The case of Oscar Jegou, who was part of the French youth world champion team this year, has revived the discussion about drug use in the rugby environment.
In Francein case Oscar Jegou -a promising rugby player who tested positive for cocaine– caused a scandal and revived the discussion about drug use in French rugby. “The world of professional rugby seems to know the problem and is completely powerless to deal with it”assured the prestigious newspaper L’Equipe in his report on this problem. All the details are below.
The case of Oscar Jegou
Oscar Jegou is a 20 year old player who plays on the third line for La Rochellenow one of the best teams in Europe, if not the best: currently it is the two-time champions of the Champions Cup.n Furthermore, last July, Jegou is a member of France’s youth team -M20- that became three-time world champions in South Africa. It was one of the revelations of the tournament.
recently, he tested positive in the anti-doping test conducted on August 20, after his team’s Top 14 loss vs. Montpellier. definitely, The illicit substance found in the samples was benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.. of course, This component is part of the “unspecified stimulants” of the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD). As it turned out, the promising rugby player It would have been consumed at a party, two days before the aforementioned match.
The investigation of L’Equipe
After the news of the Jegou case, the newspaper published a report on the matter, as it did in 2022. According to it, “The world of professional rugby seems to know the problem and is completely powerless to deal with it” and “cocaine in rugby is a scourgealthough the people we interviewed on the subject insisted it was not a problem exclusive to rugby”.
The investigation included more than just interesting testimonies, such as that of Pierre Venayre, the general director of La Rochelle in charge of the Jagou case. “We must be careful when we talk about this problem, and not give the impression that it only affects our sport.. As a club that looks after young people, we really have a role to play in terms of prevention, we have to be vigilant, but We are not addressing a problem affecting a sport, we are addressing a societal problem, and when we address a social problem, we need to be humble because it is an issue that goes beyond political actors. “It’s a complicated subject to understand.”he assured.
“Why does a young player who has everything to succeed use cocaine? He’s not just a young player, he’s a young man. It could be a girl. They have a social life, relationships and influence. A rugby player is not above ground. They are socially connected people. Some players are tempted to stray. And I believe – this is a personal opinion – that the Covid era has a psychological effect on our young people, who are locked up for a long time, creating fertile ground for addictive behaviors.”he commented.
On the other hand, Jean-Baptiste Lartigot – head of the Aviron Bayonnais training center – summarizes: “It is a drug that has been democratized, it used to be elitist, expensive… it’s not that anymore. Its consumption affects all strata of society and rugby is shocked because it is in the media. “I don’t think rugby players use it more than anyone else, they use it like everyone else.”.
In turn, Max Lafargue – doctor of the National (French) Rugby League – pleaded: “This is an urgent alarm sound. The problem should be taken seriously, as was done with concussion, whose effects on neurons are known. Those who drink it regularly have no idea of its consequences on their health.“.
“Cocaine is circulating in the French Top 14 championship. Consumption affects many players, the young and the not so young, the very good, the international players. and so on. At night, for entertainment, but also in training, during training, this psychostimulant will help athletes overcome their limits. As a reminder, cocaine disappears from the body quickly, between 36 and 48 hours.he concluded L’Equipe.
Source: Tycsports
I am Robert Harris and I specialize in news media. My experience has been focused on sports journalism, particularly within the Rugby sector. I have written for various news websites in the past and currently work as an author for Athletistic, covering all things related to Rugby news.
