Clermont support Audebert
The battle for justice for Alexandre Audebert continues to be waged in France.
The battle for justice for Alexandre Audebert continues to be waged in France.
The Clermont Auvergne flank was cited and suspended for eight weeks for trampling on the head of Ronan O'Gara. Following the same match Jerry Flannery of Munster was cited and suspended for trampling on the head of Julien Bonnaire.
Both players appealed. Flannery had his suspension halved. Audebert's was confirmed.
The Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), the body running professional rugby in France, met and reduced Audebert's suspension to 30 days. That would have meant that both Flannery and Audebert could have played this weekend.
The LNR could not understand why a distinction should be made for actions so similar and both clearly accidental. They also queried the right of one body to impose a suspension on a player in a different competition.
The French Rugby Federation (FFR) then stepped in and said that by International Rugby Board's (IRB) regulations Audebert had to remain suspended in France.
The president of Clermont Auvergne, René Fontès, has now had published on his club's website an open letter to Audebert.
In the letter he affirms his club's support for Audebert and again suggests that the suspension was unjust and disproportionate from the European Rugby Cup which he notes is “an Irish company”.
Fontès says that even the reduced suspension of 30 days was excessive. He also notes that in other sports suspensions do not carry over from one competition to another and that French law requires the FFR, as the national body, to take a new decision regarding a player in its competition.
Strengthened by the decision of the LNR and the players' union (Provale) and the professional clubs' union (UCPR), Fontès asks Audebert to support the move to have the Federation re-examine the case. He says that making such a case will be a favour not only to Audebert but to his fellow players.
Fontès ends assuring Audebert of his and the club's unbudging support.