Watch: Former French enforcer Sebastien Chabal puts on a show at Hong Kong Sevens
If anyone has wondered what 41-year-old former French international Sebastien Chabal is doing these days, they would have been surprised to see him appear on their television screens at the Hong Kong Sevens on Friday.
The 62-cap ex-loose forward was in attendance at the famous sevens tournament, but not in the way many would expect him to be.
Nicknamed ‘The Caveman’ because of his long hair and beard, combined with his rugged, abrasive style of play, Chabal appeared on the field during a break in between matches dressed as a caveman, belting out a rendition of ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ by Scottish band The Proclaimers.
??? "Things I never thought I'd see on a Friday afternoon…". Hilarious commentary as @FFRugby legend @sebchabal performs a classic sevens anthem at the #HK7s pic.twitter.com/njO2rcodWD
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) April 5, 2019
Accompanied alongside three moustached men in leopard-print leotards, one of whom is standing on the shoulders of another while playing a guitar, left Australian commentator Sean Maloney bemused yet thoroughly entertained.
“Things I never thought I’d see on a Friday afternoon in Hong Kong,” he said.
“Sebastien Chabal singing ‘I would walk 1000 miles’. I think I’m done, I’m dead.
“Only in Hong Kong. Oh, that’s the best.”
Chabal, who played at club level for Bourgoin, Sale Sharks, Racing 92 and Lyon, is at the Hong Kong Sevens as a representative of tournament sponsors Marriott Bonvoy, a company of which he is the face of their recent advertising campaign.
The opening day of the men’s tournament saw no real upsets, with powerhouses South Africa, England, the USA, New Zealand and Fiji all registering wins.
In the qualifying tournaments, Brazil won the women’s tournament to qualify for next season’s World Series circuit, while Tonga, Hong Kong, Chile, Germany and Russia have all secured their places in the quarter-finals of the men’s qualifying tournament.
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