The new Top 14 season kicks off this weekend, and it feels like the perfect time to gather thoughts, mates, and pints for the months ahead. Rugby’s rhythm is back, and with it the familiar mix of noise, nerves, and nostalgia that only a French rugby season can bring.
For me, the start of the Top 14 is about more than just the rugby. It’s about the ritual: mates finding each other again in the same pubs, Looking forward to another match at EW, Chat groups suddenly full of bold predictions, and those cheeky digs about who’s backing the right side this year. Every season feels like a fresh chance to be both right and gloriously wrong together.
There’s something special about the Top14. It’s unpredictable, big personalities collide with local pride, and no one can quite say where the shocks will come from. One week a giant looks untouchable, the next they’re humbled on the road by a side everyone underestimated. That chaos is part of the charm; it keeps us on edge and gives us plenty to discuss.
This year, the anticipation feels sharper. After months without it, we’re starved for the crunch of tackles, the elegance of backline moves, and the roar of a crowd that somehow sounds louder in France. The big names are back, some new signings are in the mix, and every club carries its own storylines from last season; unfinished business, rising stars, rivalries that never cool.
But as much as the rugby itself thrills me, it’s the sense of connection I love most. The Saturday rituals with mates, the shared highs and lows, and the way the game pulls us into something bigger than ourselves. We’ll argue about refereeing calls, mock each other’s loyalties, and shout ourselves hoarse when a last-minute try changes everything. And by the end of it, we’ll be planning the next round, together again.
So here’s to the restart of the Top 14, to the chaos and brilliance ahead, and to all the mates who make the season more than just a match.
