He was not initially expected to return to the top 14 pitches before the procedure affecting him is completed. But Oscar Jégou, 21, will be lined up on Saturday, November 2, in the third row during the Top 14 match between his club, La Rochelle, and Stade français (9:10 p.m.). Still accused of aggravated rape in Argentina – along with his teammate Hugo Auradou – the French international (one selection) will return to the field, three and a half months after his only selection during the summer tour of the French XV.
During the night following the match, the La Rochelle player and the Pau Section player were accused of rape, one of them being “terrible violence”by a complainant – through the voice of her lawyer. The two players, for their part, affirm that the sexual relations with the Argentinean they met in a nightclub were consensual and without violence.
Initially subjected to preventive detention – in the heart of the Blues tour – and then under house arrest in the city of Mendoza, west of the Andean country where the events occurred, the two Frenchmen were released in mid-August, then he was allowed to return to France in early September. If his lawyers requested the dismissal of the case, and were followed by the Argentine prosecutor’s office, the Argentine justice system rejected it several times – the last time, on Friday the 1st.Ahem November – hearing to examine this application.
Barred from Blues while procedure is ongoing
Although both players had returned to their respective clubs, during training Stade Rochelais had imposed a policy of waiting for the Argentine court decision on Oscar Jégou before allowing him to find competition. Unlike the Pau club, which opted for Hugo Auradou to play again at the beginning of October. But the successive postponements and the state of the La Rochelle club’s squad have changed the situation. “Not having visibility into the dismissal procedure requested by the Mendoza prosecutor, we decided, in consultation with our lawyer, to authorize Oscar to play again this weekend.justified on Thursday the president of La Rochelle, Vincent Merlin, in Southwest. We renew our confidence in the Argentine justice system, but we are very impatient for the procedure to come to an end with the holding of the hearing to dismiss the case. »
In addition to this vagueness of the calendar, the return of Oscar Jégou with the Yellows and Blacks is also explained by the shortage of third lines in the club. La Rochelle captain Grégory Alldritt and flanker Paul Boudehent were called up by the French XV to prepare for the autumn tour, and the sailors regret several other absences. “We are very happy to see him back on the field and see him playing rugby.” La Rochelle assistant coach Rémi Talès commented on the player’s return on Thursday.
If he returns to the field, Oscar Jégou, still accused of aggravated rape, should not return to the French team anytime soon. This week, the French Rugby Federation (FFR) announced that it was creating a new living environment for the various French teams, after the nightmare summer experienced by French rugby. “There was a before Mendoza, and there will be a after Mendoza,” coach Fabien Galthié assured on Tuesday, while reiterating the FFR’s position on the refusal to select Jégou and Auradou until the judicial procedures concerning them have been completed.
