'I panicked': Rabah Slimani lifts lid on Leinster transfer
When Rabah Slimani announced on Instagram on June 29 that he was leaving Clermont after seven seasons, it came as a surprise. The 34-year-old international tighthead prop, who has earned 57 caps for France, demonstrated that he still has plenty to offer. Additionally, he became the first French player to join Leinster, the Irish province that has been beaten by two French clubs, La Rochelle and Toulouse, in the Champions Cup final on three occasions.
Slimani resumed training in Dublin in late July, a week later than ASM Clermont. The two clubs are scheduled to meet in a Champions Cup group match on December 14, 2024, in Dublin.
Since the announcement, Slimani has not elaborated on the details of his unexpected transfer. Even he was caught off guard. However, when Matthieu Bastareaud, his former roommate at Stade Français and with the French national team, inquired about it for RugbyPass, Rabah opened up. For the first time, he shared his genuine motivations and the background behind this surprising move.
He planned to end his playing career
âIt happened very quickly for me; it wasnât planned,â he says in an exclusive interview featured on the BastaShow on RugbyPass TV. âI had a coaching contract with Clermont for the upcoming season, which I had signed with Jono Gibbes (Clermont coach until January 16, 2023, editorâs note). I had already planned for my transition.
âHe offered me the opportunity to replace Davit Zirakashvili (former Clermont prop turned scrum consultant, editorâs note), who was set to retire (before the end of the 2022-2023 season, editorâs note). Things started to unfold from there.
âBut Jono Gibbes was replaced by Christophe Urios (who arrived on January 18, 2023). Things went very well between us. He was pleased with how I finished the season and encouraged me by saying that I was still young, hadnât had any injuries⊠He asked me if I was truly certain I wanted to retire now, because if I made that decision, there would be no turning back.
âClearly, in the back of my mind, I was pleased to have regained my enthusiasm for playing after a tough period. When someone asked, âAre you sure you want to retire? I think you can keep going,â I felt motivated. He added, âIâll give you the holidays and the pre-season to think about it, and then you can let me know how you feel afterward.â
âDuring the pre-season, I had a meeting with him and expressed my willingness to play another season. However, after that, I waited an entire season without receiving any updatesâŠâ
Clermont didnât offer him anything
During the 2023-2024 season, Rabah Slimani played more than ever before. He appeared in 26 Top 14 matches (starting 20 of them), setting a career record with 1,311 minutes on the field.
âI donât think it was planned for me to play so much,â he admits. âThere was supposed to be the arrival of Mohamed Haouas, but that didnât happen (he was sentenced to a year in prison for domestic violence and was dismissed before joining, editorâs note).
âWe ended up with just two experienced playersâCristian Ojovan and myselfâalongside younger players like Henzo Kiteau and Giorgi Dzmanashvili. I never expected to play so much. At 34, you assume youâll only get a few gamesâŠ
âI put a lot of effort into building trust, and they showed me that they trusted me. I still wanted to play and was waiting for clarity. I have a family and people at home who are waiting to know whatâs next: should I continue or stop playing rugby? In my mind, I couldnât see myself quitting rugby three months later because I had really gotten back into it.â
Slimani says he has never feared competition for his position and was already anticipating a different role focused on mentoring, as Jono Gibbes had promised him. âI had a different perspective: to continue playing while sharing my experience with the younger players coming up. That was my main objective,â he confirms.
And then, nothing happened. âWhen youâre waiting, you donât know whatâs going to happen, you see all your friends signing contracts or not, and youâre left in limbo,â he continues, sounding dejected. âBut we have a family relying on us.â
Tired of waiting, he decided to put himself on the market.
From that point on, agents began their work, exploring various opportunities to see where they might lead. One possibility was quietly being explored in Toulon, where he could potentially reunite with Bastareaud, whose sonâs godfather is none other than Rabah Slimani.
The lead fell through and shifted across the Channel. âWhen agents discuss opportunities with other clubs and receive positive responses, itâs flattering. But I still hoped to continue with Clermont,â says Slimani, who was Top 14 champion in 2015 with Stade Français before joining Clermont in 2017.
âClubs showed interest, and Leinster came in at the last minute. They were surprised to see me available on the market. With their tighthead prop Michael Alaâalatoa moving to Clermont (a move confirmed in the autumn of 2023, editorâs note), the coachâs question to me was: âWhy are they taking him and not you?â
âBut it became very real when I received a WhatsApp message with a video call scheduled on a Tuesday with Leo Cullen (Leinsterâs head coach). I panicked because when a club like that shows interest in you⊠and they want to talk with you, you have to speak in EnglishâŠâ
Speak English and understand the Irish accent
Leo Cullen confirmed the deal on 15 July, saying: âWe are delighted that Rabah has decided to join us at Leinster Rugby. He is a player we have long admired with vast experience at the highest level of TOP14, European and international rugby.
âWe believe he will be a great addition to the group, not only providing competition for the first team but also helping some of our young front row players learn and develop.â
In short, it was everything Slimani wanted from Clermont that Clermont did not offer him.
âI think itâs a great opportunity with incredible potential. At 34, when a club like that shows interest in you, I believe they didnât just pull my name out of a hat. They know what theyâre doing and understand rugby. If theyâve sought me out, itâs for a reason,â says the player, who will need to enhance his English and get used to the Irish accent.
âIâve already moved from Paris to Clermont. Iâve really become part of Auvergne, not just in a small way. People welcomed me as if it were my own home, and Iâm very grateful for that. I know how to adapt, and Iâm confident that Iâll be able to adapt and succeed.â