England’s Six Nations stars will not be invited into the France dressing room for a beer after Saturday’s Twickenham clash, ending a long-standing tradition. A booze ban in the French camp means the post-match party is set to be dumped.
France used to invite their opposition into their dressing room after matches to enjoy a beer. However, a series of ill-discipline has prompted the French rugby federation to launch strict roles around alcohol.
Each member of France’s Six Nations squad was forced to digitally sign a seven-page declaration outlining 17 rules relating to alcohol consumption and discriminatory language. The move came after France’s tour of Argentina descended into chaos.
Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou were placed under house arrest for two months after being accused of raping a woman. The charges were subsequently dropped and the duo featured in the 43-0 thrashing of Wales.
The scandal-laden tour also saw full-back Melvyn Jaminet sent home for a racist video he posted on social media. He was handed a 34-week ban and a £25,000 (€30,000) fine for telling his followers: “I promise, the first Arab I see on the road, I’ll headbutt him.”
Jaminet, 25, is highly unlikely to wear the France shirt ever again. In a bid to prevent similar incidents, France’s players were asked to sign a declaration.
According to the Daily Mail, an excerpt reads: “Each Member makes a firm commitment not to consume alcohol in the framework of gatherings of French teams, except under the strict conditions set by the staff.
“Each Member is required to preserve the image of the FFR, its leaders and technical executives, and the French teams and not violate the privacy, honour or consideration of others. In this context, each Member prohibits any discriminatory, racist, xenophobic and, more generally, which would be denigrating, offensive and/or insulting towards a person or group of people.
“People outside the official delegation or the families of Members cannot be received in the accommodation site of a French team and in the lobby/hall type common rooms entrance or bar/restaurant.”
Another measure has reportedly curbed a tradition started by Shaun Edwards. The defence coach hands out a bottle of champagne to his player of the match. However, individuals who win the award have been told they must not drink the prize until they return home.
