If you thought Thibaut Flamente was busy on the pitch, you should check out his work in a coffee shop in Buenos Aires.
In 2017, the then 20-year-old arrived in the Argentine capital with only one contact, no job and no idea where he would sleep that night.
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He is from Loughborough University. Students on Flament’s International Business degree program have gone through a series of interviews and assessments to secure the ideal internship opportunity.
Flemish has a different goal. He told the Loughborough Resettlement Office he was going to Argentina to play rugby.
“They were a bit surprised – it’s not the point of the pitch,” the France second-row player told BBC Sport.
Undaunted, Flamente found a club, bought a ticket and took the plunge.
Former Leicester City prop Marcos Ayerza picked him up at Buenos Aires airport early on Saturday morning and took him to watch the Newman club play. One of his new teammates gave him a room at the postgame barbecue.
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But Flanders still has no income.
“I tried to get into every foreign network in Buenos Aires—French private schools, French embassy staff, the French Chamber of Commerce,” Flamente recalls.
“I secretly attended events, I was invited to places, I even went for coffee with my buddies who were expats working in Buenos Aires. All of this was basically to find a job.
“Then, one day, at an event, this guy came up to me.
“He said, ‘I’ve heard a lot about you, and everywhere I go, everyone tells me, there’s this guy who’s looking for a job — and he’s young and he’s trying everything. You know what? It’s okay, I’ll take you. You’ll be the next intern.'”
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Flamont got a satisfying job at the French Embassy.
“I said to him, ‘Do you want my resume or something?'” Flamente recalled.
“He said, ‘No, we don’t need it — what you’re doing is enough.'”
Flemish forged its own path and luck.
This is an ongoing run throughout a unique rugby resume.
Flanders scored six points in 36 Tests for France [Getty Images]
Flamente grew up in Belgium, but without access to the French club system, he transferred to Loughborough University’s rugby program, arriving as a lanky flyback and initially playing for the university’s fifth team.
His decision to chase the ball in Argentina rather than fill it with CV in England helped him bulk up and move into the second row.
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Flamende made another big decision shortly after making his debut for the Hornets in September 2019 following the coronavirus lockdown. He chose to return to Belgium to train rather than stay in the club accommodation he shared with the likes of Bath number eight Alfie Barbieri.
“We could see the borders being blocked and the Wasps academy manager said travel would only be allowed in emergencies,” Flamente recalled with a smile.
“I said, for me, this is an emergency – I don’t want to be stuck in college accommodation in Coventry, I’m leaving tomorrow. I told Alfie, ‘Sorry, it’s really non-negotiable!'”
His career has taken many pauses, but his focus has been singular.
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“Professional football has always been my goal – all my choices in life have been dictated by that goal,” he said.
“I’m very motivated — I know where I want to go and what I have to do to get there.”
One of the things he left behind along the way was “Bob” – an alter ego filled with doubts that Flament feared would stifle his dreams.
“I realized in Argentina that I had some potential in rugby, but my personality prevented me from realizing that,” Flamente said.
“I guess I was a bit shy, a bit insecure and that stopped me from expressing myself in the real world and on the pitch.
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“So I started writing things down and analyzing myself.
“I was trying to break away from — that tall, shy me that would be called Bob, and the idea was that when I freed myself from Bob, Tebow could be whatever he wanted to be, and he could be the best player he could be.”
There is a clip of Flamende playing for Newman in Argentina. Carrying the No. 4 jersey, he hit the baseline, rushed into the opponent 22 meters away, turned left, dropped the ball on the instep, and dug a cross pass for his side to score.
This is a race without Bob.
After joining the Hornets, French selectors gave Flamente another three-letter nickname, describing him as a UFO, which is how he suddenly and unexpectedly appeared on their radar.
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They quickly intercepted him.
Flamont, who had only made a handful of first-team appearances, was lying on a physiotherapy table in the Hornets’ treatment room when his phone rang.
William Servat’s face appeared on the screen.
France’s forwards coach called to let Flamente know he was on their radar.
More than 18 months later, Flanders moved to top 14 giants Toulouse and made his France debut in November 2021.
Since then, he has been a regular on France’s biggest days through triumphs at the 2022 Grand Slam, the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 2025 Six Nations title.
As well as this month’s Six Nations opener against Ireland. The flame is gone. He can easily compensate for muscle strains or sprains.
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But he made a brave move again, explaining that he would sit out the game so that he and his wife, Ethel, who suffers from endometriosis, could attend time-sensitive fertility treatments.
“The decision to explain why is not easy,” Flamente said.
“[We thought] Maybe some people will say, “Oh, that’s so stupid” or “Should they do that?”
“But actually the reality is what we hoped for. A lot of people have been very nice to us, wishing us good luck, giving us advice, people who have been through the same thing sharing stories.
“Honestly, it’s great.
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“Obviously you don’t shout from every rooftop that you received medical attention for your baby, but we were surprised to see how many people we knew had experienced this.
“The French staff were very understanding and made things easy. My wife and I thought it was the best for everyone, really.”
After coming on as a substitute against Wales, Flamente returned to the starting line-up when France faced Italy last weekend and put in a fine performance for the Six Nations leaders.
Even “Bob” would be impressed.
