French rugby in turmoil: the “values ​​of the oval”, a cliché that is disappearing ?

The two men were arrested by Argentine authorities during the day on Monday. A young woman filed a complaint against them, accusing them of having sexually assaulted her. The events allegedly took place a few hours after Saturday's meeting. They must be heard by the prosecution which on Tuesday mentioned "lesions compatible" with the story of the alleged victim.

"The lesions are compatible with the victim's account, but not necessarily exclusively the result of a sexual assault", declared magistrate Daniela Chaler.

Up to 20 years in prison

According to the spokesperson for the Mendoza public prosecutor's office, Martin Ahumada, Jegou and Auradou could face up to 20 years in prison.

This affair shocks the community, stunned by the victim's revelations. The situation, nevertheless, calls for a clarification of the matter, to wait for the version of the two players. To their loved ones and the French staff, the latter denied a non-consensual relationship, denying the violence of the relationships.

"On these absolutely dramatic facts if they are proven, I think that there is more confusion, we need to understand better , the versions must be able to be compared. My thoughts also go out to the alleged victim", commented the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castera, on Franceinfo.

The atmosphere has become tense on the French rugby scene. Defending your values ​​has become mission impossible. Already they were no longer really taken seriously in recent months with a lot of stories of corruption, racism and domestic violence… hellip; There, the two scandals finally shattered the myth.

"In Melvyn's case, there are proven facts that led us to make immediate decisions (player was sent back to France).Concerning the two players, we will wait for the results of the investigation. If, here too, it is true, we must already have a thought for the young woman, it is incredibly serious. This is catastrophic for what rugby embodies and what it is supposed to embody. But I want to say again that an investigation is underway regarding the two players and that rugby is not that. It’s really not that", commented to our colleagues, including AFP, President Florian Grill, who made the trip to Argentina and seemed marked by these events.

French rugby finds itself in a disconcerting situation. The sacred window of the oval balloon can no longer hide the mess of his shop. The stack of boxes stamped “justice” no longer swept under the rug. Count on the exacerbation of social networks so that no one forgets every detail.

A photo disappearing

In less than twelve months, three convictions for domestic violence (Hounkpatin, Haouas, El Fakir) have more than embarrassed the community.

Last month, five former Grenoble players were to be tried before the Gironde Assize Court, including three for gang rape of a student during a party after a match in Bordeaux in 2017. The trial was postponed.

In January, Bastien Chalureau was sentenced to six months in prison for aggravated violence against two people during an evening in January 2020. A case which caused a lot of ink to flow during the 2023 World Cup, the racist nature of the attack being at the center of the debates (which was however not taken into account during the judgment).

Also read: "We have a project for him" : Montpellier formalizes the return of pillar Mohamed Haouas, one year after his departure

So many events more than ever damaging to the reputation of the industry. And we can add to this the corruption cases that the former governance of the FFR, the images of violence broadcast on social networks during amateur rugby matches or even an already charged past (Bastareaud episode in 2009, travel in Scotland in February 2018).

The cliché of the tall gentleman playing a brutal sport is beginning to evaporate. It is urgent to act so that “brute” is not the only survivor of a cliché that we would rather laugh at than see disappear.

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