Two France players arrested in Argentina for sexual assault

Two France players have been arrested Monday afternoon (local time) by police in Argentina on suspicion of sexual assault. The information was revealed by Argentine media outlet MDZ and quickly confirmed by L'Equipe.

Florian Grill, president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), arrived on the scene during the night and confirmed on Tuesday 9 July that the two accused were second-row Hugo Auradou (21) and backrow Oscar Jegou (20).

According to initial reports in the Argentine press, the alleged incident took place in the early hours of Sunday morning at the hotel where the French national team was staying, the day after France's victory over Argentina. A few hours earlier, Auradou and Jegou were said to have met a girl in a bowling centre before going to a hotel where the assault allegedly took place.

“The complaint was filed on Sunday afternoon,” MDZ reports. “Immediately, and because of the strength of her statement, the emergency protocol was activated.”

With the French players due to leave Argentina for a match against Uruguay on Wednesday, the police quickly set up a procedure to arrest the two young players before they left.

“The physical examinations carried out on the victim by the forensic team have provided solid evidence,” said MDZ media.

“If the facts are proven, they are incredibly serious. Our thoughts are with the young woman,” said Grill at an unscheduled press conference on Tuesday, a public holiday in Argentina.

This case follows another incident during Les Bleus' tour of Argentina, when full-back Malvyn Jaminet made racist comments on his official Instagram account on Saturday night, shortly after the French team's victory.

The player was immediately suspended from the squad and later apologised.

“It's disastrous for what rugby stands for and what it should stand for. But I want to say again that there is an investigation into the two players and that's not what rugby is about. It's really not what rugby is about,” said Grill.