Mathieu Babillot

Mathieu Babillot has played for one club since 2003. He captained it through the 2018 play-offs — a win at Toulouse in the barrage, a semi-final against a Racing 92 side that had just reached a European final, and a 29-13 final win over Montpellier — and lifted the Bouclier de Brennus at the Stade de France.

Flanker at Castres, 1.90m and 110kg, and he did the whole of his development there.

France Under-20s picked him in 2013 for the Six Nations and the junior world championship, where they finished fifth. He played for the French Barbarians against the Māori All Blacks on 10 November 2017.

Jacques Brunel called him up in February 2018 and capped him on 17 March, in the last round of that Six Nations against Wales. He came on for Yacouba Camara in the 26th minute. France lost 14-13 and finished fourth. He was in the forty-man France squad for the following season and went to the first development camp at Marcoussis in July 2018.

Toulon wanted him after the title and he re-signed instead, becoming club captain. Christophe Urios, his old manager at Castres, tried to take him to Bordeaux-Bègles and he extended again, to 2025.

He was captain for the 2022 run too. A hamstring injury cost him three months at the start of that season; Castres finished top of the regular table, beat Toulouse 24-18 in the semi-final, and lost the final 29-10 to Montpellier. It was his third Top 14 final, after 2014 and 2018.

The Midi Olympique Oscar d’Or came in 2018 and was named the Tarn’s sportsman of the year in 2022.

A one-club captain in a league where those barely exist any more.