7 Aug 2009

Basteraud only one facing sanctions after Wellington affair

6:16 am on 7 August 2009

The French rugby player Mathieu Basteraud will be the only one sanctioned following the Wellington lying affair and he's set to be out of the national side for a number of years.

The man in charge of the French Rugby Federation's disciplinary commission, Francois Alguacil, says he's almost finished his inquiry and should be able to release his findings in the next few weeks.

Alguacil has told French newspaper Parisian that Basteraud is the only one implicated after lying and not respecting the players charter and he will be the only one facing sanctions.

He says the centre is likely to face at least 2 years out of the national side, which will mean that he won't be considered for the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

Alguacil says team managers Jean Dunyach and Joe Masso were lied to and they are no longer involved in the investigation.

In June Basteraud claimed he'd been assaulted outside his Wellington hotel following the test against the All Blacks and was sent home, but investigations by Wellington police then forced team management to say he'd hit his head on a bedside table.

Following his return home French newspapers questioned the veracity of the accounts and suggested Basteraud's injuries came about after a fight among players.

Basteraud spent time under observation at a psychiatric hospital following his return home.