They have done it again: Toulouse are the French Top 14 Champions for 2025. Toulouse defeated Bordeaux in an amazing match of rugby. The game went into extra time with Toulouse landing two strikes to complete a 39-33 win.
| NEW ARGENTINE RECORD – FOUR TIME TOP 14 CHAMPIONS |
In winning the Top 14 Final, Pumas Juan Cruz Mallía and Santiago Chocobares are four time Top 14 Champions. This sets a new record for most Top 14 titles by an Argentine. Chocobares and Mallía have overtaken the great Patricio Albacete. The former Pumas second-rower held the Argentine record for three Top 14 titles. He won with Toulouse in 2008, 2011 and 2012.
Mallía and Chocobares overtake Albacete by having now won four times. Both players featured for Toulouse in the 2021, 2023 and 2024 winning teams. Of note is that Toulouse won three consecutive finals. This has not happened previously during the professional era which began with the 1996 Final.
Toulouse can now look to match their 1994-1997 period wherein they won four consecutive French titles. Toulouse can also go one better than their performances in the 1920’s. Toulouse won French titles in 1922, 1923 and 1924.
That feat is shared by Stade Bordelais who won four consecutive titles in 1904, 1905, 1906 and 1907. The 2025 Toulouse team can therefore look to add to their dynasty and have the goal of overtaking them should they secure French Top 14 titles in 2026 and 2027.
| THE AMERICAS AND JULY INTERNATIONALS |
Mallía and Chocobares are two of four Americas players at Toulouse. The other two were not involved in the 2025 Final. They are USA Eagles prop David Ainu’u and Argentina second-rower Efraín Elías. The former of the two was a try-scorer for Toulouse in the 2024 Final.
Ainu’u is not involved in the USA Eagles’ for July. His mysterious non-involvement raises the question of whether Samoa have approached him to switch allegiance. World Rugby’s controversial changes to player eligibility mean that Ainu’u will be eligible to play for Samoa in 2027. Losing him would see a second USA homegrown prop defecting to Samoa following Titi Lamositele.
Elías was a Pumas rookie in 2025. Following a successful season with Los Dogos in Super Rugby Americas, he made his debut against New Zealand. In doing so, Elías joined Santiago Chocobares and Santiago Grondona in defeating the All Blacks while on test debut for Los Pumas.
Chocobares, Mallía and Elías are not on Argentina’s roster to face England and Uruguay in July. They were not considered for the matches due to their involvement in the Top 14 Semi Finals and Final. Similarly, Guido Petti, who scored for Bordeaux in the final was not named. They are expected to now be given vacations ahead of returning for Los Pumas.
Felipe Contepomi’s handling of player management in 2024 saw Mallía and Petti not considered for there July Internationals. Elías captained Los Pumitas at the World Rugby u20 Championship. Chocobares returned in time to play in the wins over France and Uruguay in July. The case of Chocobares was unique in that injury saw him out for a long period of time in early 2024.
| MATCH VIDEO – TOP 14 FINAL |
Video: To Follow
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