Pau are openly targeting another Top 14 qualification after reaching the competition’s finals for the first time last June. The ambition is clear, but so is the scale of the task facing Sébastien Piqueronies and his squad.
The Section Paloise enjoyed an enthusiastic and refreshing campaign last season, establishing themselves among the leading sides before losing their play-off match. That defeat brought frustration, but it also strengthened the club’s desire to return to the same stage.
Pau embrace another Top 14 qualification challenge
Pau’s objective is not being presented as a vague aspiration. The club wants to qualify again, while recognising that repeating the achievement will be extremely difficult.
“The real marker of our ambition this year is wanting to repeat that objective. We want to qualify again, and we assume that responsibility. I weigh my words because I know it is extremely complicated. It is a very tough challenge.”
Piqueronies’ comments, as reported in the source material, capture the balance around Pau’s position. The club has become a serious qualification candidate, but it does not regard last season’s progress as proof that the job is already complete.
Pau reached the Top 14 finals for the first time last June, giving the club a new benchmark to defend. The next challenge is turning that breakthrough into a sustained presence near the top of the standings.
The ambition gives added importance to the club’s approach during the current campaign. Pau’s message is that the previous season marked the beginning of a journey, rather than its conclusion.
The forward pack is central to Pau’s progress
Pau’s first priority is to preserve and consolidate what already works. However, the staff also believe that further progress must come through the pack of forwards.
That focus is reflected in the arrival of two internationals during the off-season: Baptiste Pesenti and Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer. Their experience is expected to support the club’s work in an area identified as important to any attempt to improve further.
The club has also renewed its specific forwards’ training camp at Loudenvielle. The programme, introduced in summer 2025 and regarded as productive, has been retained with an additional half-day included.
That extra preparation forms part of a broader effort to strengthen Pau’s foundations. The stated priority is not to abandon the club’s existing strengths, but to consolidate them while improving the forward pack.
Investment underlines Pau’s ambitions
Pau’s qualification target is also accompanied by a significant financial and structural development. The club is set to reach the salary-cap ceiling for the first time, while its projected SASP budget stands at €32 million.
The Section Paloise is also due to benefit from a new training centre called HonhaCamp. Together, those developments point to a club attempting to build the conditions required to compete consistently at a higher level.
They do not remove the sporting challenge. Pau’s own assessment remains cautious: repeating last season’s qualification is possible, but extremely demanding. The club’s strategy is therefore clear in outline—retain its foundations, improve the forwards and use its growing resources to support another push towards the Top 14 finals.
For more background on Pau and the wider Top 14 story, read the family coaching legacy behind the Montauban-Pau clash.
Photo : patdebaz — licence CC BY, via Openverse (source)
