Sebastien Chabal’s star as a rugby union player is unlikely to shine for much longer after Racing-Metro effectively sacked one of French sport’s most recognisable characters.

Chabal, with his towering physique framed by a mane of black hair and bushy beard, saw his worth shoot up after the 2007 World Cup, capitalising on his iconic looks and sometime-barnstorming style of play.

The 34-year-old, capped 62 times by France, signed for Racing in 2009 on a contract worth E750,000 ($A924,000) a season.

While his value as a useful publicity figure continued to match his on-field performances during his first season, making the starring Top 14 XV in L’Equipe newspaper, his playing form has drastically fallen away.

He failed to make the France squad for the 2011 World Cup, his last game was the shock 22-21 defeat by Italy in the 2011 Six Nations, and he has made just six starts this season for Racing.

Racing said in a statement that Chabal had failed to agree with the club’s “playing strategy” under coach Pierre Berbizier who is struggling to bring the best out of a team sat in seventh spot in the Top 14.

“I’m very sad and disappointed. It’s the end of an adventure but also of a long ordeal,” Chabal told a press conference on Friday.

“I was no longer happy, no longer fulfilled as a player. The cause of that is sporting, on the pitch, and the lack of communication with Pierre Berbizier.”

Chabal vowed to carry on playing, evoking the possibility of staying on in the Top 14, playing in Japan or even the southern hemisphere.