Cristian Ojovan

Now in his late twenties, Cristian Ojovan brings experience to the back row at ASM Clermont Auvergne, one of Top 14 rugby's most decorated clubs. Born on 4 January 1997, Ojovan has represented Romania at international level — the Romanian national side, the Oaks, has in recent years been anchored by forwards plying their trade in France and Italy, and Ojovan fits that pattern of the expatriate professional giving back to the national cause. At Clermont, a club whose identity has always been built around a powerful pack and passionate Auvergne support, Ojovan slots into a back-row unit that mixes French international-class operators with foreign-qualified players. Flankers at Clermont are asked to deliver a heavy defensive workload at Stade Marcel-Michelin and on the road in a Top 14 that pays little respect to reputation from one weekend to the next. Ojovan's role is that of a breakdown worker and defensive shift-carrier — the sort of forward who delivers the middle-order tackle counts and cleanout volume that rarely make highlight reels but decide tight Top 14 matches. At 29, he is in the phase of his career where accumulated experience, rather than peak athletic output, becomes the defining asset, and his value to Clermont lies in the game-management and physical reliability that come with that.