Thirteen players aged 18 or under already used in Top 14

Before mid-November, seven Top 14 clubs had used thirteen players aged 18 or under. That is almost double the previous record, set in 2004-05 and equalled in 2022-23.

A record since 2001-02

By 13 November each season, the number of players aged 18 or under used in Top 14, as starters or substitutes, had never gone above seven since 2016-17: three in 2016-17, five in 2017-18, four in 2018-19 and in 2019-20, six in 2020-21, none in 2021-22, seven in 2022-23, three in 2023-24 and in 2024-25, six last season. There are thirteen this season. Earlier, the maximum had already reached seven, in 2004-05, a season in which Louis Picamoles made his debut with Montpellier.

Between them, the thirteen have played 27 matches, including 13 as starters, for 1,080 minutes of game time.

Seven clubs, four back row players

Racing 92 (Noham Valeu, Auguste Albuisson, Gaston Lagneau) and Stade Toulousain (Marc-Elie Kouassi, Bernardo Pucciariello, Bixintxo Daguerre) have used three each, La Rochelle (Valentin Bouju, Sio Kite) and Clermont (Yanis Brosset, Gabriel Melchor) two, LOU (Lilian Baret), Pau (Joachim Senga Kouo) and UBB (Louis Favrau) one.

The back row provides the biggest contingent, with Baret, Kouassi, Albuisson and Lagneau, ahead of centres Valeu, Brosset and Favrau. Sio Kite, an Australian prop, was recruited by La Rochelle at the age of 16.

Bouju, the only one established

Valentin Bouju is the most used: seven matches, five starts and 404 minutes. The La Rochelle scrum-half made his debut in round 2, starting in the win at Toulon (20-21), then started the last four matches during Nolann Le Garrec’s absence, the last three of those in full. He scored his first try at Lyon on 10 October (16-28). Le Garrec himself was among the six 18-year-old players used at this stage in 2020-21.

Behind him, Lilian Baret has started three matches at number 8 with LOU, from round 4 at Stade Français. Marc-Elie Kouassi, who came on against Montpellier for his debut, was then given two starts with Toulouse, including the win at Castres (7-8). Yanis Brosset led the way as early as round 1: starting on the wing at Lyon (40-36), he played the full match.

The international window opens the door

Seven of the thirteen made their debuts in rounds 8 and 9, between 31 October and 8 November, when clubs were without their internationals. On 7 November, Noham Valeu started at centre in Racing’s win at Castres (28-30), where Gaston Lagneau also came on. The same day, Toulouse’s win over Clermont (28-18) brought together three 18-year-old players: Daguerre on the Toulouse side, Brosset and Melchor on the Clermont side. At Pau, Joachim Senga Kouo, who came on for one minute against Toulouse on 1 November, started at full-back against USAP six days later and scored a try in the 63-26 win.

What became of those who came before them?

Between 2016-17 and 2025-26, 41 players aged 18 had been used in Top 14 before mid-November. Thirteen have since been capped by France, including Romain Ntamack (46 caps), Arthur Vincent (19), Theo Attissogbe (18) and Nolann Le Garrec (17). Five others have played for another country, such as David Ainu’u with the United States or Sergo Abramishvili with Georgia.

The 2022-23 generation, the largest alongside that of 2004-05, included Baptiste Jauneau (Clermont), Lenni Nouchi (Montpellier) and Posolo Tuilagi (USAP), all three of whom have since become internationals. Earlier, Gael Fickou made his debut at 18 with Toulouse in 2012, and Antoine Dupont was given his first start by Castres on 8 November 2014, a week before his 18th birthday.