FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup Tournament Opening Press Conference - Roland Garros, Paris, France - September 4, 2023 President of the French Rugby Federation, Florian Grill during the press conference REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo
PARIS (Reuters) - French rugby has had a terrible year off the field, and the sport's national authorities are prepared to improve discipline as Les Bleus prepare for their autumn series, which will culminate next month with a clash against New Zealand.
During their Argentina tour last July, fullback Melvyn Jaminet was sent home following a racist social media post before being suspended for six months, and Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou were charged with alleged rape.
Auradou and Jegou have both denied any wrongdoing and said the sex was consensual.
In August, Medhi Narjissi, part of the France under-18 team due to participate in a four-nation tournament in South Africa, was swept away by a rip tide while swimming with other players in a recovery session after training, and his body was not recovered.
The French federation (FFR) blamed the accident on the staff members on site. The staff denied any wrongdoing.
"It will be a series in a transformed frame with possible sanctions," Florian Grill, who last weekend was re-elected as FFR president, told Reuters.
"(Head coach) Fabien Galthie will ask that everything be based on trust, telling players and staff: 'there is a new frame, you're either in or you're out (of the squad). This will be non-negotiable.
"We cannot afford the mishaps we've had when we aim for the highest level, it's just not possible," Grill added.
Galthie told L'Equipe on Friday that alcohol would be banned, unless formally allowed by the staff.
Galthie and the France squad already came under fire in 2021 for breaking COVID-19 restrictions, and escaped sanctions.
"We are expecting from this team to be exemplary, to win and inspire the new generation and show certain values," former France international Thomas Lombard, a pundit for broadcaster TF1, told Reuters.
For Grill, however, it's not all doom and gloom.
"I don't want to sweep the dust under the rug and act as if nothing had happened," he said.
"But let's not cast a shadow over rugby while we have 360,000 licence holders and 60,000 volunteers who have been doing an outstanding job.
"I do not want the events of last summer to harm the image of rugby because the reality is that it is a fantastic sport."
France take on Japan (Nov. 9), New Zealand (Nov. 16) and Argentina (Nov. 22) at the Stade de France.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
