this is really non-negotiable!’”

There were many stops in his career, but his focus was unique.

“My goal has always been to play professional rugby, and all my choices in life are dictated by that goal,” he says.

“I was completely driven – I knew where I wanted to be and what I had to do to get there.”

One of the things he leaves behind on the way is “Bob” – an alter ego full of doubts that Flament fears will kill his dream.

“In Argentina I realized that I had some potential in rugby, but my personality was preventing me from reaching it,” says Flament.

“I think I was a bit shy, a bit insecure, and that was preventing me from expressing myself in the real world, but also on the pitch.

“So I started writing things down and analyzing myself.

“I tried to distance myself, the big, shy guy would be called Bob, and the idea was that when I freed myself from Bob, Tebow could become what he wanted to be, the best player he could be.”

There’s a clip of Flament playing for Newman in Argentina., external Wearing a four on his back, he hits a lineout, breaks into the opposition 22 metres, veers left and drops the ball on the ball of his foot, hitting a cross pitch for his winger to score.

It’s a bob-free playing clip.

Following the Wasps breakthrough, the French selectors gave Flament another three-letter nickname, describing him as a UFO, such was his sudden and unexpected appearance on their radar.

They quickly intercepted him.

Flament was lying on a physiotherapy bed in Wasps’ treatment room, having only made a handful of first-team appearances, when his phone rang.

William Servat’s face appeared on the screen.

France’s forwards coach was calling to tell Flament he was on their minds.

Just over 18 months later, after moving to Top 14 side Toulouse, Flament made his debut in France in November 2021.

From then on, through the 2022 Grand Slam, the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 2025 Six Nations title win, he has been a regular on France’s biggest days.