{"id":289549,"date":"2023-09-05T09:38:09","date_gmt":"2023-09-05T09:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/?p=289549"},"modified":"2023-09-05T09:38:09","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T09:38:09","slug":"france-world-cup-lock-bastien-chalureau-insists-im-not-racist-despite-conviction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/rugby-union\/france-world-cup-lock-bastien-chalureau-insists-im-not-racist-despite-conviction\/","title":{"rendered":"France World Cup lock Bastien Chalureau insists \u2018I\u2019m not racist\u2019 despite conviction"},"content":{"rendered":"
Bastien Chalureau cries during a press conference before the World Cup<\/p>\n
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France lock Bastien Chalureau has denied accusations he is racist during an emotional press conference following his controversial call-up for the Rugby World Cup.<\/p>\n
The 31-year-old Montpellier player is appealing against a suspended six-month prison sentence for a racially-motivated attack in 2020.<\/p>\n
Chalureau, who has six Test caps, was added to Les Bleus\u2019 33-man squad by head coach Fabien Galthie following the injury withdrawal of Paul Willemse.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not a racist, I do not have those values,\u201d he told a press conference on Monday. \u201cWhat I want to say to you is that I confessed to my mistakes, that I paid my debts and I deny all claims about racist remarks.\u201d<\/p>\n
While visiting the squad on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron was recorded telling head coach Galthie: \u201cWe don\u2019t want the controversy getting out of hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Chalureau, who at times was tearful during his press conference, said France\u2019s coaching staff and management were fully aware of the assault, which led to him leaving former club Toulouse.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe discussed the matter with the French team staff,\u201d he said. \u201cThey knew from the start, it is an old case and known by a lot of people.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to come out in public and address all my team-mates, my family as it does not just affect me. I am not a racist, I bring people together. The beauty of rugby is it brings together people from all communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chalureau made his international debut in November as a late replacement in a 30-26 win over reigning world champions South Africa in Marseille.<\/p>\n
Former national team captain Thierry Dusautoir, a friend of one of the victims of the attack, said he has never supported the second-row forward playing for France.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve always had a problem with him being in the French national team,\u201d Dusautoir told Canal Plus. \u201cI\u2019m aware that I\u2019m not objective in this.\u201d<\/p>\n
France begin their home World Cup on Friday evening by hosting New Zealand in Paris.<\/p>\n