Member of the 7s team since 2021, Nelson Épée will be part of the Olympic adventure. The Stade Toulouse winger, after having experienced a difficult 2023, wants to shine during this competition.
Full speed. Nelson Épée is one of the elements of this new cycle at the level of the 7 French. Among young people, the Ariégeois has always stood out for his speed and his killer instinct. A quality that he knows how to take advantage of on the Seven Series pitches. Member of the 7s team since 2021, Nelson Épée should part of the Olympic adventure. Hopeful champion with Toulouse during the 2021 season, he gradually built himself away from the pitches of the Top 14, but on the different stages of the Seven Series.
A South African reference
In his youth, Nelson Épée quickly joined UA Saverdun. This framework sees him evolve from the age of 6, and cross the levels, up to the Cadet category, where the winger is recruited by Stade Toulousain. Remaining very attached to his department, he does not hesitate to make a few nods about it in interviews. Very precocious, he was quickly seen as one of the future great hopes of the Haut-Garonnais club.
Presenting similar characteristics to Chelsin Kolbe (speed, explosiveness, footwork, etc.), the winger learned and was inspired alongside his South African partner at the time, the latter remaining at that time one references to his position. “With Ches, we are similar, he is a player with support, who finds spaces to punch. That’s what I prefer in rugby. So, I try to take inspiration from his game, from discuss” he explained a few years ago to his ex-teammate. So already scrutinized by the 7, he starts on February 11, 2022 with the Stadistes in a match against Stade français. Weaned from the ball, he will have to wait before highlighting himself in Ugo Mola’s squad.
Icon Sport – Hugo Pfeiffer
Breathtaking speed
His profile was quickly targeted for the discipline. Preferring to use avoidance rather than contact, Nelson Épée enjoys a breathtaking burst of speed. Timed at 5’65 seconds over 50 meters during tests carried out with Stade Toulousain, its peak speed is estimated above 38 km/h. A quality that he can highlight during the stages of Seven Series. The Saverdinois also embarked on the 7-a-side adventure with the agreement of his club. “The goal was to develop rugby-wise and work on my individual technique. If I made this bet, it was to improve my decision-making, the sequence of high-intensity tasks and my ground game as well. ” confided the three-quarters during an interview with Rugbynistère. The young prospect wants to play, he distinguished himself during the 2021 U20 6 Nations tournament, including a hat-trick against England, and now the lights are on him. But he plays very few minutes under the red and black tunic. Turning to 7 is also a way for him to gain confidence, playing time, and sensations.
A vengeful spirit
His year 2023 is a real turning point in his young career. Alternating between tours with the French 7s team and the few match sheets with Stade Toulousain, he suffered a serious injury. Hit in the knee, he must be content to follow the season on the side. His absence of 8 months distanced him from the septist group, while the latter is slowly preparing to welcome Antoine Dupont. Épée also makes his return during the scrum half’s premiere in Vancouver. The complicity between the two has already worked wonders. The Toulouse pair even sent France to the semi-finals during the Madrid round, with an assist from this season’s best rookie for the 23-year-old finisher..
Already highlighted during the Los Angeles tournament, won by the Blues, Nelson Épée is indeed back. With the expectations raised by young people, he is one of the known faces who should appear on the lawns of the Olympic Games this summer in Paris. With 51 tries scored in 64 matches under the blue tunic, the Toulouse player remains an offensive poison for opposing teams. With his sense of spectacle, he will thrill the supporters of the Stade de France. While his club partners are aiming for an impressive European Cup-Top 14 double, Nelson Épée is only thinking of one thing, Olympic gold.
