Dream Team Delight for Mathieu Jussaume

Mathieu Jussaume has enjoyed a season to remember in 2026, and now the Toulouse Olympique centre, recently turned second rower, has his reward.

After starring in Toulouse's impressive return campaign in Super League, Jussaume has been named in the 2026 Super League Dream Team, becoming just the second French player ever to earn the honour after Remi Casty featured for Catalans Dragons in 2012 and 2018.

It is a landmark achievement for both the player and the club.

Toulouse may have missed out on the Play-Offs, but their eighth-place finish represented the highest in the club's Super League history - a remarkable feat for one of the newly promoted sides.

Jussaume was also the only Dream Team selection from a club outside the competition's top six, highlighting the impact he has had throughout a remarkable campaign:

“I’m very proud to be named in the Dream Team, and to be the second French player, is a big achievement. The first player for Toulouse is even better,” Jussaume said.

“To be after Remi Casty for me is very good - he is a legend for us.”

The recognition clearly means a huge amount to Jussaume.

In fact, while many of his team-mates were enjoying some well-earned downtime at the club's end-of-season trip in Majorca, Jussaume made sure he was present to collect his Dream Team jersey in person.

His journey involved an early morning flight to attend the event at Old Trafford in Manchester before heading straight back out to rejoin his fellow Toulouse players.

Asked about the effort it took to get there, he was adamant there was no way he was missing the occasion:

“I was at the end of season party with the boys in Majorca and I knew I had to come here on Monday, so I took my flight this morning and then I go back after the event has finished.

“I wouldn’t have missed it. I will sleep on the plane!”

After all, this has been a year in which Jussaume feels he has produced the best rugby league of his career.

Week after week, he grew in confidence and influence, becoming one of Toulouse's standout performers as they proved they belonged at elite level:

“I think I’ve played my best rugby league this year and I mean, it’s Super League! Since the beginning of the year I know that in every game, I’ve played better and better!”

That improvement has gone hand in hand with Toulouse's rise.

Alongside fellow promoted clubs Bradford Bulls and York Knights, many expected the Olympique to struggle on their return to the top flight. Instead, Sylvain Houles' side became one of the stories of the season and have captured the attention of many.

Playing an exciting brand of rugby and upsetting several of the league's established names along the way, as well as finishing above their French rivals Catalans, they have earned admirers across the competition.

For Jussaume, proving people wrong became part of the motivation:

“I think because everyone thought we wouldn’t do well, we then wanted to prove and to show them that we're not the last.

“We can be a very good team and we play good footy.

“I think people have enjoyed watching us and when we do that, we are even happier.”

The Frenchman has relished every moment of competing in Super League.

Not only has it given him the opportunity to test himself against some of the game's best players, but he's been able to do it alongside a group that shares a strong bond both on and off the field:

“It's been crazy. We have a very big group, who are all friends, and to play every week against the best players in the world with my friends is so cool.”

And when reflecting on the year, there are a couple of key memories to immediately come to mind.

A famous 0-46 victory away at St Helens sits high on the list, particularly as Jussaume crossed for a heroic hat-trick.

The French Derby win over Catalans Dragons at Magic WKND also ranks among his favourite moments from a season packed with highlights.

“When we beat St Helens. I got a hat-trick, so it was good.

“But also when we beat Catalans at Magic Weekend - it was the French Derby, so it was amazing.”

At the heart of Toulouse's success continues to be their head coach Houles, whose reign at the club stretches back more than a decade.

With lengthy travel schedules a unique challenge for the French outfit, maintaining togetherness has never been more important.

And Jussaume believes the squad's close-knit nature and Houles' leadership are key reasons behind their progress:

“Our travels our long but the boys make it worth it. We’re very tight.

“And I think Sylvain is one of the best. He's been here maybe 12 years now.

“I know only this coach and I like to work with him, and I like the way he works and he loves us. That's why we do what we do.”

As he prepares to head straight back to Majorca and reunite with his team-mates, Jussaume does so with a Dream Team jersey in his luggage and has made his family, friends, teammates, and French rugby league proud.