The 14 oldest superstars gearing up for the 2025/26 Top 14 season

The adage ‘Old is Gold’ is a well-worn cliché, but in the Top 14, experience can still be a decisive edge. We dived into France’s top flight to find out the oldest player in each side, with a few seasoned surprises in the mix.

ASM Clermont – George Moala (Tonga)
Age: 34 (05/11/1990)
The hefty Tongan centre arrived in Clermont in 2018 and has been a standout performer in a side still searching for a return to the top. Moala has featured in more than 140 games, scored 45 tries, and started in the 2019 Investec Challenge final won by Clermont. This will be his eighth Top 14 campaign, and the former Blues man shows no sign of slowing down.

Aviron Bayonnais – Maxime Machenaud (France)
Age: 36 (30/12/1988)
Widely regarded as one of the best French scrum-halves of the modern era, Maxime Machenaud has been part of the Top 14 furniture since 2010 and has 45 Test caps for Les Bleus. He brings a wealth of experience to Bayonne and played a key role in their run to the Top 14 semi-finals. He’s the oldest player in the Basque club’s ranks, narrowly ahead of Manu Tuilagi (34, turning 35 in December) and Facundo Bosch (35).

Castres Olympique – Leone Nakarawa (Fiji)
Age: 37 (02/04/1988)
Leone Nakarawa’s ID card may say 1988, but the behemoth Fijian forward plays like a man ten years younger. Selected in 27 of 33 games last season, it’s remarkable how his skills and physicality have remained intact. He provides a unique spark whenever selected. Props Antoine Tichit (36) and Will Collier (34) follow closely behind in Castres’ veteran ranks.

Lyon OU – Steeve Blanc-Mappaz (France)
Age: 35 (12/07/1990)
Back-rower Steeve Blanc-Mappaz is among several veterans in the LOU squad, lining up alongside the likes of Vincent Rattez, Thibaut Regard, Félix Lambey, Cedate Gomes Sa and Arno Botha. He spent much of his career at Grenoble before joining Lyon a year ago. While his impact hasn’t quite matched previous highs, Blanc-Mappaz remains a durable presence who has done a job for his new club.

Montpellier – Wilfrid Hounkpatin (Senegal)
Age: 34 (29/07/1991)
The 34-year-old prop, capped by France in 2021 before switching allegiance to Senegal, tops Montpellier’s veteran leaderboard after joining in 2024. Stuart Hogg, Billy Vunipola and Bastien Chalureau, all 32, are also among the squad’s senior figures.

Racing 92 – Romain Taofifénua (France)
Age: 34 (10/06/1991)
A totemic presence in Racing’s second row, Les Bleus lock Romain Taofifénua arrived in Paris last season but hasn’t quite made the impact expected of a former Toulon and Lyon star. That said, the soon-to-be 35-year-old remains capable of swinging a lineout or punching over the gainline. Welsh lock Will Rowlands (33) and Nathan Hughes (34) aren’t far behind on the veterans’ leaderboard.

RC Toulon – Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand)
Age: 43 (21/05/1982)
The king of the Top 14 elders, Ma’a Nonu returned mid-season and impressed so much that Toulon offered (and he accepted) a contract extension. Despite his age, the All Blacks legend still bulldozes tacklers like it’s 2015 and lifts those around him every time he takes the field. A freakish level of longevity for someone who made his senior debut back in 2002.

Stade Français – Tawera Kerr-Barlow (New Zealand)
Age: 34 (22/12/1991)
One of Stade Français’ newest signings, Tawera Kerr-Barlow arrives to help usher in a new era for a club desperate to avoid another close brush with relegation. The 2015 World Cup winner is the most experienced player on the roster, and all eyes will be on him from the outset as fans hope he can bring versatility and tempo to their attack.

Stade Rochelais – Levani Botia (Fiji)
Age: 36 (14/03/1989)
A jack of all trades and master of most, Levani Botia has been a mainstay at La Rochelle since 2014. Comfortable at flanker or centre, Botia has been central to their twin Investec Champions Cup wins, cementing his place among the best overseas players to grace the Top 14.

Stade Toulousain – Pita Ahki (Tonga)
Age: 32 (24/09/1992)
The Top 14 champions have just eight players aged 30 or over, with Tongan centre Pita Ahki the eldest in Ugo Mola’s squad. In a side stacked with world-class talent, Ahki offers a steady supply of clean breaks and offloads and gets his side over the gainline with regularity. He’s the youngest member of the Top 14 elders club.

Section Paloise – Luke Whitelock (New Zealand)
Age: 34 (29/01/1991)
Another All Black on the list, Luke Whitelock continues to lead Pau’s pack, as he has done for the past five seasons. He played a big role in helping them qualify for the Investec Champions Cup and remains one of the league’s most reliable tacklers, despite an injury-disrupted campaign last time out.

Union Bordeaux Bègles – Ben Tameifuna (Tonga)
Age: 33 (30/08/1991)
London has Big Ben. Bordeaux has Monumental Ben. Tameifuna is one of the fiercest powerhouses in the Top 14. A winner of back-to-back Super Rugby titles, a Top 14 crown (with Racing 92) and a Champions Cup, he’s been a driving force in UBB’s rise as a European force. Fellow lock Adam Coleman is the same age, but Tameifuna edges him by a few months.

US Montauban – Jérôme Bosviel (France)
Age: 35 (07/04/1990)
After 17 years in the French lower leagues, Jérôme Bosviel will finally grace the Top 14 stage. A drop-goal specialist and tactical fulcrum, Bosviel is Montauban’s most experienced campaigner. He holds the Pro D2 points record (2920) and fans will be hoping to see him slot a few drop goals and long-range efforts in their return to the big time.

USA Perpignan – Seilala Lam (Samoa)
Age: 36 (18/02/1989)
Perpignan boast one of the most experienced squads in the league, with 18 players over the age of 30. Samoan hooker Seilala Lam is the eldest at 36. He joined in 2017, has racked up 160 appearances for the Catalan side and continues to turn out for Samoa.