At 21, César Rougé is having his most prolific season in terms of matches played. It is not surprising to see his club, the Catalans Dragons, offer him a two-year contract extension, which he quickly signed.
His early debut (17 years old) in Elite 1 with his club Limoux were the first signs of a professional career. A stint of several weeks with the Melbourne Storm (January 6 to 18, 2020) caught the eye of Steve McNamara, who insisted that the player, who only had seven Elite matches on his resume, participate in two weeks of training with his Dracs in July 2020. An initial two-season contract and stints with the reserve team allowed the Loupia native to take new steps.
Levels where Greg Bird, James Maloney, Mitchell Pearce and Sam Tomkins played teachers and guides. A wealth for the Blanquetier, raised in the greenhouses of Limoux XIII and in a very fertile ground for his beloved sport. Where his grandfather Yves (Pexiora XIII), his great-uncle Antoine (Limoux XIII), his uncle Olivier (12 seasons in first team at Limoux) and his father Jérôme (four seasons in first team, coach of the U19s and president of the rugby school for 10 years) walked their crampons and their passion, for several decades. His big brother, Barthélémy Rougé, U19 international and former pillar of the U23 Dragons, before putting rugby on hold to enter the INSA engineering school in Toulouse, remains a wise supporter of the “little one” who discovered the XIII of France in 2022, before a World Cup match against the Samoa Islands. “He needs to play big matches now to progress, but yes the potential is there”said of him the director of the Blues, Trent Robinson, in post in NRL with the Sydney Roosters since 2013. “He’s a player who works very hard, he has great qualities and he gains experience after each match. He’s a good boy who wants to work, who wants to learn all the time and who loves rugby. I’m not worried about him, he gets on with everyone and I know he has a great career ahead of him,” resumes his teammate and partner at the hinge, Théo Fages.
“I’m here to perform and it doesn’t matter what position I’m in as long as I’m in the seventeen.”
Today, Rougé is far from being unknown in England and, inevitably, the temptation to cross the Channel has been running through his head: “When you feel good where you are, when you play and when you want to perform in a team like the Dragons, it’s completely logical to stay there. Since my arrival in this club, I have been feeding off experienced players to progress and that is still the case today.”says the playmaker of the French team.
More players at the end of their contracts
Loaned two matches to Whitehaven (2022) and two weeks to Hull KR in 2023, César Rougé has often been tossed around, between a substitute place and another in the reserve team since his first SL match, on August 7, 2021 against St-Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium. Two Super League matches in 2021, four in 2022 and seven in 2023, the progression is there, but it is slow and eats away at the player who already has nine match sheets this year. Two at the back, three at the hinge and four on the bench to double the hooker, César Rougé knows how to do everything (well). “I’m here to perform and it doesn’t matter what position I’m in as long as I’m in the seventeen. We’re rugby players, in a match anything can happen and you have to be prepared for any eventuality and to be called upon to occupy several positions.”adds Rougé who assures that “It’s always beneficial to offer a certain versatility to your coach. It also closes a few fewer doors”.
A tireless worker, don’t count on him to complain, mope, or make excuses. César Rougé does everything to be the first as soon as an exercise presents itself in training.. “When you’re young, you have to get as many thorns out of your side as possible. You have to work on your cardio, because if you’re the best, no one can tell you that you’re lacking that. That’s what I try to do and that’s why I arrive at the start of the season in good shape.”explains this big tackler. A boy who especially measures the aspects on which he must gain maturity: “In my mind, I will have to be more precise in my execution, in key moments of the match and bring a triggering element with more explosiveness. I have to manage a team and that is learned by playing”concludes the man who hopes to find his place in the team again on Saturday at Hull KR.
Seven players will still be at the end of their contracts this fall. Matthieu Laguerre, Fouad Yaha, Micky McIlorum, Alrix Da Costa, Matt Ikuvalu, Siua Taukeiaho (one year optional) and Manu Ma’u, while Franck Maria and Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet hope to land a first professional contract. Let’s remember that Tom Johnstone, Mike McMeeken (Wakefield), Tom Davies (Hull KR) and Jordan Abdull (Hull FC) have already announced their departure and that Benjamin Garcia, Julian Bousquet, Romain Naverrete, Paul Séguier, Jordan Dezaria and César Rougé have signed a contract extension. In the other direction, Tommy Makinson (St-Helens), Oliver Partington (Salford) and Nick Cotric (Canberra) have already signed to join the Dracs while waiting for the officialization of Elliott Whitehead (Canberra) and Luke Keary (Sydney Roosters).
