Charles Ollivon

Charles Ollivon is a flanker for both Top 14 club Toulon and the France national team. He has displayed excellent levels of resilience, facing multiple injuries throughout his career. 

Born 11 May 1993 in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, France, Ollivon’s career in rugby started at 16. He played in the Academy Bayonne side until advancing to the first team at age 19. The flanker made his first professional appearance off the bench in a match against Bordeaux Bègles during the 2012-13 Top 14 season. 

Unfortunately, Ollivon’s season abruptly ended in April when he sustained a shoulder injury that required surgery. He returned on 4 September 2013 and made nine appearances during the 2013-14 season. In January 2014, he once again suffered an injury that prevented his participation in most of the season. 

He was steadily reintroduced into the team at the end of March. During the 2014-15 Top 14 season, he was finally able to show his promise, and started in nearly every match of the season as a number 8. Before the start of the 2015 season, he moved to Toulon.

In 2014, French coach Philippe Saint-André accredited Ollivon’s impressive skill set and called him up for the French team during the end-of-year rugby union internationals. He was also chosen by Saint-André for the France 31-man squad for the 2015 Six Nations Championship. 

After several injuries, Charles Ollivon was able to continue showcasing his talents. In 2019, he gained a spot in the French team for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where he started in matches against Argentina, Tonga and Wales. He was promoted to team captain of the French men’s international rugby team in 2020. In his first game as captain, he scored two tries and led his team to a 24-17 victory against England. 

Despite numerous injuries, Charles Ollivon has enjoyed a fantastic career so far. We can’t wait to see what else he can achieve in the game.