On December 16th, the walls of Racing 92 shook for a very simple reason: while the team was supposed to train in the chilly Parisian weather, Camille Chat showed up in a more "after-party" mode than a Christmas tree in March. With glassy eyes, a penguin-like waddle on the ice, and a breath a bit too "festive," the hooker didn’t quite manage to keep up appearances. Apparently, his teammate Janick Tarrit preferred to stay in bed, leaving the brave Camille to face the bewildered looks of the staff alone.
A fiasco, yes. But for Chat, it’s unfortunately not the first. Let’s say that in his rugby life, the third half sometimes lasted until the fourth. By constantly mixing scrums and "raised elbows," the atmosphere at Racing 92 became electric. After twelve seasons of good and sometimes… less good services, the club politely informed him that it was the end of the adventure. All this, it seems, with a slightly nervous handshake and a contract terminated on the spot.
A gladiator with a marshmallow heart
Yet, on the field, Camille Chat is a real monst… uh, bulldozer. With his colossal trapezius muscles and marathon runner’s energy, he often leaves opposing defenses in shambles. A brute force that earned him a French Championship title in 2016 and no less than 33 caps with the French national team. Not too shabby for a guy supposed to be five centimeters shorter than his teammates (yes, at this level, every centimeter counts).
Off the field, Camille is more of a big teddy bear type, sometimes suspected of having a marshmallow heart. But well, you can’t change your nature: from time to time, he finds himself in frankly comical situations, like in May 2023, when an unfortunate elbow sent a Fijian teammate straight to the sidelines. An involuntary gesture, the player promises. Nevertheless, the damage was done, and the rumor of an uncontrollable Chat continued to spread in the club.
A farewell both bitter… and sparkling
The supporters, for their part, didn’t know which way to turn. On one hand, they cherished this player as explosive as he was endearing. On the other, they had to admit that Camille had a knack for accumulating blunders and boisterous outbursts.
So when the post-Christmas meal training incident occurred, the management could no longer turn a blind eye. End of a chapter, and the start of a big question mark: where will the "Chat" land on his feet?
A future still hazy… but promising?
Today, the hooker finds himself without a club. Yet, few coaches would dare deny his qualities as a warrior on the field: strength, speed, and charisma. There is no doubt that teams will try to bring him into their fold — provided Camille learns to ease up on certain… celebrations. Because beyond his drinking, the former Racing 92 player remains one of the best profiles in his position.
Let’s be clear: the Chat is not (yet) a stray cat. It’s highly likely that his rugby prowess will soon make waves under new skies, as it’s rare to find a hooker capable of shaking up powerhouses and flashing such a mischievous smile once the scrum is over.
A sequel to write
The "little scandal" of Christmas reminds us how thin the line between party and fiasco is in the world of rugby. But rest assured: the man hasn’t lost his passion for the oval ball, nor his ability to break through defenses like a cat pouncing on a ball of yarn.
There’s no doubt that Camille Chat will continue to make headlines, for better or worse, on the field and beyond. After all, a scalded cat fears cold water… but for beer, that’s another story!
