Wilfrid Hounkpatin

Wilfrid Hounkpatin did not play rugby until he was eighteen. Almost nobody starts that late and reaches the top flight, let alone a Test match. He won a France cap at thirty and a Senegal one at thirty-four.

Tighthead prop for Montpellier, 1.92m and 124kg, and 35 years old.

Born in Aubagne, he began at RC Nîmes and passed through the Montpellier academy before Narbonne and four seasons at Rouen, where he won a third-division title in 2017. Castres, then the reigning champions, signed him in May 2018 under Christophe Urios.

Fabien Galthié put him in a 42-man France squad in 2020 and an injury before the opening match handed his place to Uini Atonio. The cap came the following July in Australia, starting alongside Jean-Baptiste Gros and Gaëtan Barlot in a 28-26 win. No second cap has followed.

Castres topped the regular season in 2021-22 with him at tighthead. He started the semi-final win over Stade Toulousain and the final, which his side lost 29-10 to the club he now plays for. Twenty-seven matches and four tries in that season.

Released from the last two years of his Castres contract in July 2024, he moved to the Hérault on three seasons and won the Challenge Cup in 2026 alongside another losing Top 14 final.

He changed sporting nationality in 2025 to represent Senegal, his father’s country, with the aim of helping them qualify for the 2027 World Cup, and debuted that July in a 55-17 defeat by Namibia.

Castres suspended him in January 2024 after he was charged following a complaint of domestic violence by his wife. He was restored to the side in March and in April was given a twelve-month suspended sentence.