Date of birth | 27 March 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Algiers, Algeria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 97 kg (15 st 4 lb; 214 lb) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sofiane Guitoune (born 27 March 1989) is a French rugby union player. His position is fullback and he currently plays for Toulouse in the Top 14. [2] He began his career with Agen, spent two seasons at Albi before moving to USA Perpignan in 2012.
Sofiane's mother was born in Vierzon, France, where his family of 5 returned to when Sofiane was 2 years old in June 1991 to live with his maternal grandmother, Djoher, who had remained in the town. [3]
Frédéric Michalak is a former French rugby union footballer. His early career was spent playing for his hometown team, Toulouse, in the Top 14 and in the Heineken Cup. He moved to South Africa to play for the Sharks in the Super 14 after the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but after just one year with the Sharks he moved back to Toulouse. He has also played over 70 tests for France to date, and is the country's leading Test point scorer, achieving that milestone in 2015. Michalak originally played scrum-half but has played mainly at fly-half. He has appeared in advertisements for companies such as Nike and Levi's.
Guy Novès is a former French rugby union player and most recently coach of the French national team. Born in Toulouse, Novès, who played on the wing, was capped seven times for his country, and played with Stade Toulousain from 1975 to 1987 and was a member of the team that won the Bouclier de Brennus in 1985 and 1986. He later coached the side in a tenure that lasted 22 years, when he won the French championship nine times and the Heineken Cup four times.
Clément Poitrenaud is a former French rugby union footballer. His usual position is at fullback but he also plays at centre. He most recently played for South African side the Sharks in Super Rugby, having represented Toulouse in the French Top 14 club competition between 2000 and 2016, and France between 2001 and 2012, including at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia and the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. He has since transitioned into a role of partner, father and coach.
Thierry Dusautoir is a French former rugby union player who last played for France at international level and Toulouse in the French Top 14 club competition. He was called the "Dark Destroyer" during his career. Dusautoir was considered a strong ball carrier and possessed incredibly powerful and effective tackling. He was considered the best tackler in the world during his career.
Rémi Casty is a former French international professional rugby league footballer and current assistant coach for Toulouse Olympique in the Super League.
Census Johnston is a former Samoan rugby union player. He has represented Samoa several times, and was in the Pacific Islanders' team which toured Europe in November 2006 and earned 6 Caps with English Barbarians F.C. His usual position is prop. Johnston previously played for Saracens F.C. in the English Guinness Premiership, as well as for Biarritz Olympique Stade Toulousain. Racing 92 and Aviron Bayonnais, also in the French Top 14. He also played for Taranaki in the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup. Census attended Rosebank Primary School and Waitākere College and Avondale college in Auckland before moving to Europe in 2005, winning 3x French Top 14 championships [2006 Biarritz 2011, 2012 Toulouse] and Heineken cup championship in 2010 also with Toulouse. In 2010 he was a replacement for the final as Toulouse won the Heineken Cup. In 2015 he was selected for Manu Samoa.
Vincent Duport is a French professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League. He was previously playing for Toulouse Olympique in the Co-operative Championship. Primarily a centre but also used to playing in the back row and wing. In his early career, he was highly regarded in France as a talented, if physically fragile, youngster.
Kane Bentley is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for the St Gaudens Bears in the Elite One Championship. He has played for both France and Scotland at international level.
Finau Maka started his playing career for Auckland Rugby Union and NZ age group teams. He played over 50 games for Auckland NPC Team and the Hurricanes, Blues and Highlanders before leaving to play for the Stade Toulousain club in French Top 14. Whilst at Toulouse he helped them win the 2003, 2005 and 2010 Heineken Cups, as a replacement in 2003 and starting in the 2005 final. He played in two Rugby World Cups for Tonga and was one of the stars of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. In 2011 he led his country to beat France in the biggest upset in Rugby World Cup history. France went on to almost beat the All Blacks in the final.
Charles Chris Faumuina is a professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Top 14 club Toulouse. Born in New Zealand, he represents Samoa at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Schalk Jakobus Petrus Ferreira is a South African rugby union player for the Southern Kings in the Pro14. He has been playing first rugby since 2005 and normally plays as a loosehead prop.
Johnathon Ford is a Cook Islands international rugby league footballer who plays for Limoux Grizzlies in the Elite One Championship.
Tony Gigot is a French professional rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback, stand-off, centre or scrum-half for France at international level and Albi XIII in the Elite One Championship and France at international level.
Mark Kheirallah, also known by the nickname of "Killer", is a former France international rugby league footballer who last played as a fullback or scrum-half for Featherstone Rovers in the Betfred Championship.
Abdelwaheb Sofiane Khedairia is a footballer who plays for USM Khenchela. Born in France, he represented Algeria at international level.
Pita Jordan Ahki is a professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for Top 14 club Toulouse. Born in New Zealand, he represents Tonga at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Cheslin Kolbe is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for Tokyo Sungoliath in the Japan Rugby League One and the South Africa national team. His regular position is wing, but he also plays at fullback. He has also recently featured at fly half for Toulouse in the Top 14, and as a scrum half internationally. Kolbe was a member of the South Africa Sevens team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He has won the Rugby World Cup twice with South Africa, in 2019 and 2023. Kolbe was nominated for 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year but lost to teammate Pieter-Steph du Toit. He previously played for Toulouse, Toulon, Stormers, and Western Province. He has won the World Cup, Rugby Championship, and Lions Series with the Springboks, the Top14, and Champions Cup with Toulouse, the Currie Cup with Western Province, and the Challenge Cup with Toulon. He is one of the highest paid rugby players in the world, with a reported salary of between ¥130-155 million yen a season.
Eloni Vunakece is a former Fiji international rugby league footballer who played as a prop for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL. He also played for Toulouse Olympique in the French Elite One Championship.
Sofiane Chellat is a French Algerian Rugby union player. His regular playing position is as Prop for Stade Français in the Top 14.
Alexandre Ruiz is a professional rugby union referee who represents the French Rugby Federation. He is a regular appointment at Top 14 and has recently joined the top level of European Rugby.