Mathieu Hirigoyen

Brought through into the professional ranks with Stade Francais Paris, Mathieu Hirigoyen is a French flanker plying his trade in the Top 14. Born on 25 January 1999, the 27-year-old back-rower is valued for a high work rate and the relentless tackling that anchors a side's defensive structure. Hirigoyen's role is built around the contact area: making his tackles, competing for turnover ball and providing a constant presence in the loose. In the unforgiving setting of French club rugby's top division, where margins are tight and physicality non-negotiable, that consistency is a quiet but vital contribution. Representing one of the Top 14's storied Parisian institutions, Hirigoyen has had to earn his place among a deep roster of forwards, and his durability has kept him in the mix. As he moves through the prime years of his career, he offers Stade Francais a dependable, combative option in the back row, the kind of player whose value is measured less in highlights than in the steady accumulation of honest work.