Negligence at Beach Leads to Tragic Death of France U18 Rugby Player

A poorly supervised recovery session at a South African beach led to the tragic death of French Under-18 rugby player Medhi Narjissi. The French Rugby Federation blamed team officials for neglecting dangerous conditions. The FFR called for the dismissal of responsible parties and urged stricter supervision protocols.

A poorly supervised recovery session at a South African beach led to the tragic death of French Under-18 rugby player Medhi Narjissi, according to a statement from the French Rugby Federation (FFR) on Thursday.

Narjissi, who had recently signed for Top 14 champions Toulouse, was swept away by a wave while swimming at Dias Beach as the French team prepared for a five-nation U18 tournament last month.

The FFR's internal investigation concluded that the session had been conducted under unsafe conditions, with officials ignoring warnings about rip currents, waves, and rocks. The FFR has called for the immediate dismissal of the coaches responsible for organizing the session and has promised disciplinary action against others involved.

South Africa's National Sea Rescue Institute spokesman Craig Lambinon also pointed to strong rip currents as the likely cause of the drowning.

(With inputs from agencies.)