Drug problem in French Rugby - Mourad Boudjellal

Mourad Boudjellal, the current president for Toulon, claims that cocaine is quite popular in French rugby, among the controversy that is surrounding his squad’s full-back, James O'Connor.

The troubled Australian and Racing's Ali Williams got arrested and charged with purchasing and possessing cocaine last weekend in Paris.

The distasteful incident threw the subject of drugs in the sport solidly under the spotlight. Montpellier lock Robins Tchale-Watchou and Boudjellal believe that cocaine is popular within French rugby teams, and the businessmen believe that the drug has found its place in rugby since alcohol is no longer enough.

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Boudjellal told The Times that he has the impression that in specific teams and among a lot of players, cocaine is becoming very popular. He added that the alcohol phase has now passed and now French rugby athletes are in the next phase in which they find the drug very festive as it disappears from the body easily and quickly. The 56-year-old businessman stated that he does not have any proof, but he has the feeling that cocaine has managed to invite itself into rugby since alcohol does not seem to be enough anymore.


The Toulon chief is in agreement with Tchale-Watchou, and both of them claim that it is crucial to understand that the Williams and O’Connor arrests are certainly not isolated cases. Tchale-Watchou is completely consistent in his belief that the drug exists in rugby and he even stated that they would be blessed by the gods if that was not the case.

The 33-year-old Cameroonian said that above all they should not only say and consider these as isolated cases since that presumption of innocence has to prevail and they as professionals have to do everything in their power not to stain the image of their sport.  However, he is completely sure that the problem of cocaine in rugby is real. The manager even challenged every club director to prove to him that not a single athlete in his organisation uses the drug. He concluded by stating that if he is wrong, they would be blessed by the gods and would be entirely exempt from the wider society’s problems.

The RPA’s (Rugby Players’ Association) current chief executive, Damian Hopley, is definitely not under the illusion that cocaine cannot tempt the professional athletes. However, the former Wasps wing was keen to stress out that the RPA is doing everything in its power to be as proactive as possible in order to make sure that it does not become a widespread issue. If you are a fan of Hopley, you probably remember that he was part of the England Sevens team that managed to win the Melrose Cup. Well, currently the star wing is also keen to help players become aware of their responsibilities as well as problems.

He stated that all of them are aware that there is a prevalence a culture of drugs in modern society, and he was not talking only about rugby and cocaine. Hopley added that the managers have to be very naïve to think that the players are not tempted.  However, the RPA and the club owners are working very hard to be proactive through testing programs and proper education in order to make sure that this does not become an issue and also to make sure that the players will be aware of their responsibilities and how to deal with a drug problem if it occurs. If you found this news segment interesting, we advise you to regularly check for updates.