Gaël Dréan had lived with a heart defect since birth. It caught up with him last season and put him on the operating table at the end of May.

Three months on, the Toulon wing has broken his silence in an interview with Midi Olympique, since picked up by Rugbyrama and Le Figaro. He comes across as reassuring, and precise.

“The operation was essential”

“I’d had a defect since birth. I found out about the problem at 18, just before starting my sports science degree,” he says. “Since coming to Toulon, I’ve been checked every six months. It got worse during last season. The operation was essential. I had to stop my season.”

He spells out exactly what it was: “It came from a valve. I had a bicuspid aortic valve, with regurgitation. That caused thickening of the ventricle and the aorta. It had to be operated on.”

And he dismisses any idea of quitting: “Despite this heart operation, I was never scared.” He “never thought about ending my career”.

In practical terms, he has been running again for several weeks, is gradually increasing volume and intensity, and is back at the RCT Campus taking part in squad life. His goal: to play again before the end of 2026.

A finisher, not just a quick wing

At 25, Dréan has a profile that explains why Toulon are waiting for him. Our records credit him with 95 professional matches and 57 tries since his debut, a rare ratio for a player his age.

He has one cap for France, won against Italy in the Six Nations in February, and is contracted to RCT until 2029. RCT, ninth in last season’s Top 14 and Champions Cup semi-finalists, lost one of their key men at the worst moment of the season.