Frédéric Michalak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Frédéric Michalak

Date of birth	(1982-10-16) 16 October 1982 (age 42)
Place of birth	Toulouse, France
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Weight	87 kg (13 st 10 lb; 192 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half/Scrum-half Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2000–2007 Toulouse 157 (675) 2008–2011 Toulouse 52 (285) 2012–2016 Toulon 72 (301) 2016–2018 Lyon 44 (228) Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 2008 Sharks 11 (27) 2011 Sharks 16 (192) Super Rugby Years Team Apps (Points) 2008 Sharks 9 (5) 2011–2012 Sharks 21 (115) National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2001–2015 France 77 (436) Teams coached Years Team 2021–2023 Toulon (player development) 2023– Racing 92 (attack)

Frédéric Michalak (born 16 October 1982) is a famous former French rugby union player. He played for his hometown team, Toulouse, for many years. He also played for the Sharks in South Africa and Toulon in France.

Frédéric Michalak played over 70 games for the French national team. He is France's top point scorer in Test matches. He mostly played as a fly-half or scrum-half. He even appeared in ads for big companies like Nike and Levi's.

Michalak started playing for Toulouse in 1998. He helped his team win the French championship in 2001. They also won the Heineken Cup in 2003 and 2005. He joined the French national team in 2001. He played in the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He was also part of the French teams that won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2004 and the championship in 2006.

Michalak's Rugby Journey

Michalak's club, Stade Toulousain, became champions of France in 2001. They beat Montferrand 34–22 in the final game. Later that year, in November, Michalak played his first international game for France. He came on as a substitute against South Africa in Paris. France won that match 20–10.

The coach, Bernard Laporte, then put Michalak in the starting team. This was for a game against Australia in Marseille. Michalak played as a scrum-half and scored his first points for France. He kicked one penalty goal, and France won 14–13. He also played as a substitute in a game against Fiji, which France also won.

Playing for France

In 2002, Michalak was back in the starting team for France. This was for a Six Nations match against Italy. France won 33–12. France went on to win the tournament that year. Michalak played more games for France in June. He started in two matches against Australia, but France lost both.

In 2003, he started as scrum-half for France in a Six Nations match against Italy. France won, and Michalak scored his first try for the national team. He scored another try in a 33–5 win against Wales. Toulouse also won the 2002–03 Heineken Cup that year. They beat another French team, USA Perpignan, 22–17 in the final.

Michalak was chosen for France's team for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He played his first World Cup game against Fiji in Brisbane. He scored 26 points in that match. He scored over 20 points against Japan, including a try. He also scored a try against Scotland.

World Cup Success

Michalak played brilliantly in France's quarter-final win. They beat Ireland 43–21 in Melbourne. He kicked nine goals, scoring 23 points himself. France then played against England in the semi-final. It was a tough game, and Michalak had a difficult time kicking. France lost 24–7. Despite this, Michalak was the second-highest point scorer in the tournament. He scored 101 points.

In 2004, Michalak played in four Six Nations games for France. Toulouse also reached the final of the 2003–04 Heineken Cup. However, they lost to the London Wasps. Michalak played more international games in November 2004.

In 2005, he played in all of France's Six Nations matches. Toulouse also won the 2004–05 Heineken Cup. They beat Stade Français in the final. Michalak was injured before the final, but he played well. He kicked two penalties and a late drop goal to seal the win. Toulouse won 18–12 and became the first team to win the Cup three times. He played more games for France against South Africa and Australia. He was also part of France's team for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

In the 2007 World Cup quarter-finals, Michalak came on as a substitute. He made a great play that led to a try for Yannick Jauzion. This try helped France beat New Zealand, who were favorites to win.

Playing for the Sharks

Michalak signed with the Sharks team in South Africa for the 2008 Super 14 season. The Sharks hoped he would be a key player. Michalak played his first Super 14 game against the Stormers. He played nine games before an injury ended his time with the Sharks.

He did play in the 2008 Currie Cup final. He helped the Sharks win, becoming one of the few French players to win a Currie Cup medal. After this, Michalak returned to his old club, Toulouse, for the 2008–09 season.

Back at Toulouse

Michalak's second time playing for Toulouse was difficult. He had two serious injuries that stopped him from playing many games. In March 2010, he tore a knee ligament in a match. This injury meant he couldn't play for almost a year.

Second Time in South Africa

On 31 May 2011, it was announced that Michalak would return to the Sharks. He signed a one-year contract. This meant he couldn't play in Toulouse's Top 14 final. The Sharks needed players because many of their scrum-halves were injured. Michalak's last game with the Sharks was the 2012 Super Rugby final. The Chiefs won that game 37–6.

Return to France and Records

After more than two years away from international rugby, Michalak was called back to the French team. This was for the 2012 test series in Argentina. He came on as a substitute in the first game, which France lost. But he started as fly-half in the second game. France won 49–10, and Michalak scored 19 points.

In April 2012, the French club Toulon announced that Michalak would join them. He signed a two-year deal. Michalak said that playing for France again was the main reason he came back. He felt it was important to play in France to be considered for the national team.

In 2013, Michalak won the Heineken Cup with Toulon. He came on as a substitute in the final game.

Breaking Records

During a warm-up game for the 2015 Rugby World Cup on 22 August, Michalak made history. He passed Christophe Lamaison to become France's all-time leading point scorer. This means he scored more points than any other French player in international games.

Then, during the 2015 Rugby World Cup match against Canada on 1 October 2015, Michalak broke another record. He became France's all-time leading Rugby World Cup point scorer.

International Tries

Frédéric Michalak scored many tries for France during his career. Here are some of his notable tries:

• 23 March 2003: Against Italy in Rome during the Six Nations Championship.
• 29 March 2003: Against Wales in Paris during the Six Nations Championship.
• 18 October 2003: Against Japan in Australia during the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
• 25 October 2003: Against Scotland in Sydney during the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
• 13 November 2004: Against Australia in Paris in a Test match.
• 25 June 2005: Against South Africa in Port Elizabeth in a Test match.
• 12 November 2005: Against Canada in Nantes in a Test match.
• 26 November 2005: Against South Africa in Paris in a Test match.
• 25 February 2006: Against Italy in Paris during the Six Nations Championship.
• 24 November 2012: Against Samoa in Paris in a Test match.

Achievements and Awards

Frédéric Michalak won many important titles during his rugby career:

• Heineken Cup:
  • Champions: 2003, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015
  • Runners-up: 2004
• French Champions:
  • Champions: 2001, 2008, 2011, 2014
  • Runners-up: 2003, 2006, 2015, 2016
• Currie Cup:
  • Champions: 2008
  • Runners-up: 2011

See also

In Spanish: Frédéric Michalak para niños