TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE star César Rougé believes the inclusion of his new club in Super League has brought great benefits for the competition.
Rougé, who made the move from Catalans ahead of the 2026 campaign, has impressed in his new colours so far, establishing himself as a first-team player after struggling to nail down a starting spot at the Dragons.
The 23-year-old made almost 50 appearances for Catalans, but he has now been tasked with steering Toulouse to upset the applecart in Super League.
Victories over Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers have helped Olympique do just that – and Rougé believes there is a great deal of belief in Sylvain Houles’ squad.
“When I arrived in Toulouse, I knew the team wouldn’t take things lying down and their spirit won me over,” Rougé said.
“We got off to a good start by picking up points from our first two matches. After that, our performances were solid, but we still need to work on the finer details that would have allowed us to secure more wins.
“My favourite match was at Wakefield. Nobody expected us to be at that level, but we were ready and defied the odds in the first round in England.
“This season, we want to string together performances by playing our passing game – that’s in our DNA. Our goal is to keep Toulouse in the Super League in 2027.”
Rougé also feels that the inclusion of Toulouse in Super League – via an independent panel chaired by Lord Jonathan Caine – is good for global Rugby League.
“When I was at the Dragons and we heard the news that Toulouse were going to get into Super League, we were delighted,” he added.
“Now that I’m in Toulouse with them, I’m even happier. It’s fantastic for the development of the Super League and Rugby League, both at European and global level.”