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 October 16, 1982) is a famous French former rugby union player. He started his career playing for his hometown team, Toulouse. He played in France's top league, the Top 14, and in the Heineken Cup.

Frédéric also played for the Sharks in South Africa. He played 77 matches for the French national team. He was France's top point scorer in Test matches for many years. Michalak mostly played as a fly-half, but he also played as a scrum-half.

He made his first appearance for the French national team in 2001. He was part of the French team that won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2004. He also won the Six Nations title in 2006. Frédéric retired from playing for France in 2015. He stopped playing club rugby in 2017.

Playing Career Highlights

Frédéric Michalak began his club career with Toulouse in 1998. He quickly became a key player for the team.

Winning with Toulouse

In 2001, Michalak's team, Toulouse, became the champions of France. They won the final match against Montferrand with a score of 34–22. This was a big win early in his career.

Toulouse also won the Heineken Cup twice with Michalak. They won in 2003 and again in 2005. The Heineken Cup is a major European club competition.

Playing for France

Michalak made his first international appearance for France in November 2001. This match was against South Africa in Paris. France won the game 20–10.

He then started in the next match against Australia. He scored his first points for France in that game. France won by a very close score of 14–13.

World Cup Appearances

Frédéric was chosen to play in the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. He played very well in the pool stages. He scored 26 points in a match against Fiji. He also scored over 20 points against Japan, including a try.

In the quarter-final, France played against Ireland. Michalak scored 23 points in that game, helping France win 43–21. France then played against England in the semi-final. Even though France lost, Michalak finished the tournament as the second-highest point scorer. He scored 101 points in total.

He also played in the 2007 Rugby World Cup held in France. In the quarter-finals, he made a key play that led to a try for France. This helped France beat New Zealand, who were the favorites to win.

Time with The Sharks

Michalak joined the Sharks team in South Africa in 2008. This team plays in the Super 14 competition. He played in nine games before an injury sidelined him.

He also played in the 2008 Currie Cup final. The Sharks won, and Michalak became one of the few French players to win a Currie Cup medal. After one year, he returned to his former club, Toulouse.

Second Time at Toulouse

Michalak's second time playing for Toulouse was difficult. He had two serious injuries that limited how many games he could play. In March 2010, he tore ligaments in his knee. This injury kept him from playing for a long time.

Back to Durban

In May 2011, Michalak signed another contract with the Sharks for one year. He joined them right away. His last game with the Sharks was the 2012 Super Rugby final. However, the Sharks lost that game 37–6.

Return to France and Retirement

After not playing for the national team for over two years, Michalak was called back to play for France in 2012. He played well, scoring 19 points in a match against Argentina that France won 49–10.

In April 2012, Michalak joined another French club, Toulon. He said that playing for France again was the main reason he returned to France.

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

Breaking Records

In August 2015, during a warm-up match for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Michalak became France's all-time leading point scorer. He scored more points than any other French player in history.

Later, in October 2015, during a World Cup match against Canada, he also became France's all-time leading Rugby World Cup point scorer.

He retired from playing for the French national team in 2015 after the World Cup. He then retired from all club rugby in 2017.

International Tries

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Result (France-...)	Competition
1.	23 March 2003	Stadio Flaminio, Rome, Italy	Italy	53–27	Six Nations Championship
2.	29 March 2003	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Wales	33–5	Six Nations Championship
3.	18 October 2003	Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville, Australia	Japan	51–29	2003 Rugby World Cup
4.	25 October 2003	Telstra Stadium, Sydney	Scotland	51–9	2003 Rugby World Cup
5.	13 November 2004	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Australia	27–14	Test match
6.	25 June 2005	EPRU Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa	South Africa	13–27	Test match
7.	12 November 2005	Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France	Canada	50–6	Test match
8.	26 November 2005	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	South Africa	26–10	Test match
9.	25 February 2006	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Italy	37–12	Six Nations Championship
10.	24 November 2012	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Samoa	22–14	Test match

Awards and Achievements

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