Sept 12 (Askume) – France Under-18 player Medhi Narjissi’s return to training on a South African beach has been suspended, with the French Rugby Federation (FFR) saying in a statement on Thursday that supervision by team officials was poor in dangerous conditions.
Last month, when France was preparing for the Five Nations U18 Championships in South Africa, Nargis was swept away by a wave while swimming.
Following an internal investigation, the FFR called for the immediate dismissal of the person responsible for organising the meeting and accused officials of failing to heed warnings about waves at the beach.
In a statement, the FFR said: “The decision to conduct the water restoration programme at Dias Beach was taken without taking into account the hazards of the site, particularly those relating to strong currents, waves and rocks.
“The FFR observed that the conduct and supervision of the match was poorly handled, in particular the lack of clear supervisory instructions for staff and players.”
The FFR will contact the French Sports Ministry “to terminate the assignment of the sports technical advisor responsible for this trip without notice” and “to take measures against other individuals overseeing the French U18 team, regardless of their position”.
Craig Labinen, a spokesman for South Africa’s National Sea Rescue Institute, said he suspected strong waves swept the 17-year-old into the surf zone and out to sea.
The teenager recently joined Top 14 champions Toulouse and is the son of former Morocco men’s captain Jalil Naghsi.
