Rugby, end of contract, osteopath: portrait of Clément Doumenc, back to the forefront with the MHR

Clément Doumenc enchaîne enfin avec le MHR après un an et demi de galères. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Le troisième ligne du MHR Clément Doumenc, 26 ans, revit depuis l'arrivée du nouveau staff dirigé par Patrice Collazo. L'occasion de revenir sur le parcours atypique du joueur.

He lives again, is reborn, resurrected… All verbs are good to describe Clément Doumenc's situation. The third row is another man. Since the staff led by Patrice Collazo arrived at the end of November, the 26-year-old player has rediscovered a lost pleasure. That of being a professional rugby player.

A misplaced notion since his departure from US Carcassonne to join Montpellier in the summer of 2022. "I had periods complicated for a year and a half. It didn't meet my expectations", he explains before the last Challenge match against Treviso this Saturday (4:15 p.m.).

But there you have it, the helmet pushes back the lawns, tackles, scratches and finally connects the matches. Starting five times throughout last season, he will compile a fifth in… six weeks this weekend. The mini-depression experienced in 2023 is evacuating little by little. And his performances on the field reflect it.

So much so that today, he puts doubt in the heads of the staff when choosing the third line in the middle of Sam Simmonds, Yacouba Camara, Lenni Nouchi, Alexandre Bécognée, Marco Tauleigne or Janse Van Rensburg . The arrival of Christian Labit at the end of November, his mentor at USC, is perhaps not unrelated to this renewal.

At the end of the contract at the end of the year

This return to the forefront comes at just the right time for Doumenc. At the end of his contract in June, his future is uncertain. "This is the first time this has happened to me. It’s a situation that I don’t like very much. It's a lot of thinking, it's anxiety-inducing. Concretely, in five months I will be unemployed, he analyzes today. Afterwards, it's part of our job. It’s like that for all guys at the end of their contract. And again, I don’t have any children! I only have my darling. I'll have less hassle if I move or something."

Also read: Challenge Cup: the MHR qualifies for the round of 16 of the competition after a sluggish victory against the Lions

Montpellier would have made him an offer to continue the adventure. Other clubs are on the file. The scratch profile of Clément Doumenc – he is better in this area in Challenge (8 balls recovered) – interests several teams, such as Bayonne and another size of Pro D2.

What does the player want to do ? "Even I can't answer you. I first want us to get our heads out of the water, that everything goes well with the MHR. I have had some requests but I also need to know what I want. Even if it's anxiety-provoking, I try to ignore it", assures Audois. Ignoring it seems to be working for him, for the moment.

Rugbyman and osteopath

A professional rugby player who works à side. In the spirit of the times, this is not common. During his last years at Carcassonne (Pro D2), where he was captain, Clément Doumenc had opened a practice to exercise his role as an osteopath. "I’always wanted to do ça. I had my office & side of the stadium. After training, I had my consultations and it gave me a head start, recalls the 26-year-old.

"I was pissedé for five years to get my diploma, pass my exams and work my hours like Mr. Everyone. So I wanted to practice! (Laughing)"

Since signing with MHR, Doumenc has put his passion on hold to devote himself to à deep into the rugby adventure. "I sometimes exercise a bit on my friends, the staff. &I miss Ccedil;a a little", he smiled. Isn't he afraid of losing his touch once his sporting career is over ? "Arf, I'll give discounts &agrav; level. I will do another year of study if necessary. S’we have to get our hands dirty… But it’s like a bicycle, çit doesn’t get lost!"

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