Rougé to relight old flame in Rivals Round

For César Rougé, Rivals Round carries a personal twist as he prepares to take on his former club, Catalans Dragons, with Toulouse Olympique this Saturday.

Rougé made the switch to the newly promoted Toulouse back in January and has soon settled into life in the halves – masterfully pulling the strings for Sylvain Houles’ side.

While he can play in multiple positions, it’s at scrum-half where Rougé feels most at home.

Toulouse’s 2026 Super League campaign started brilliantly, with wins in their opening two fixtures against Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers. But despite a handful of decent showings since, they have failed to pick up any more league points, which gives them extra motivation heading into Rivals Round.

“When I arrived in Toulouse, I knew it was a team that wouldn’t take things lying down and their spirit won me over!” the 23-year-old playmaker said.

“We got off to a good start to the season 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.”

Toulouse’s narrow loss to Leigh Leopards last Saturday still lingers in Rougé’s mind, however.

The French team staged an impressively late fightback to draw level and force Golden Point extra time, but Gareth O’Brien delivered a trademark one-pointer which would hand Leigh the victory.

“That trip to Leigh was frustrating,” Rougé admitted. “The more I watched the match, the more it annoyed me. We lacked the start we had at the beginning of the match by the end, and this was on top of the chances we missed due to small details that could have turned the match in our favour.”

Both Rougé and Toulouse are hoping to finally put things right in Rivals Round, with their full focus on facing the Dragons and being a part of this special occasion.

Rouge made 50 appearances for Catalans Dragons between the seasons of 2021 and 2025, scoring eight tries and bursting onto the scene as a very promising French youngster.

And on Saturday, he will return to Stade Gilbert Brutus, this time in the blue and white colours of Toulouse, and is looking forward to the occasion:

“I’m really looking forward to it! It’s a different round from the others: the derbies are on the cards, which is exciting.

“These are teams with a history behind every match. It’ll be great to play against the Dragons at Brutus, with a full house, and catch up with friends over in Perpignan, but we’ll have to put friendship aside for 80 minutes to win this match!”

For Rougé, having a French Derby on the Rivals Round schedule is a sign of the sport’s growing presence over in France, and he hopes that both teams can showcase a superb spectacle:

“This day is going to be magnificent for French rugby league. The two professional teams are facing off in front of their fans. It’s going to be a hard-fought match, with neither side giving an inch!”

The return of Toulouse to the top flight alongside Catalans is something Rougé sees as hugely positive for French rugby league and its future:

“When I was at the Dragons and we heard the news that Toulouse were going to get into Super League, we were delighted!

“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.”

Even with respect for his former club, Rougé knows Rivals Round is all about getting the result, as he emphasised how a win would be crucial for the Toulouse team:

“A win in the Rivals Round would be very important for us. It would allow us to validate the work we’ve put in and finish this block of three matches in the best possible way. For the supporters, it would be a source of great pride.”

As Toulouse continue their second Super League journey, Rougé is ready to be at the heart of the action:

“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.

And one thing is already clear - the stage is set on Saturday for an unforgettable all-French Rivals Round showdown.

Who will come away with bragging rights? It’s going to get fiery...

Are you ready for Rivals Round? Round 7 of the Betfred Super League gets underway with a blockbuster triple-header on Good Friday (live across Sky Sports and SuperLeague+).

All games will be broadcasted live, and fixture information can be found here.