Lock Bastien Chalureau called into the French RWC 2023 squad is appealing a suspended prison sentence for a ‘racially motivated attack’.
A thigh injury to Paul Willemse prompted coach Fabien Galthie to make the controversial call.
Chalureau is embroiled in a legal fight to clear his name following his conviction for an assault in 2020 which prosecutors claimed was ‘racially motivated’. He was given a six-month suspended prison sentence.
The Montpellier enforcer appeared on French national TV this week to proclaim his innocence. He told viewers ‘I am not a racist, I do not have those values.’
« Ça ne touche pas que moi, ça touche ma famille et c’est pour ça que j’ai voulu parler devant vous, pour clarifier la situation »
💬 l’émotion de Bastien Chalureau pic.twitter.com/yEwCXo2TLO
— L'ÉQUIPE (@lequipe) September 4, 2023
‘What I want to say to you is that I confessed to my mistakes, that I paid my debts and I deny all claims about racist remarks.’
French President Emmanuel Macron spent time with the squad on Monday and reportedly told Galthie, ‘We don’t want the controversy getting out of hand.’
Les Bleus kick off the showpiece event with a Pool A match against the All Blacks in Paris on Saturday morning (NZ Time) at the Stade de France, Paris.
