Matthieu Uhila

Handball came first. Matthieu Uhila grew up in Mont-Dore in New Caledonia and only found rugby late, which for a 2.00m forward is a considerable head start wasted and then recovered.

Note on his current club: Uhila is still listed in Montpellier‘s squad data. He was loaned to Bayonne in 2026.

Lock or flanker, 2.00m and 113kg, and 24 years old.

Born in Nouméa, he started at the Rugby Club du Mont-Dore, went through the New Caledonia development set-up and crossed to mainland France for the Montpellier academy in 2020. His first senior appearance came in May 2021 at Jean-Bouin, on at half-time for Tyler Duguid.

An under-20 cap came in February 2022, a start against Ireland at Aix-en-Provence in a one-point defeat.

What he lacked after that was rugby. A loan to Vannes for the 2023-24 Pro D2 season fixed it, and ended with a title and the club promoted to the top flight for the first time in its history. The loan was extended for a second year, and in May 2025, against Pau, he started a Top 14 match for the first time in his career, at flanker.

He went back to the Hérault at the end of that season and signed his first professional contract there, then left again on loan to the Basque coast in 2026.

The New Caledonia pathway sends very few players this far, and fewer still to two Top 14 clubs before 25. A second-row who covers the back row, still short of Top 14 starts at 24, and the Bayonne loan is the season that has to change that.