Toulouse Olympique will be back in Super League in 2026, after their Championship Grand Final victory helped them be one of two teams added into the top flight.
Them, alongside York Knights, will enter to make a 14-team competition, with Salford Red Devils’ relegation and Bradford Bulls’ inclusion making it so that three new teams would be in Super League.
Toulouse are have been in the second tier for the last three seasons, but had a one-year stay at the top in 2022, following their victory over Featherstone Rovers in 2021.
In 2022, they finished bottom, but did enjoy wins over St Helens, Leeds and Hull KR, and ended the year with five wins from 27.
Their final game of that year came against the Saints, however this time they were defeated, as Kristian Woolf’s side emerged 36-16 winners.
That was the last time the club played a game in Super League, and we have taken a look at the squad that turned out that day, including some very familiar faces.
The last Toulouse Olympique side to play in Super League
Full-back: Olly Ashall-Bott
One of the players in the 17 to still be at the club, Ashall-Bott made the most appearances for the club that season, meaning he is Toulouse’s current highest SL appearance maker.
The 28-year old has prior experience in the top flight with Huddersfield, Salford, Wakefield and Widnes.
Wingers: Ilias Bergal and Benjamin Laguerre
Bergal’s final appearance in Toulouse colours would be this match, after exiting the club in that off-season. He now plays for Pia in the French Championship, and will line alongside esteemed half-back Theo Fages this season.
Laguerre is another player still at the club, and has a contract until the end of 2027. He scored 22 tries in 23 Championship matches this season.
Centres: Guy Armitage and Mathieu Jussaume
Armitage will be in Super League next year, but not with the Olympians. He will turn out for Bradford Bulls, after being with the Odsal outfit this season, and was part of the side who lost to Toulouse in the second tier play-off semi-finals.
Jussaume remains at the club, and has been a key member of the squad since 2019. He has 114 appearances to his name, and one cap for France.
Halves: Joseph Paulo and Chris Hankinson
Two players who are not known for playing in the halves, Paulo was an established forward in the NRL, who made 167 appearances before moving to St Helens for 2019 and 2020. He moved to Toulouse the following year, and represented the club 23 times.
Paulo is currently playing for Western Suburbs Rosellas in the Newcastle rugby league competition.
Hankinson is known for being in the outside backs, but injuries meant he had to cover at half-back. Now at Leeds, the 32-year-old played 25 times for the club that season, scoring five tries and kicking 64 goals.
Props: Lambert Belmas and Daniel Alvaro
Belmas is a product of Catalans’ academy, and after making his debut for the Dragons i 2017, he moved to Toulouse in 2022. He remains at the club and has played 78 times under Sylvain Houles.
Alvaro was a mid-season signing, and joined the club from St George Illawarra Dragons. He featured in 15 matches, but retired from the game at the end of that season.
Hooker: Nathan Peats
Former NRL man Peats joined Super League in 2021, moving to newly-promoted side Leigh before a mid-season switch to Huddersfield Giants. He joined Toulouse the following year, before moving back to Huddersfield in 2023.
Per Zero Tackle, he is currently at Queensland-based club Tweed Seagulls as their Community Development Officer.
Second Row: Maxime Stefani and Dominique Peyroux
Stefani is another player still at the club, and was one of the club’s better players in that season. That season was his debut year for the side, and as made 91 appearances since then.
Peyroux was recently confirmed to have left the club, following a five-year spell that totalled to 62 matches. He will continue his career in 2026 with Albi in the French competition.
Loose forward: Anthony Marion
The longest-serving member of the current squad, Marion made his debut in 2016, and has been a mainstay ever since. He is the captain of the side, and is expected to have a big influence in the club’s performances in 2026.
Bench: Harrison Hansen, Eloi Pelissier, Joe Bretherton, Justin Sangare
Hansen will play alongside Bergal this year at Pia, with the ex-Wigan forward leaving the club at the end of 2024. Pelissier is currently without a club after his release from Oldham this off-season.
Bretherton has been at the club since 2018, after moving from Wigan, whilst Justin Sangare will be in Super League with York Knights, following his move from Salford Red Devils.
