Alcohol sales banned in French rugby after summer of shame

French national teams will no longer be allowed to drink alcohol during friendly matches as part of a new “performance plan” unveiled by the French Rugby Federation after a summer of controversy.

In July, full-back Melvyn Jaminet was suspended for 34 weeks and fined €30,000 (£24,924) after posting a racist video on social media during Francesummer trip around Argentina. Toulon, 25, was filmed from behind saying: “The first Arab I meet, I will headbutt him.”

During the same trip, young attackers Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jeju, both 21, raped and beat a 39-year-old woman and held her against her will after meeting at a Mendoza nightclub. Before they were allowed to go to the French embassy in Buenos Aires, they were both placed under house arrest. At the beginning of September, they were allowed to return to France, but the charges against them – which they deny – remain in force. Medhi Narjissi was also swept away by a wave in Cape Town as France prepared for the under-18 tournament. His body was never found.

On Tuesday, the FFR unveiled an “action plan of 20 concrete steps on prevention, living environment, assessment of new systems, sanctions protocol, as well as the importance of sport, rugby clubs and their players in society”, which will come into force internationally this autumn.

Alcohol figures prominently in the FFR plan. Under a heading titled “Steps to strengthen French teams’ living areas,” the statement says that all members of all French teams will be required to sign a commitment sheet at least once per season. In this statute, FFR would like to ensure that team-building exercises do not involve alcohol, and also prohibit the use of stimulants during team social gatherings.

FFR also wants to introduce an internal regulation that will allow it to “conduct occasional drug and alcohol tests” on its players.

Other measures include, in team hotels, limiting guests to communal areas that are not known to management, players or their families. FFR also wants to recruit former players to act as “godfathers” and “godmothers” – role models – for youth national team players.