He played number eight and lock for Bourgoin (1998–2004), Sale Sharks (2004–2009), Racing Métro 92 Paris (2009 – February 2012), and for the French national team.

Chabal played professionally for 16 years and won the English Premiership with Sale, and the 2007 Six Nations Championship with France.

He is known for his full beard, long hair and ferocious tackling, leading the French rugby fans to nickname him l'Homme des Cavernes (Caveman).

[5] When he joined Valence Sportif, he left his factory job and became a professional rugby union player.

Moreover, at Bourgoin-Jallieu he played with the golden generation of players from the club's youth system such as Lionel Nallet, Julien Bonnaire, Olivier Milloud, Pascal Papé, and Benjamin Boyet.

[9][10] In the return match, Bourgoin again defeated Sale, but finished second in their group to Biarritz Olympique as they had scored fewer tries.

[15] The ambitious plan for Bourgoin initiated by Laurent Seigne under the direction of Pierre Martinet and Patrick Sébastien had ended.

[16] Following the departure of Saint-André, and after six years wearing the blue jersey of Bourgoin, Chabal wanted to change his horizons and continue his professional development as a player at another club.

The 2004–2005 English Premiership marked the return of Sale Sharks to the country's top flight under the guidance of Saint-André.

In their first two matches of the season, Sale, with Chabal, won against both Leicester Tigers[20] and London Wasps,[21] the favourites for the title that year.

Earlier in the group stages, Chabal was the victim of a gang tackle by Paul O'Connell and Anthony Foley during Sale's group-deciding match against Munster at Thomond Park.

Nevertheless, back in the English league, Sale won the 2005–06 Guinness Premiership by beating London Wasps 22–12 in the semi-final[24] before defeating Leicester Tigers 45–20 in the final.

However, during the group stages of the Heineken Cup, Sale played against Stade Français and during the match in Paris, Chabal scored an interception try from Agustín Pichot, running 50 metres to the line.

During the quarter-final of the European Challenge Cup against CA Brive, Chabal scored the first of six tries for the English side, but injured his knee.

[34] Philippe Saint-André had announced in December 2008 that he was to leave Sale Sharks at the end of the 2008–09 season with Kingsley Jones named as his successor.

[37] After five years at Sale, Chabal officially signed a three-year contract with the French club Racing Métro 92 in April 2009.

[41] Although Chabal is primarily a back-row player, former France coach Bernard Laporte frequently used him as a lock.

In a 2007 interview, Chabal said that Laporte called him just before the France squad was announced for the 2007 Rugby World Cup and told him, "I really want to pick you but to play second row."

[42] At France's loss to England in the semi-final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Chabal was visibly distraught, as they failed to make it to the final.

He expressed a desire to continue to represent his country, and believed that omission from the June tour to Australia would indicate that he was out of reckoning for France's 2011 World Cup preparations.