Amateur rugby has been confronted with several high-profile acts of violence in recent months: attacks on referees, racism and fights. Faced with this outbreak, the Federation wants to toughen up its game, and voted on an action plan on Friday.
A 19-year-old referee attacked last February, a general brawl of rare violence in Regional 1 in December 2023, a mixed team of juniors from the Paris region victim of racism… For several months, these facts have punctuated the regional press and sometimes national. The French Rugby Federation (FFR) has decided to address this observed increase in violence, and is launching a major plan applicable from the start of the 2024-2025 season, voted on Friday May 31.
“What is most worrying is the shift in violence. From the pitch we go to the sidelines, behind the railing then into the stand and even outside the stadiumanalyzes Sylvain Deroeux, secretary general of the FFR since June 2023. When II arrived at this positionI won’t hide from you that I was surprised by the number of files I handled and what I discovered in the reports”concedes the former third row.
“And that worries us, because we have real increases in incidents. From the moment the violence leaves the field, we move from a disciplinary procedure to a criminal procedure. And this is where we must be able to better analyze where this violence comes from.”, he continues, with supporting figures. Over the 2022-2023 season, 6,092 files were examined by the Disciplinary Councils established by the FFR and regional organizations. This is 26% more than in the 2021-2022 season. “This trend seems to be confirmed during the 2023-2024 season, since as of March 15, 4,350 files have already been examined by the Disciplinary Councils established throughout the territory.
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For Williams Nuytens, sociologist specializing in fanism in the amateur world, violence in amateur rugby circles previously remained in isolation. They existed, but were never reported by regional authorities or the media: “It’s settled within the family. We put that under the rug and it’s even part of rugby culture. This means that there are many acts of violence, particularly in the Federal 3 and Federal 2 series competitions, which remain contained within the rugby world itself.”
“There is a higher threshold of tolerance for violence in rugby compared to football or basketball for example.”
Williams Nuytens, sociologist specializing in the issue of violence in sportat franceinfo: sport
But for Williams Nuytens, the tolerance threshold has been crossed: “has cause, in my opinion, of extremely serious facts.” “I think that there are committees in France which have taken a little measure of the phenomena, which have disseminated information to manage emergency situations, which have raised awareness local law enforcement to potentially violent matches. (…) Objectively, there are more and more [de violences]but at the same time, we disseminate a lot more information”, concludes the sociologist.
Better reporting of information is one of the objectives set by Sylvain Deroeux with this anti-violence plan structured around four axes: “De general public awareness, information and then training and repression, so as to raise the cursors everywhere.” The general secretary of the FFR regrets the lack of use of certain processes, including the C3PR (the Prevention and Protection Unit for Rugby Populations, equivalent of Signal Sport): “We have tools available that are never used, or rarely used. People don’t testify, they don’t talk… For the Lons-Bobigny affair, I’m just starting to receive testimonies so that we can enter into commissions. It took me three weeks.”
“We weren’t taught to do it, we don’t have the reflex.”concedes Gabriela Tanga, player from Bobigny, victim of racist attacks in April in Pau, The Team. This is also what the FFR wants to work on, even if it does not see an increase in racist acts: “We also need to raise awareness among players. The C3PR is an instant tool. And above all, if there are acts of racism, on or off the field, the referee can stop the match. The referee’s report is generally the first element that allows entry into sports justice. As soon as there is a referee report, there is an automatic referral to the disciplinary committees.”insists Sylvain Deroeux.
One of the other warning signs for the FFR is referee attacks: “14% of cases constitute an infraction against match officials. This forces us to reactdissects Sylvain Deroeux. Referees are subject to disrespect for authority at best, and verbal or physical attacks at worst.” Several cases have been publicized in recent months. In mid-February, a 19-year-old referee was knocked out during a Regional 2 meeting between the Racing club du Las and the Rugby club du Beausset in the Var: “I was heading towards the center of the field when I was punched in the jaw from behind. (…) I am traumatised”he confided to West France.
“In second place among victims of violence, we find refereesunderlines Williams Nuytens. Things are not done by halves. They can be molested collectively. We are no longer in ‘folkloric behavior’.” For the secretary general of the FFR, zero tolerance must then apply.
“You attacked a referee, you will always pay for it. It is a political will to strike hard and ensure these sanctions are respected over time.”
Sylvain DeroeuxSecretary General of the French Rugby Federation
Other levers will be used by the FFR to try to react and lower these figures. First, improve the identification of the origin of the violence: “To treat them better and be able to sanction more heavily, much more heavily, a supporter who hits a referee than a player who makes a bad tackle. This is one of the areas on which we must work better.”advances Sylvain Deroeux.
Other awareness topics, such as alcohol, are discussed. “We can ask ourselves the question of the massive distribution of alcohol in stadiums. We are currently thinking, particularly during youth matches, about setting up pilot operations with, for example, a month without alcohol, three months without alcohol, a season without alcohol… Because we realize that there are a lot of overflows”, continues the secretary general of the FFR.
For Williams Nuytens, it is rather structural work that should be carried out, because “theRugby is a sport like any other. It’s terrible to say, because it clashes with the representation we have of this universe. It is always a truth to say that it is a practice with a unique culture, where the values that are put forward are completely real. But rugby is a sport that is becoming normalized. And rugby leaders need to hear it.”