Amateur rugby trophies 34: Gabin Lorre… discover the extraordinary career of the winner of the Midi Libre special prize

Prix spécial Midi Libre.

Midi Libre, the Hérault Departmental Rugby Committee and the Evelyne agency present the 3rd edition of the Hérault Amateur Rugby Trophies. Vote on Midilibre.fr until September 17, to elect your favorites in the 15 categories.
Today, let's take a look at the category: Midi Libre Special Prize.

Gabin Lorre. Midi Libre – MICHAEL ESDOURRUBAILH

Gabin Lorre (Pro D2 semi-finalist with Béziers in 2023-2024)

If 2021-2022 was the season of revelation, 2022-2023 that of confirmation, the 2023-2024 exercise is that of the explosion for Gabin Lorre. The ASBH full-back showed a lot, sometimes too much, like his buttocks during a solo test in Dax.

With 13 tries scored, including assists from deep in the pitch, but also assists for his teammate Raffaele Storti (21 tries), Lorre transformed everything he touched into gold. The young Gabin picked up the oval ball for the first time at the RCO Salagou rugby school, at the age of 4. “I started playing rugby, he followed me, then our brother Marius got into it later, even my mother”, confides Tanguy, the big brother, two years his senior.

At 12, the Lodévois tried his luck at the MHR. There he met Jules Danglot, current scrum-half at RC Toulon. “I remember he was playing number 10 and was tripping over an old red cone (laughs)”, says the former Montpellier player. However, after four years in the Cistes jersey, Gabin Lorre was not kept on… “It was the big fashion to fit into criteria of height, weight…", says Danglot.

It was in Pézenas that the young Gabin bounced back and asserted himself, gained a few centimetres and a few kilos, to compete in some great final stages in 2018 (vice-champion of Occitanie juniors). “He saw in Pézenas that he had a crazy level and was able to show himself during the departmental selections”, notes his older brother.

“He stinks of rugby”

To his advantage under the purple jersey of Stade Piscénois, Lorre goes to ASBH, with the Crabos (U19) in 2019. The coach at the time, David Theillet, remembers a “a slightly crazy player, who stinks of rugby, with a very beautiful foot left".
Having moved from fly-half to full-back, Lorre had his first professional minutes one evening in October 2021 on the Charles-Mathon pitch in Oyonnax. In his first season, he played eight games and finished the year as a starter, at just 20 years old. He starts the following exercise with the number 15 on his back to play 18 matches, scoring 7 tries.

Read also: ASBH: Clément Ancely, Samuel Marques and Gabin Lorre, a trio that carried Béziers this season

Last season, Gabin showed that he was no longer that kid, but a key member of the team. “He's a youngster who is humble, who always has a smile on his face, likes to recall Charly Malié, an experienced player who acts as a mentor. He brings us his madness.”
A duel player, “he is very good on one-on-ones, each time he carries the ball, he creates spaces around him”, judges Jules Danglot.

A benchmark season with some brilliant moves and four drop goals scored, some from very long distance, which could push the prodigy towards the elite of French rugby, he who is very much courted, despite his extension until 2027 in Béziers. “He has a bright future ahead of him because he is very complete”, praises Charly Malié, his fly-half at ASBH.