Mael Moustin

Mael Moustin has been beaten in two French championship finals, with two different clubs, before turning 24. Bordeaux-Bègles lost the 2024 final with him on the books and Montpellier lost the 2026 one.

He plays on the wing for Montpellier, is 1.87m and 103kg, and is 23.

Born in Fort-de-France, he started at RC Diamant in Martinique and moved on to Saint-Jo Ovalie in Réunion. At thirteen he came to mainland France with his brother and his cousin Samuel Nollet, and the three of them joined the Agen academy together. Bordeaux-Bègles brought him into their age-grade teams in 2021.

The 2023 junior world championship was won alongside his club-mates Nicolas Depoortère and Zaccharie Affane. He played two pool matches and scored against Wales before an injury kept him out of the knockout rounds.

A first Top 14 appearance came in January 2024 against Stade Français, and a first try four weeks later at Castres. He moved south that summer on a two-year deal and scored against Vannes in October.

The position has moved with him. He was brought up at full-back in the age-grade sides, covered centre for the Bordeaux under-23s, and settled on the wing as a professional. At 103kg he is heavy for the shirt, which is the point of him.

Very few players reach the professional game from the French Caribbean, and the route he took is the reason: the islands have clubs but no academy, so the move to the mainland has to happen young and it has to be permanent.

A powerful finisher rather than a footracer, with a junior world medal and two senior final defeats already behind him at 23.