Imanol Thicoipe

Forged in the forward-oriented culture of Aviron Bayonnais, Imanol Thicoipe is a prop who has worked his way up through the club's ranks to become a dependable presence in the front row. The Frenchman's game is built on technical soundness and raw power, and his primary value lies in anchoring the scrum and offering the set-piece stability on which any successful pack depends. Thicoipe relishes the unglamorous, attritional work that defines life in the front row, providing a solid and disruptive platform that allows those around him to play. As a key figure in the Bayonne forward unit, his steady development and consistent performances have been important to the club's campaigns in the Top 14, one of the most physically demanding leagues in world rugby. Props of his mould are the foundation of any side, and Thicoipe's reliability at the coalface makes him a quietly valuable member of the squad. His continued progress in the scrum and around the field will be central to Bayonne's ambitions in the seasons ahead.