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FFR statement: The latest update in the search for Medhi Narjissi

(Photo by David Ramos/World Rugby via Getty Images)

French rugby officials have opened an internal investigation following Wednesday’s disappearance of Medhi Narjissi, adding that the France U18 team won’t now participate in the tournament they were in South Africa to play in. Instead, they will skip their planned matches versus the hosts South Africa, England and Georgia in the six-team festival starting next Monday and instead fly home.

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The 17-year-old Toulouse fly-half, the son of former Agen hooker Jalil Narjissi, was taking part in a recovery session at Dias Beach on the Cape of Good Horn when he was swept out to sea. He still hasn’t been found, according to the latest media release issued by the FFR and published on rugbyrama.fr.

It read: “The French Rugby Federation has, this Thursday, still no news of the young player Medhi Narjissi, missing since yesterday. Medhi was swept away by a wave this Wednesday afternoon at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa where the men’s under-18 team had been travelling since July 31 to play the international series.

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“In this dramatic and terribly trying context, the FFR offers its full support to his family and loved ones, to his teammates and the supervisors present on site, as well as to his club Stade Toulousain. A police investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances of the disappearance. The FFR has also opened an internal investigation.

“According to the initial information gathered, the team was taking part in a recovery session in a cold bath by the sea at Dias Beach in the presence of staff members at a place where the players could stand. As the group was getting out of the water, Medhi was swept away by a wave and then strong currents towards the open sea.

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“As soon as the alert was given of the disappearance, the local authorities mobilised significant resources to find the young player. The search by the National Institute for Sea Rescue resumed this morning.

“In the meantime, in conjunction with the consulate and Stade Toulousain, the FFR has organised the arrival in South Africa of Medhi’s family. They will be accompanied by a member of the national technical management who will also take charge of our internal investigation. A psychological unit has been activated to listen to the young players and their supervisors.

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“Finally, the FFR is cancelling the team’s participation in the international series and is organising its repatriation to France tomorrow where the players and staff will continue to be cared for.”

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J
JW 3 hours ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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