Latest news with #Bordeaux-Begles
The 42
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Ex-All Black Nonu extends Toulon deal, aged 43
FORMER NEW ZEALAND centre Ma'a Nonu has signed a one-year contract extension with Toulon at the age of 43, the French Top 14 club announced on Monday. Nonu signed a short-term deal with the four-time French champions last season and became the oldest player to feature in the Top 14 in March. Advertisement The two-time World Cup winner returned to Toulon earlier this year after his first spell on the French Riviera between 2015-2018 and a shorter stint in 2020-2021. He made 103 Test appearances for the All Blacks, the last of which came in 2015. Toulon also confirmed the arrival of seven new players next season including England No 8 Zach Mercer, Italy centre Juan Ignacio Brex and highly-rated young French back-rower Patrick Tuifua. Toulon lost to eventual runners-up Bordeaux-Begles in the Top 14 semi-finals last season. The new campaign starts on 6 September. – © AFP 2025
Irish Examiner
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Duncan Casey: The many reasons why France's Top 14 is now the world's top league
FINALS rarely deliver what they threaten, but Toulouse's victory over Bordeaux-Begles in Saturday's Top 14 decider was a wonderful exception. One hundred minutes of gripping, free-flowing, edge-of-your-seat action that encapsulated everything – good and bad – French rugby is about. This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in Take us with you this summer. Annual €130€65 Best value Monthly €12€6 / month
eNCA
29-06-2025
- Sport
- eNCA
Kinghorn itching to join Lions squad after 'sweet' Top 14 triumph
Toulouse's Scottish winger Blair Kinghorn said it had been "weird" seeing the British and Irish Lions tour start without him as he helped his club to a record-extending 24th French Top 14 title on Saturday. The 28-year-old played the full 100 minutes, including the draining extra-time, as the giants of French rugby held off Bordeaux-Begles 39-33 in dramatic fashion to claim a third straight French crown. Kinghorn, who can also play at full-back and fly-half, flies to Australia with the Lions two games into a 10-match schedule for his first experience of the historic touring team. He is only set to be available for the Lions when they face the Waratahs in Sydney next Saturday after a gruelling club campaign. "I've been so focused on Toulouse stuff that I've not really thought about it too much," Kinghorn told reporters sipping a bottle of beer and wearing just a pair of club coloured red and black swimming briefs. "It feels a bit weird, to be honest. "It's only like the last couple of days when I've had to pack and everything, it's like, all right, I'm heading out there now," the 63-time capped star added. Success at a buoyant Stade de France capped off a frustrating season for serial-winners Toulouse. Despite topping the Top 14 table after the regular season and scoring a record number of points they lost their Champions Cup crown when they were knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winners Bordeaux-Begles. "That one feels sweet after probably not the best season we've had, even though the stats and all that back it up that we've had a great season," he said. "It doesn't matter, the stats, if you don't win something, it's not a successful season. "I'm over the moon, it's amazing," he added. - 'Bounce back' - Kinghorn is the only member of the Lions squad playing his club rugby in France. Team-mate and English back-rower Jack Willis missed out on selection despite an impressive season for Toulouse. Since leaving Wasps for France in 2022 Willis has been unable to add to his 15 England caps as he plays his rugby abroad. "I think he's been playing unbelievable rugby," Kinghorn said. "But he was a realist. "He knows that there's a lot of competition in that back row and he's not playing international rugby. "But I'm sure if there's an injury he can potentially get called out because he's in great form at the moment," he added. The Lions have started their tour with mixed results. They lost to Argentina in Dublin last week before hammering the Western Force, their first game on Australian soil, 54-7 hours before Kinghorn lifted the 133-year-old Bouclier Shield (Bouclier de Brennus). "It's always tough coming together," Kinghorn said. "Everyone expects you to be like a great team from the get-go, but you don't have those connections. "So it's good to see that they bounced back and got a great win," the former Edinburgh full-back added. Kinghorn arrives in Australia on Monday after a flight from Paris, a luxury three of his compatriots would only dream of. His fellow former Edinburgh Academicals players in the three Maclean brothers, Lachlan, Ewan and Jamie, are rowing 14,480km across the Pacific Ocean to Australia to raise money for clean water projects. "It's nuts what they're doing," Kinghorn said. "They're sleeping 90 minutes, getting up and rowing. "It's carnage. "They're hopefully going to try and make it for one of the games. "But obviously with Mother Nature, you never really know what's going to happen," he added. By Illtud Dafydd
Scotsman
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Blair Kinghorn delays Lions flight after going distance in extra-time thriller
Toulouse player will be last player to link up with Farrell's original squad Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Blair Kinghorn delayed his flight to Australia as he recovered from his Top 14 final exertions in Paris before joining up with the British and Irish Lions. The Scotland full-back played the full 100 minutes at the Stade de France as his Stade Toulousain side defeated Union Bordeaux Bègles 39-33 after extra time in a pulsating encounter. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The game did not finish until around 11.30pm French time on Saturday and Kinghorn was due to fly to Australia on Sunday morning but managed to push the flight back. Blair Kinghorn, centre, celebrates with Toulouse team-mates Thibaud Flament, left, and Jack Willis and the Bouclier de Brennus trophy after winning the French Top 14 final against Bordeaux-Begles at the Stade de France. | AFP via Getty Images 'I had a flight originally scheduled for 9am but in the end, I was able to move it to 3pm, so it's perfect,' said Kinghorn, who is the only member of the Lions squad based in France and will be the last player to link up with Andy Farrell's original tour party. The late end to the French season meant Kinghorn missed the Lions' send-off game against Argentina in Dublin and also the 54-7 win over Western Force in Perth on Saturday. He is also unlikely to be involved when the tourists take on Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Wednesday but could come into contention for the game against the Waratahs in Sydney at the weekend. 'I've been so focused on Toulouse stuff that I've not really thought about it too much,' added Kinghorn who spoke to reporters after the Top 14 final sipping a bottle of beer and wearing just a pair of club coloured red and black swimming trunks. 'It feels a bit weird, to be honest. It's only like the last couple of days when I've had to pack and everything, it's like, 'all right, I'm heading out there now'.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lead changed hands six times Kinghorn played on the wing as Toulouse were crowned French champions for the third year in a row after a frenetic final in Paris. The lead changed hands six times and the holders were 10 points clear with 11 minutes remaining before Bordeaux came storming back to take the match into extra time at 33-33. Jonny Gray, Kinghorn's Scotland team-mate, came on for Bordeaux during the extra 20 minutes but he couldn't prevent Toulouse winning. Toulouse's Blair Kinghorn in an aerial joust during the Top 14 final match against Bordeaux-Begles in Paris. | AFP via Getty Images Two penalties in the second half of extra time from the imperious Thomas Ramos won the game for Toulouse who were also hugely indebted to English flanker Jack Willis who scored a try double during the 80 minutes. Willis' international career stalled following his move to France because England won't pick overseas players but Kinghorn backed his team-mate for a Lions call-up should he be required. 'I think he's been playing unbelievable rugby,' the Scot said. 'But he was a realist. He knows that there's a lot of competition in that back row and he's not playing international rugby. But I'm sure if there's an injury he can potentially get called out because he's in great form at the moment.' This one feels sweet For Kinghorn, it has been another hugely successful campaign. He moved to Toulouse from Edinburgh in December 2023 and won a Champions Cup and Top 14 double in his first season. He's now followed it up with a second successive French title, although this one proved far harder to win. Last year, Toulouse defeated Bordeaux 59-3 in the final in Marseille. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'This one feels sweet after probably not the best season we've had, even though the stats and all that back it up that we've had a great season,' he said. 'It doesn't matter, the stats, if you don't win something, it's not a successful season.' 'I'm over the moon, it's amazing,' he added. Toulouse's French full-back Thomas Ramos celebrates with the Bouclier de Brennus trophy after the Top 14 final. | AFP via Getty Images While his team-mates celebrated back in Toulouse with the Brennus Shield, Kinghorn set off for Australia and will land on Monday morning. The Lions lost to Argentina in Ireland but looked more cohesive in the win over Western Force in Perth, albeit against lesser opposition. It's carnage 'It's always tough coming together,' said Kinghorn, one of seven Scots in the Lions squad. 'Everyone expects you to be like a great team from the get-go, but you don't have those connections. So it's good to see that they bounced back and got a great win.' Kinghorn also said he hoped that three Edinburgh brothers who are rowing to Australia are able to attend a Lions game. Lachlan, Ewan and Jamie Maclean who, like Kinghorn, are former Edinburgh Academicals players, are rowing 9,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean to raise money for clean water projects. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
France 24
29-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Kinghorn itching to join Lions squad after 'sweet' Top 14 triumph
The 28-year-old played the full 100 minutes, including the draining extra-time, as the giants of French rugby held off Bordeaux-Begles 39-33 in dramatic fashion to claim a third straight French crown. Kinghorn, who can also play at full-back and fly-half, flies to Australia with the Lions two games into a 10-match schedule for his first experience of the historic touring team. He is only set to be available for the Lions when they face the Waratahs in Sydney next Saturday after a gruelling club campaign. "I've been so focused on Toulouse stuff that I've not really thought about it too much," Kinghorn told reporters sipping a bottle of beer and wearing just a pair of club coloured red and black swimming briefs. "It feels a bit weird, to be honest. "It's only like the last couple of days when I've had to pack and everything, it's like, all right, I'm heading out there now," the 63-time capped star added. Success at a buoyant Stade de France capped off a frustrating season for serial-winners Toulouse. Despite topping the Top 14 table after the regular season and scoring a record number of points they lost their Champions Cup crown when they were knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winners Bordeaux-Begles. "That one feels sweet after probably not the best season we've had, even though the stats and all that back it up that we've had a great season," he said. "It doesn't matter, the stats, if you don't win something, it's not a successful season. "I'm over the moon, it's amazing," he added. 'Bounce back' Kinghorn is the only member of the Lions squad playing his club rugby in France. Team-mate and English back-rower Jack Willis missed out on selection despite an impressive season for Toulouse. Since leaving Wasps for France in 2022 Willis has been unable to add to his 15 England caps as he plays his rugby abroad. "I think he's been playing unbelievable rugby," Kinghorn said. "But he was a realist. "He knows that there's a lot of competition in that back row and he's not playing international rugby. "But I'm sure if there's an injury he can potentially get called out because he's in great form at the moment," he added. The Lions have started their tour with mixed results. They lost to Argentina in Dublin last week before hammering the Western Force, their first game on Australian soil, 54-7 hours before Kinghorn lifted the 133-year-old Bouclier Shield (Bouclier de Brennus). "It's always tough coming together," Kinghorn said. "Everyone expects you to be like a great team from the get-go, but you don't have those connections. "So it's good to see that they bounced back and got a great win," the former Edinburgh full-back added. Kinghorn arrives in Australia on Monday after a flight from Paris, a luxury three of his compatriots would only dream of. His fellow former Edinburgh Academicals players in the three Maclean brothers, Lachlan, Ewan and Jamie, are rowing 9,000 miles (14,480km) across the Pacific Ocean to Australia to raise money for clean water projects. "It's nuts what they're doing," Kinghorn said. "They're sleeping 90 minutes getting up and rowing. "It's carnage. "They're hopefully going to try and make it for one of the games. "But obviously with mother nature you never really know what's going to happen," he added. © 2025 AFP
