Ex-Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu part of 10-player clearout at ambitious French outfit

Nissa Rugby’s return to the Pro D2 will come with a significant clearout, with former Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu among 10 players confirmed to be leaving the club this summer.

The Côte d’Azur side announced their departures on Thursday, just days after securing promotion back to France’s second tier with a dramatic 31-26 victory over Stade Montois in the promotion/relegation play-off. The win completed an immediate return to the Pro D2 following their relegation last season and marked a major milestone in the club’s ambitious rebuild under president Jean-Baptiste Aldigé.

Of the departing players, Nayacalevu is undoubtedly the headline name. The 35-year-old centre arrived ahead of the 2025/26 campaign from the Ospreys with a wealth of international experience, with 40 caps to his name, captaining Fiji at the 2023 World Cup. He was restricted to just 10 appearances for Nissa during their Nationale campaign.

Several players who played key roles in Nissa’s rise will also move on. Martin Freytes departs after making 122 appearances across five seasons, while David Odiete leaves having racked up 75 matches since joining in 2022. Lock Tom Murday also exits after making 60 appearances over the past three campaigns.

The list of departures is completed by Sione Anga’aelangi, Rayne Barka, Arthur Duhau, Jonah Mau’u, Henry Purdy and Joshua Tyrell, with a number of those players spending just a single season on the Mediterranean coast.

The turnover is perhaps unsurprising given the step up awaiting Nissa next season. The club’s recruitment drive is well underway, which includes former France international Vincent Rattez from Lyon, as well as Samuel Bielle-Biarrey, the younger brother of France and Bordeaux-Begles superstar, Louis.

Two members of the Narbonne side that initially beat Nissa in the promotion play-off (forcing them into the ‘barrage’ play-off) back-row Lucas Bachelier and full-back Boris Goutard will also make the trip along the south coast of France this summer.