PARIS (AP) — Rugby star Sébastien Chabal won two Six Nations titles with France, reached a World Cup semifinal and played 62 times for his nation as a powerful forward.
But he does not remember any of it due to memory loss stemming from the concussions he sustained as a player.
“I don’t remember a single second of a rugby match I played. And I don’t remember a single one of the 62 Marseillaises (national anthems) I experienced,” Chabal said in an interview with the “Legend” show on YouTube. “I don’t have the memory of past moments."
During his career he also won the English title with Sale and scored six tries for France. He was a part of the French side which won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2010, and his thunderous tackling led French crowds to shout “Chabaaaaalll” in a deep tone in admiration of his prowess.
None of it registers with him.
"When I talk about it at home with my wife, I tell her that it feels like I wasn’t the one who played rugby,” he said. “I think that it wasn’t me who played rugby, especially because I don’t remember the moments.”
The 47-year-old became a household name in France and in rugby circles abroad because of his bushy black beard, his hard tackling and the icy stare he gave opponents.
His appearance and his intimidating presence on the rugby field earned him nicknames such as “The Caveman,” “The Anesthetist” and “Hannibal Lecter.” It also earned him considerable endorsement deals and says he earned annual income up to 800,000 euros (around $900,000).
He was also quick to rebuke media who tried to interview him in English during the 2007 Rugby World Cup, which was held in France.
Even though he spoke very good English from his time with Sale near Manchester from 2004-09, he would issue a blunt retort saying “we are in France, we speak French.”
Chabal's memory loss is so profound that he says he does not even remember the birth of his daughter and has hazy recollections of his own childhood.
“I don't remember many things. I have two or three childhood memories, but only just," he said. ”But I'm not even sure I remember them, because I was told about them."
Chabal's international career peaked with a 2007 World Cup semifinal and his 14-year club career ended in 2014 with Lyon.
Although he is now speaking about his concussion, he has not sought medical help.
“Go see a doctor, what for?” he said. “My memory won’t come back.”
Concussions have become a major issue in soccer and rugby in both its formats, the 15-a-side union and the 13-a-side league.
British law firm Rylands Garth said more than 500 former players are taking legal action against sports governing bodies on claims they suffered brain injuries during their careers.
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
FILE - French rugby team player Sebastien Chabal attends a training session at the National Rugby Center in Marcoussis, south of Paris, on Feb. 24, 2011. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.
Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.
On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.
It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.
The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.
Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.
The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.
Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.
Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.
Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.
The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.
Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.
Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.
President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
