CK Updates
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.
Gymnast Ruby Evans has won Wales’ first Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow with victory in the floor final.
Evans, 19, performed the final routine of the women’s programme and defeated England’s Abigail Martin into silver, with her team-mate Shantae-Eve Amankwaah securing bronze.
Evans left the arena in tears on Sunday after her disappointing sixth in the all-round individual competition, that after Wales finished fourth in the team event.
Now, after Welsh identical twins Abigail and Emily Roper won bronze medals within a couple of hours of each other on Monday, Evans has delivered gold.
It was the first victory for Team Wales in Scotland and a ninth medal alongside two silver and six bronze.
There is also a guaranteed podium position for boxer Connor Williams after he reached the semi-finals.
An amateur cricket match has made global headlines after a fielder was accused of cheating by clicking his fingers to get a wicket.
The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League has started an investigation into a second XI Division 2 game between Saltburn and Norton.
A viral video on social media appears to show a Saltburn fielder clicking his fingers as the ball passes Noman Shabir’s bat before being caught by wicketkeeper Josh Bowes. Saltburn appeal and the umpire gives Shabir out.
It has been suggested that the finger-clicking was designed to trick the umpire into thinking the batter edged the ball.
Saltburn won by 159 runs and are top of Division 2 by 17 points.
“The league have received a formal complaint regarding alleged incidents in a Division Two game on Saturday,” the league said in a statement on X.
“A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made.”
Last week Bowes took eight catches in Saltburn’s 22-run win over Shildon Railway. The men’s Test record for catches by a keeper in an innings is seven.
Bowes leads the league standings with 31 catches, 10 more than any other player.
Rory Cotterill, who captained Middlesbrough second XI during a 29-run defeat by Saltburn last month, responded to a social media post containing the video and alleged two further incidents of cheating by Saltburn in that match.
The original video of the incident has had more than three million views on X, with publications in Australia and New Zealand among those to report it.
The BBC has contacted the league and Saltburn. Norton declined to comment.
First Test, Tarouba (day three of five)
West Indies 311 (Hope 92; Ali 4-50) & 126-7 (Chanderpaul 35, Abbas 3-14)
Pakistan 282 (Masood 109; Greaves 5-27)
West Indies lead by 155 runs
West Indies all-rounder Justin Greaves took five wickets without conceding a run in an incredible spell of bowling on day three of the first Test against Pakistan.
Greaves, who is playing in his 17th Test, claimed his maiden Test five-wicket haul to help dismiss Pakistan for 282 in response to West Indies’ first-innings total of 311.
The 32-year-old Barbadian’s spell – five consecutive wicket maidens – was all the more remarkable given he had bowled six overs earlier in the day for 27 runs without taking a wicket.
“When I came on captain Roston Chase just said ‘continue to be disciplined in what you are doing’ and to see if I can get some wickets for the team,” Greaves said.
“The ball nipped around and I got some reward. Anytime I get the ball in hand the team looks to me to be that solid player for them [and] try to dig us out of situations.
“To get five wickets for the first time in Test cricket, I’m really happy, but there’s still a lot of work to do in the game.”
Pakistan captain Shan Masood was Greaves’ first wicket at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad when he was bowled for 109 in the 64th over following a superb set-up.
Greaves had pushed the ball wide to the left-hander from over the wicket before he tailed a delivery back into Masood who played down the wrong line and inside edged on to his stumps.
Aamer Jamal had his middle stump uprooted in Greaves’ next over as the seamer speared one through his defences.
Greaves then trapped Ali Usman lbw before he had Mohammed Rizwan and Mohammad Abbas both caught behind as Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for just 38 runs.
West Indies reached stumps on day three on 126-7 in their second innings – a lead of 155 runs – to leave the match finely poised.
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CK Updates22 hours agoCommonwealth Games 2026: Scotland’s Archie Goodburn on battling brain cancer
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CK Updates10 hours agoSaltburn-Norton match investigated over alleged ‘finger clicking’ cheating
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CK Updates4 hours agoCommonwealth Games 2026: Gymnast Ruby Evans wins first gold for Wales
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CK Updates16 hours agoWest Indies v Pakistan: Justin Greaves takes five wickets for none in incredible spell