Thibaut Flament: France’s Six Nations star on fertility treatment

Flament grew up in Belgium, but, finding no way into the French club system, moved to Loughborough University for its rugby programme, arriving as a lanky fly-half and initially playing for the university’s fifth team.

His decision to chase balls in Argentina, rather than CV padding in the UK, helped his frame bulk out and convert into a second row.

After Covid lockdown hit, shortly after making his Wasps debut in September 2019, Flament made another big call. He opted to head back to Belgium to train, rather than remain in the club accommodation he shared with, among others, now Bath number eight Alfie Barbeary.

“We could see borders locking down and the academy manager at Wasps said travel was only allowed for emergency reasons,” Flament remembers with a smile.

“I said, for me, this is an emergency – I don’t want to get stuck in the academy house in Coventry, I’m leaving tomorrow. I told Alfie, ‘Sorry, it’s really not negotiable!'”

There have been many stops in his career, but his focus has been singular.

“Professional rugby has always been my aim – all my choices in life were dictated by that goal,” he says.

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

One of the things he has left behind on the way is ‘Bob’ – a doubt-filled alter-ego who Flament feared could kill his dream.

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

“I guess I was a bit shy, a bit insecure and it was stopping me expressing myself in the real world, but also on the pitch.

“So I started writing things down and analysing myself.

“I tried to dissociate – the big, shy me would be called Bob, and the idea was that when I freed myself from Bob, Thibaud could be whatever he wanted to be, the best player he could be.”

There is a clip of Flament playing for Newman in Argentina., external Wearing four on his back, he hits a line, bursts into the opposition 22m, swerves left and drops the ball on to his instep, grubbering crossfield for his wing to score.

It is a passage of play devoid of Bob.

After breaking through into the Wasps team, French selectors applied another three-letter moniker to Flament, describing him as a UFO, such was his sudden, unexpected appearance on their radar.

They were quick to intercept him.

Flament was lying on a physio bed in Wasps’ treatment room, only a handful of first-team appearances under his belt, when his phone buzzed.

William Servat’s face appeared on the screen.

France’s forwards coach was calling to let Flament know he was in their thinking.

A little over 18 months later, having moved to Top 14 giants Toulouse, Flament made his France debut in November 2021.

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