Bromsgrove School 1st XV rugby player Nelson Pompigne-Mognard (www.NelsonPM.co) has been officially called up by the French Rugby Federation (FFR) to join its prestigious “Générations Bleues” programme. This national elite development pathway is designed to identify, develop and prepare France’s most promising young rugby talents for future international careers, serving as the gateway into the French national system and playing a central role in shaping the next generation of international players.
Run directly by the French Rugby Federation, “Générations Bleues” is a high-performance identification and development programme targeting elite U17 and U18 players who have been recognised for their strong potential to progress to France U20 and, ultimately, the senior national team. It forms a core component of French rugby’s official national performance pathway.
Players selected for the programme are invited to national “Stage Bleu” camps, where the leading talents in their age group are brought together. During these camps, players undergo comprehensive physical, technical, tactical and mental assessments, while training and competing under the close supervision of FFR national selectors, elite coaches and performance staff. Their performances are measured against the standards and expectations of international rugby, providing a clear benchmark for future progression.
Selection into “Générations Bleues” marks the formal entry point into France’s long-term international rugby pipeline and is a strong signal that the FFR considers the player to have genuine international potential. Those invited are formally identified as high-potential athletes, integrated into the Federation’s national monitoring system for long-term support and follow-up, and placed firmly on the radar for France U18, U19 and U20 squads, while being immersed in the culture, environment and demands of French international rugby.
As part of this programme, Nelson will take part in the “Stage Bleu” high-performance training camp held from 23 to 25 January 2026 in France, alongside the country’s leading U18 male players. The camp will focus on elite identification and development through comprehensive physical, mental and technical assessments conducted by the Federation’s national coaching and performance staff.
Born in France, of African descent, Nelson spent the 2022–2023 season in Portugal, playing Under-16 rugby with Grupo Desportivo Direito (Lisbon), where the club went on to win the national U16 championship. Since 2024, he has been a boarder in England, playing primarily as a Number Eight for the Bromsgrove School 1st XV, one of the most respected rugby programmes in English school sport.
Beyond his school environment, Nelson is supported by a bespoke high-performance team assembled specifically to guide every aspect of his athletic, physical and mental development. This independent team includes:
- Nico le Roux, Rugby Performance Coach, with over 20 years’ experience including roles with the All Blacks, the Lions and the Chiefs
- Dr James Morehen, Performance Nutritionist for the England national rugby union team
- Ben John, Founder of The Rugby Trainer Academy
- Merrick Steward, Strength&Conditioning Coach, formerly with Harlequins RFC
- Callum Abbott, Chartered Sport Psychologist specialising in elite performance
- Alfonso Carter, Physiotherapist, currently First-Team Physiotherapist at Forest Green Rovers
- James Hubscher, Podiatrist specialising in sports injury assessment and treatment
- Pavlos Savva, Sports Nutrition Specialist and Founder of Health Kitchen Bromsgrove
- Thomas Hague, Founder of The Breath Coach, supporting performance through breathwork
In December 2025, Nelson was ranked second-best Number Eight (out of ten) at the NextGenXV Global School Challenge, a five-day elite tournament held in Spain that brought together South Africa’s most dominant schoolboy rugby programmes, including Grey College, Oakdale and Southern Legion. He finished second only to Jacobus de Villiers, Number Eight for the South Africa Under-18 national team (SA Schools), underlining his status among the very best international schoolboy players in his position.
Off the field, Nelson is also the founder of the Bromsgrove Black Students Association (BBSA), an initiative aimed at celebrating African cultures, fostering unity and promoting cultural awareness within the school community.
Video highlights of Nelson’s play are available here: https://apo-opa.co/49EfRhI
A complete rugby résumé can be downloaded here: https://apo-opa.co/44WF1FN
More information about Nelson Pompigne-Mognard: www.NelsonPM.co
IG: https://apo-opa.co/49pMy1h
LinkedIn: https://apo-opa.co/4aLME5C
See Bromsgrove School’s Instagram post announcing Nelson’s call-up: https://apo-opa.co/49sMb5X
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of APO Group - Africa Newsroom.Media Contact:
marie@apo-opa.com
About Nelson Pompigne-Mognard:
Nelson Pompigne-Mognard (www.NelsonPM.co) is a driven and forward-thinking Franco-Gabonese student-athlete with a strong passion for computer science, artificial intelligence and high-performance sport. He is motivated by a desire to create real-world impact through technology, leadership and disciplined execution, and consistently seeks environments that challenge him to grow intellectually, physically and personally.
Trilingual in English, French and Portuguese, Nelson has lived in four countries — France, Malta, Portugal and England — and has travelled extensively across eleven countries, including Iceland, Finland, Morocco, Spain, Ireland, Ghana, Senegal, Poland, Italy, Serbia and the United States. These experiences have given him broad exposure to diverse cultures, environments and ways of life.
He is currently a boarder in Year 13 (Senior Year) at Bromsgrove School in England, one of the UK’s highest-ranked boarding schools. Since 2024, he has played primarily at Number Eight for the school’s 1st XV rugby team.
Beyond his school environment, Nelson is supported by a bespoke high-performance team assembled specifically to guide every aspect of his athletic, physical and mental development. This multidisciplinary group covers rugby performance coaching, strength and conditioning, performance nutrition, physiotherapy, podiatry, mental performance and sport psychology, breathwork and respiratory optimisation, as well as performance-focused meal preparation.
Beyond academics and sport, he founded the Bromsgrove Black Students Association (BBSA) to celebrate African cultures, foster unity, and promote cultural awareness through educational initiatives, cultural events, and professional networking.
His long-term goal is to study at a top university in the United States, where he plans to continue combining elite sport, academic excellence, entrepreneurship, and leadership to build a career at the intersection of technology, innovation, and global impact.
