When Louis Bielle-Biarrey steps onto the field at 9:45 a.m. ET on May 23, he’ll be less than a month away from turning just 23 years old.
It’s a reminder that despite what he’s already done in his career, it’s just the beginning.
Bielle-Biarrey is the best wing and fullback in the world at the moment and there’s little argument against it.
He has 27 France Rugby caps, putting him on the fast track to become the most-capped French player ever before he turns 30. He led his country to back-to-back Six Nations title. He won an Investec Champions Cup title a year ago. He already has two Six Nations Player of the Year honors.
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On May 23, a win against Leinster Rugby would prove Bordeaux’s Champions Cup victory in 2025 wasn’t just a fluke fueled by Antoine Dupont’s injury and Jordie Barrett’s spot on the bench against Northampton. It also means this:
It’s Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s world, and rugby is just living in it.
Since debuting for Bordeaux in 2021, Bielle-Biarrey has helped transform the club into a French Top 14 power along with Damian Penaud, Matthieu Jalibert, Ben Tameifuna and Maxime Lucu. Bordeaux has cemented itself as one of the most successful clubs of this decade, despite still seeking a domestic league title.
The rise of Bielle-Biarrey is a big part of that story, and probably one reason why Bordeaux’s biggest rival, Toulouse, feels it needs to add yet another megastar to the club, Tommaso Menoncello, next season.
A second Champions Cup win as his club’s best player would put Bielle-Biarrey in elite company, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone following his career. He debuted for France just before the 2023 Rugby World Cup, then scored five tries in that tournament. He hasn’t quite overtaken Dupont as the face of French rugby, but again, he’s only 22.
If the accolades and eye test aren’t enough to prove his dominance, the cold, hard stats hammer home the point about arguably the game’s best player:
- He scored nine tries in the Six Nations, eight tries in the Champions Cup and 11 in the Top 14.
- 504 meters gained in Champions Cup play, with 17 breaks and 23 defenders beaten
- 947 minutes played in Top 14 play withy 65 points scored
In July, FloRugby will release its updated Top 100 Player rankings. It’ll be the third time the site has done so. Last year, based on what he did as a 21-year-old, Bielle-Biarrey was ranked No. 12. The question isn’t whether he’ll enter the top 10 before he would legally be able to rent a car in the United States, but how high he will land.
A second consecutive Investec Champions Cup win on Saturday would just provide added emphasis to his standing.
Investec Champions Cup Final
Saturday, May 23
EPCR Challenge Cup Final
Friday, May 22
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