PARIS – French rugby players Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou have been selected to join the national squad in preparation for the upcoming Six Nations tournament. This follows an Argentine court’s decision last month to dismiss aggravated sexual assault charges against the two athletes due to a lack of adequate evidence. The case, which involved allegations of rape after a match in Argentina last year, is currently being appealed by the plaintiff.
On Wednesday, the French rugby federation announced that head coach Fabien Galthié has called up a total of 42 players as they gear up for their first match in the Six Nations against Wales on January 31 at the Stade de France. The decision to include Jegou and Auradou was made possible after the judge’s ruling, which had cleared the way for their return to the national team last month.
Oscar Jegou, who plays as a flanker for La Rochelle in France’s Top 14, and lock Hugo Auradou from Pau have both resumed club rugby three months ago and have demonstrated strong performances since their comeback. Each player has earned one cap representing France in the past.
Returning to the lineup is flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert, who had opted out of being a reserve during the autumn test against New Zealand in November. Additionally, several prominent players from Toulouse have been called up, including Antoine Dupont, who celebrated an Olympic gold medal with France Sevens last summer in Paris, as well as Thomas Ramos and Romain Ntamack. Notably, Ntamack is returning to the field after a lengthy 17-month recovery from a knee injury that prevented him from participating in the 2023 World Cup.
Among the newly selected players without prior caps is center Noah Nene, who is currently playing in France’s second division with Dax. France is aiming to clinch their second Six Nations title in a span of four years.
The roster for France includes:
Forwards: Esteban Abadie, Dorian Aldegheri, Grégory Alldritt, Uini Atonio, Hugo Auradou, Cyril Baille, Giorgi Beria, Paul Boudehent, Joshua Brennan, Georges-Henri Colombe, François Cros, Thibaud Flament, Marko Gazzotti, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Mathias Halagahu, Oscar Jegou, Anthony Jelonch, Maxime Lamothe, Julien Marchand, Peato Mauvaka, Emmanuel Meafou, Dany Priso, Rabah Slimani, and Romain Taofifenua.
Backs: Théo Attissogbe, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Léo Barré, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Nicolas Depoortere, Gaël Dréan, Antoine Dupont, Antoine Frisch, Émilien Gailleton, Matthieu Jalibert, Nolann Le Garrec, Maxime Lucu, Yoram Moefana, Noah Nene, Romain Ntamack, Damian Penaud, Thomas Ramos, and Gabin Villière.
