Today we meet the former rugby international, Yoann Huget, in Aubervilliers. Known for having worn the jersey of the French rugby team, Huget is now on a different field, that of padel. Accompanied by his playing partner during the FFT event “Padel Experience”, Mélissa Martin, he shares his experiences and his new enthusiasm for this sport.

A short break before returning to padel

“Honestly, Mélissa was more of a drag than a partner, because it’s been a long time since I played. I’m slowly getting back into padel,” confesses Huget with refreshing frankness.

Despite his amateur status, Huget insists that he plays padel regularly, even though rugby responsibilities, such as preparing for the upcoming World Cup, have temporarily kept him away from padel. “With the World Cup coming up, I had to leave padel a little bit to get back into it,” he says.

Yoann Huget
Yoann Huget
Yoann Huget
Yoann Huget

The possibility of playing in mixed is pleasant

Huget also brings up an interesting comparison between rugby and padel, discussing the place of mixed-gender in these two sports. “In rugby, after 14 years, we no longer play with female players, because of their size. In padel, it’s different at that level. Physicality takes over in rugby, so we can’t allow ourselves to mix like that. But in padel, it’s different,” he explains.

We notice that a growing number of players or former rugby players, whether active or retired, are getting into padel. Asked about this phenomenon, Huget can't help but smile. "It's true, a lot of rugby players are getting into padel, but we also see football players like Robert Pirès," he says.

Padel can be used for rugby

Regarding the applications of padel in sports training, Huget believes that this sport can be beneficial for rugby players. “The footwork is quite effective in padel, and this could be useful in rugby training,” says Huget.

Speaking about the future, Huget expresses his desire to continue playing padel and progressing. “I’m going to get going strong when September starts again. The beauty of padel is that you need four players, so finding three partners at the same time is difficult. But Mélissa will take charge of me when September starts again,” Huget says enthusiastically.

Ultimately, Yoann Huget is a perfect example of the sporting transition, moving from the rigor of rugby to the relaxed pace of padel. While continuing to honor his rugby roots, Huget embraces his new passion with contagious energy and enthusiasm.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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