Romain Gardrat's rise in rugby

Romain Gardrat, a 22-year-old flanker for UBB, is beginning to make a serious impression in his fourth professional start. Standing at 1m94, the Bordeaux native has an interesting athletic profile, shaped in part by his time at France 7, a regional rugby competition in France.

Early career challenges

Gardrat had to deal with several physical setbacks after passing through Valence-d'Agen and then Agen before joining the Girondins' youth team in 2021. However, these did not prevent him from maintaining the trust of the Bordeaux coaching staff.

Opportunities in the team

With the absences of Cameron Woki, Temo Matiu, or Marko Gazzotti, he now has a good opportunity to show his abilities. Starting at Marcel-Deflandre, he played the entire match in the victory against La Rochelle (25-19).

Impressive performances

A week later, again against Bayonne (19-14), starting for 74 minutes, Gardrat distinguished himself again with his activity, especially in the combat zones, with a decisive counter-ruck to cause a penalty.

Recognition from coaching staff

These performances have not escaped Shaun Sowerby, the forwards coach for Rugbyrama, who noted, "At La Rochelle, he was already very good, and he confirmed tonight that when the international players are not there, we can rely on our youth team."

Future prospects

With his mobility qualities and atypical background, Gardrat has serious arguments to integrate permanently into the rotation. It remains now to transform this opportunity created by injuries into a real place in Yannick Bru's squad.