France are facing calls to drop Bastien Chalureau just days before their home Rugby World Cup begins after the lock’s conviction for a racially motivated assault.
Chalureau was given a six-month suspended prison sentence in 2020 by a Toulouse court after assaulting two former players.
The 31-year-old, now of Montpellier, is appealing the conviction and denies the incident had any racial element.
Fabien Galthie had initially left him out of his 33-man squad for the tournament, but called up the second row after Paul Willemse’s injury last week.
But the France head coach’s decision to add Chalureau, who won his first international cap last November, to his squad has been criticised ahead of the tournament hosts’ opening game against New Zealand on Friday night.
Thomas Portes, a prominent member of the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party, said that he and the LFI “will contact the minister of sports so that she can intervene and ask the French team not to select him”.
Thierry Dusautoir, who skippered France to the final of the 2011 World Cup, meanwhile said that he “had a problem with” Chalureau’s inclusion.
“I’m a little embarrassed because I’m a friend of the victim and I have a rather strong opinion on this matter,” Dusautoir told Canal+. “I’ve always had a problem with him in the French team. Bastien Chalureau was selected in 2022. The facts precede his selection.”
Chalureau’s conviction came after a charge of committing “acts of violence with the circumstance that they were committed because of the victim’s race or ethnicity”, with former Agen and Colomiers player Yannick Larguet one of the victims.
Galthie defended his decision to call up the lock and urged the public to respect of the appeals process.
France coach Fabien Galthie is facing calls to drop lock Bastien Chalureau— (REUTERS)
“We’re saying what we’ve been saying for four years; he plays in that position with heart and commitment,” said head coach Galthie. “And we want to share this with all the French rugby of the last four years.
“To those people saying he hasn’t got a place in rugby: Bastien told us about this affair, and he firmly denies what he’s accused of. And we need to let due process take its course.”
The France head coach’s comments were echoed by sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera.
“Pending the final court decision, everyone must let justice do its job, respecting the presumption of innocence,” said a statement from the sports ministry released to AFP.
“The minister was able to speak with Florian Grill, president of the French Rugby Federation, and with Raphael Ibanez, general manager of the French team, who confirmed to her that an exchange had taken place on the subject between Bastien Chalureau and the staff of the France squad,”
“The player maintains his version of the facts and still formally denies having made racist remarks, which is why he proceeded to this appeal.”
France’s preparations for the opening game had already been disrupted by injuries to Willemse, prop Cyril Baille and centre Jonathan Danty.
Star fly half Romain Ntamack will miss the tournament after suffering ligament damage in his knee during the warm-up win over Scotland in August.
Additional reporting by AFP
