A former Waikato rugby player has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the rape of a young woman in France in 2017. Rory Grice, 34, was one of three former FC Grenoble players found guilty of gang-raping a 20-year-old student in a hotel room in Bordeaux after a match.

Denis Coulson, 30, from Ireland and Loick Jammes, 30, from France were both given 14-year sentences for their part in the attack. Two other former Grenoble players, Chris Farrell, 31, from Ireland and Dylan Hayes, 30, from New Zealand, were found guilty of failing to prevent a crime. Farrell received a four-year sentence with two years suspended, while Hayes was given a two-year suspended sentence.

The incident occurred on 12 March 2017, when the victim, who was a student at the time, met the group of players in a bar in Bordeaux. She accompanied them to a nightclub before returning to their hotel in the early hours of the morning. The woman later told police that she woke up naked in a hotel room, surrounded by the players. A medical examination found that a crutch had been inserted into her vagina.

During the trial, the court heard that the woman had been drinking heavily and a toxicology report estimated her blood alcohol level to have been between 2.2 and 3 grams per litre at the time. The players claimed that the sexual activity was consensual, but the prosecution argued that the victim was too intoxicated to give consent.

Grice, Coulson and Jammes all admitted to having sexual contact with the woman but maintained that she had been a willing participant. A 55-second video filmed by Coulson was shown to the court as evidence. However, the judges ruled that the woman had been taken advantage of by the men.

The verdicts were delivered on Friday evening after the jury had deliberated for over nine hours. The case was heard behind closed doors at the request of the victim’s legal team. Lawyers for the three players convicted of rape have stated their intention to appeal the decision and will seek to have their clients released from custody pending the outcome.

Grice played for the All Blacks Sevens, and Waikato, before moving to France. He left Grenoble in June, 2017, and moved to Oyonnax Rugby, where he has played for the past seven years.

Provence Rugby, the club Jammes currently plays for, released a statement following the verdict expressing support for the victim and condemning all forms of violence. The club said it would consider taking further action depending on the outcome of the appeal. Oyonnax, the team that Grice and Farrell play for, has not yet commented on the case.

Two French rugby players, Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, have been cleared of aggravated rape charges by an Argentine court. The decision comes five months after the pair, both 21, were arrested in Mendoza, Argentina, just two days after making their international debuts for France in a victory over the Pumas.

The athletes were accused of raping a 39-year-old woman in their hotel room, but they consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the sexual encounter was consensual. After a thorough investigation, the judge in Mendoza dismissed the case against Auradou and Jegou, citing insufficient evidence to support the allegations.

Defence lawyer German Hnatow stated, “As we expected, the French players have been acquitted because the sexual act was consensual, meaning there was no crime and no doubt that they are innocent.” The court’s decision reinforced the defence’s faith in the justice system, with Hnatow adding, “There are many false accusations in terms of sexual crimes, in terms of gender violence, which cause harm.”

The French Rugby Federation (FFR) welcomed the court’s ruling with “relief and satisfaction” and confirmed that both players are now eligible for selection to the national team, provided their sporting performances warrant it. FFR President Florian Grill had previously stated that Auradou and Jegou would not play for France until the case was resolved.

Since returning to France in September, Auradou has played eight matches for his club, Pau, while Jegou has featured in four games for La Rochelle, even scoring a try in the Champions Cup victory over Bath. The FFR emphasized that these events serve as a reminder of the need to create new conditions to prevent and avoid risky behaviour in high-level rugby and to train responsible and exemplary players.

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Natacha Romano, has indicated that her client will appeal the court’s decision, calling it “harmful, unfounded, and incomplete.” Romano explained any inconsistencies in the woman’s account as a result of the “shock and extreme stress” she experienced, noting that physical examinations revealed injuries that the plaintiff claimed were related to the alleged assault.

While the dismissal of the charges against Auradou and Jegou marks the end of a challenging period for French rugby, the FFR remains committed to implementing a reinforced rugby performance plan that aims to create a new framework for player conduct, drawing inspiration from the thousands of volunteers and amateur clubs who work tirelessly to foster social ties and play an educational and civic role within the sport.

The French Rugby Federation (FFR) has announced the team to face Argentina in the second and final test match of their summer tour, set to take place on Saturday, July 13, at 21:00 (French time) at Estadio Velez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires. The match comes amid significant off-field controversies that have marred the tour.

🇦🇷🇫🇷 Voici la composition d'équipe du #XVdeFrance pour le match face à l'Argentine, ce samedi à Buenos Aires #ARGFRA #NeFaisonsXV pic.twitter.com/9DEq4UEF2w

— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) July 11, 2024

Head coach Fabien Galthié has largely maintained the core of the team that secured a 28-13 victory in Mendoza on July 6. However, two notable changes have been made to the starting XV, necessitated by recent events.

Judicaël Cancoriet and Mickaël Guillard will start in place of Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, respectively. The latter two players are currently detained in Argentina following allegations of sexual assault, an incident that has cast a shadow over the tour.

Baptiste Serin retains his role as captain and scrum-half, partnering with Antoine Hastoy at fly-half. The backline remains unchanged, with Léo Barré at fullback, Théo Attissogbe and Lester Etien on the wings, and the centre pairing of Emilien Gailleton and Antoine Frisch.

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In the pack, Cancoriet joins Lenni Nouchi and Jordan Joseph in the back row, while Guillard pairs with Baptiste Pesenti in the second row. The front row of Jean-Baptiste Gros, Gaëtan Barlot, and Georges-Henri Colombe remains intact.

The bench sees a mix of experience and potential debutants. Demba Bamba and Posolo Tuilagi provide solid options in the forwards, while uncapped players Romain Briatte, Killian Tixeront, Baptiste Jauneau, and Léo Berdeu could make their international debuts. These changes come in the wake of Melvyn Jaminet’s suspension and removal from the squad due to racist comments made on social media following the first test.

This team announcement comes at a challenging time for French rugby, with recent events tarnishing the sport’s image. However, on the field, France will be looking to finish their tour on a high note, having already secured victories against Argentina and Uruguay.

France XV to face Argentina:

15. Barré, 14. Attissogbe, 13. Gailleton, 12. Frisch, 11. Etien ; 10. Hastoy, 9. Serin ; 7. Cancoriet, 8. Joseph, 6. Nouchi ; 5. Pesenti, 4. Guillard ; 3. Colombe, 2. Barlot, 1. Gros.

Replacements:

16. Baubigny, 17. S. Taofifenua, 18. Bamba, 19. Tuilagi, 20. Briatte, 21. Tixeront, 22. Jauneau, 23. Berdeu.’