Matias Remue doesn’t have an accent, but he was born in Brussels. Aged 23, the Belgian international (with 10 matches) is slowly emerging in the first team of Stade Toulousain. The general public discovered him thanks to his magnificent try against Racing last November, and the full-back has agreed to share his story. Let’s make the introductions.
His Discovery of Rugby in a Soccer Country
“I got into rugby thanks to my father who played soccer and didn’t like the mentality of that sport. A friend suggested he should try rugby. It’s unknown in Belgium, so I thought, let’s see. And in the end, I immediately loved it. I started at 5 and a half with my twin brother Florian (who now plays for Valence in National 2). I tried other sports, but I never stopped playing rugby.”
How He Ended up at Stade Toulousain
“When we were young – between 14 and 16 years old, I can’t remember exactly – my brother and I came here for a summer camp. They asked us to come back during the season to train. Initially, it didn’t work out; they said we had the same level as the local guys. They weren’t going to send locals away to bring in foreigners with the same level; it wasn’t possible for them. Later, I played for the Belgian national team at a young age, and my coach at the time knew Michel Marfaing, the head of Stade’s training center, and that’s how we ended up here. Florian and I, in our second year as hopefuls. He knew who we were, he remembered our camp. And then, we each took our path. He stayed for two seasons and then left. And I continue my adventure here. Coming together helped us. I think going alone, plus coming abroad… We didn’t have the language barrier, so that was good. Going alone and living an adventure like that alone, it can be good. But sure, together it was, I think, easier. We leaned on each other for motivation, to stay in it, that definitely helped.”
Context: Matias Remue is a young Belgian player making his mark in the world of rugby. He shares his story of how he got into the sport and ended up playing for Stade Toulousain.
Fact Check: Michel Marfaing is a former French rugby union player who now works as the director of the training center at Stade Toulousain.
