He knows the XV of France well. It was he who was called to the selection bedside, after the defeat received against New Zealand during the quarter-final of the 2015 World Cup (62-13). But above all, for a long time he wrote the beautiful pages of the history of Stade Toulousain. Today, at 70, Guy Novès prefers to spend a peaceful retirement, far from the cameras and the spotlight. Which does not prevent him from carefully following rugby news.
And it has been busy in recent months. In particular, on the occasion of the XV De France tour in Argentina, where the Auradou-Jegou affair broke out, as well as the racist remarks of Melvyn Jaminet. Two events which tarnished the image of the sport and put a little more emphasis on the excesses which could exist in the oval.
“There is not enough money to carry out checks”
“When I found out, I didn’t fall out of the cupboard, explains the former Toulouse manager in an interview with Le Parisien. I understand that guys want to party. There is so much pressure. But something bothers me. We went from alcohol to mixing it with drugs, and not just mild ones. This leads to terrible things. Remember this player from Montauban (Kelly Meafua en mai 2022) who threw himself off a bridge a few years ago. There is this search for excess as far as possible, and that has nothing to do with the spirit of rugby. »
While he is delighted that a framework has been established in the French team and that third halves are now controlled in the locker rooms, Guy Novès is concerned, more generally, about the health of the players. And this at all levels. “The mixture of alcohol and drugs, we see it in the divisions below the Top 14, where there is not enough money to carry out checks. And there, we let it happen. Drugs are taking hold at all levels of rugby. In youth teams, this exists. The danger is immense for the kids. »
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However, the spirit of celebration and excesses have always stuck to the image of a sport where it has long been seen as folklore… During his mandate at the head of the XV of France, Novès himself was able to observe the excess of certain players. “In Argentina, during the tour, when I was managing the Blues, I arrived at breakfast one morning. And in the elevator, I meet a player with two girls… Behind, there was a big recovery on my part. » To see if the takeover of Fabien Galthié’s staff will have any effects on international players.
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