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.

France and Toulon fullback Melvyn Jaminet has been suspended for 26 weeks by the French Rugby Federation (FFR) following a disciplinary hearing over a racist video he posted on social media during France’s tour of Argentina in July.

The FFR’s disciplinary committee initially handed down a 34-week suspension but allowed for eight weeks to be substituted by community service activities. In an official statement, the FFR explained:

“At the conclusion of the FFR Disciplinary Council held today, it was determined that Melvyn Jaminet had ‘undermined the best interests of rugby’. Consequently, the following decision was made: a suspension for a period of 34 weeks, applying from the notification of the complete decision.

Eight of the thirty-four weeks of suspension may nevertheless be substituted by activities of general interest for the benefit of the FFR. These consist of carrying out:

• 6 prevention actions relating to the dangers linked to alcohol and social networks for a public identified by the FFR such as the French youth teams or trainees from training centres;
• 6 actions promoting the values of sport relating to the fight against discrimination among rugby schools.

Furthermore, the player will have to pay a financial penalty of 30,000 euros.”

The incident occurred on July 7th when Jaminet shared a video on his Instagram account in which he was heard making racist comments. The FFR swiftly condemned the comments and immediately removed Jaminet from the France squad, arranging for his return to France.

During the disciplinary hearing, which took place via video conference, Jaminet and his lawyer, Carlo Alberto Brusa, argued that the video was intended for a private circle of friends. However, the disciplinary committee found that Jaminet had “undermined the best interests of rugby” and opted for a severe punishment.

This suspension mirrors the one handed to Ludovic Radosavljevic two years ago for racist comments made during a match. Jaminet’s ban, if it starts immediately, would see him unavailable until January, missing France’s autumn internationals but potentially being eligible for the 2025 Six Nations.

Toulon, Jaminet’s club, has not yet announced any additional sanctions. The club previously stated its intention to “accompany” the player in his “redemption,” suggesting they may not terminate his contract, which runs until 2028.

The FFR added in their statement: “This decision may be appealed by the player to the Federal Appeal Commission within 7 days from the date on which it was notified.”

This incident was part of a series of controversies that marred France’s summer tour. In addition to Jaminet’s racist video, two French players, Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, were arrested in Argentina on allegations of sexual assault. These off-field incidents overshadowed France’s on-field performances, which included a series split with Argentina and a victory over Uruguay.

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.’