Our fourth French rugby journeyman knows a Ligue Nationale de Rugby transfer form like the back of his hand. Le Rugby blows the trumpet of a player who's played for six different teams in the top flight of French rugby, and given hope to budding bald sportsmen everywhere. Entrez Richard Dourthe!

Born in Dax in 1974, Dourthe had rugby in his blood from birth. His father, Claude Dourthe, was a centre of some renown who played his club rugby for Dax and gained 33 caps for France. It was with Dax that Dourthe fils began his playing career as a junior, winning his first French cap in October 1995 and establishing himself in the Dax team the same year. The 1996-97 season saw the team that boasted the likes of Raphael Ibanez, Olivier Magne and Fabien Pelous continue its competitive ways, as they reached the semi final of the French Championship. The following season saw the beginning of the end however, as the team was ripped apart due to financial constraints.

Richard packed his bags in the summer of 1998 and headed for Paris, a decision that no doubt had the Dourthe family choking on their flocons d'avoines as the announcement was made over breakfast. The move north to the barren rugby wasteland otherwise known as Stade Francais is a success for some, but wasn't for our balding hero. He spent just a season at the Stade Jean Bouin before making an emotional return to the Stade Maurice Boyau to rejoin Dax in June 1999. It would prove to be a short-lived pleasure for les Dacquois though, as Dourthe moved on once again after just one season.

His next destination was Beziers, a club with double cause for celebration. Promotion had been achieved back to the top flight after a season down in Pro D2, while lumbering ex-Welsh international cheval de chariot Derwyn Jones had decided to head home after only one season down on the Mediterranean coast. Dourthe penned a two year deal at the Stade de la Méditerranée in the summer of 2000. The first season back in the top flight for les Bitterois was one of consolidation, with the 2001-02 season proving more fruitful, as Dourthe helped his team to a fifth place finish. A team on the up they may have been, but our rugby nomad had seen enough of Beziers and moved on.

In June 2002, Union Bègles-Bordeaux became our folically challenged outside centre's latest love affair. Unsurprisingly for such a backwards move, his stint at the Stade Andre-Mogá proved to be brief, uneventful and ultimately ill-fated. Their 11th place finish condemned them to a place in the end of season play-downs. Despite having points in hand on their rivals, they failed to bag the necessary wins and were surprisingly relegated to Pro D2.

Life down amongst les hommes morts was not for our dashing hero, so in true rat abandonnant un bateau descendant fashion he legged it to Castres in the summer of 2003. Bucking the trend, he stayed at Stade Pierre Antoine for more than a season. The Top 16's nearly men ended the 2003-04 season in a respectable 5th place, ultimately coming unstuck in the play offs. Dourthe was handed the kicking duties for the following season, and his 236 points guided les Castrais to a 6th place finish. Despite the club's rich vein of form, Dourthe packed his bags for what would be his last hoorah.

His final stop would be Bayonne, who he joined in July 2005. The perennial strugglers from Pays Basque saw Dourthe as the talismanic leader they'd craved in recent times. His three seasons at the Stade Jean Dauger were undoubtedly the happiest and most productive of his career.

He soon became a cult figure amongst the Pena Baiona, at times single-handedly keeping Bayonne out of the relegation spots. He notched the highly impressive tally of 720 league points during these three seasons, his efforts in 2005/06 (295pts) and 2007/08 (245pts) both being second best in the league. These statistics are all the more remarkable when you consider Bayonne finished in 12th (2005/06), 8th (2006/07) and 11th (2007/08) during this time. He hung up his boots at the end of last season, and is embarking on the next stage of his career as part of the club's coaching staff.

On the international stage, he made his debut for Les Bleus in October 1995 against Romania and went on to win 31 caps, his final appearance coming against Ireland in the 2001 Six Nations. He scored 183 points in all, the highlight of his career being the try he scored in France's memorable 43-31 semi final win over New Zealand in the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

Any man who has to live with the mental image of brothers-in-law Raphael Ibanez and Olivier Magne banging the arses off his sisters deserves his moment dans le soleil. Let's raise a glass of Oldarki to the one and only Richard Dourthe!