In Rueil-Malmaison
Did you come to the press at the request of Emmanuel Macron, who came to see the XV of France in the middle of the day? Bastien Chalureau: I chose to come and speak to you to clarify the situation.
And what do you want to say? What I can tell you is that, from day one, I confessed my mistakes, I paid my debts with violence and I deny all racist remarks . I am not a racist. Following the altercation I went before the judge, I accepted my sanction, but I totally refute the accusations of racism.
What can you say about the accusations of racism against you? I can tell you that I am not racist. I deny it from the beginning, I refute these accusations. I made mistakes along the way, I solved my problem with alcohol and I made a big questioning.
Have you considered leaving the France group with this controversy? The staff knew my situation, the procedure is old (2020). I wanted to speak in front of you to address all my teammates, my family… (He starts crying). It doesn’t just affect me, it affects my family too. This is why I wanted to appear before you. I am not a racist, I am a unifier. What makes the beauty of sport and rugby is the union of many communities.
What is the reaction of your teammates to this controversy? There is a controversy around my name but it does not affect anyone in the group. We’ve all known each other for a long time. It’s not one more fire that will separate us.
Three days that we only talk about this controversy. How do you experience it? Justice follows its procedure. I refer to justice. I’m a professional rugby player and I focus on the pitch. With Friday’s game, there’s enough to think about.
In what state of mind are you? I arrived in the squad following an injury to a team-mate and a friend. I sent Paul (Willemse) all my support. I feel sorry for him. I come back to the group with the desire to bring all my energy, my fight, to get the Grail together.
Statements taken at a press conference