Rugby. A quadriplegic teenager after a serious accident: the UNSS suspends school competitions

On December 18, 2023, Actu Rugby told you about the sad drama by Mathias Dantina 17-year-old teenager, playing for the Stade Bagnérais Juniors (Hautes-Pyrénées), who was very seriously injured during a UNSS match played in Tarbes, Wednesday, December 14, 2022. The young winger “went back badly after a plating” was operated in emergency in Toulouse and will remain tetraplegic for life. Following this terrible accident, the National Union of School Sport (UNSS) has just made a strong decision.

School rugby competitions suspended throughout France

Indeed, the French Federation of Secondary School Sports has decided to suspend competitive rugby, everywhere in France, within the framework of the UNSS (national union of school sports). The principals and principals of colleges and high schools learned of this decision, in a letter sent by National Education on December 16, 2022, just before the Christmas holidays.

A mixed national commission, made up of teachers, experts from the French Rugby Federation (FFR) and members of the UNSS, met to consider the follow-up and the conditions for a resumption. The conclusions of this meeting will be announced very soon.

An “incomprehensible” decision for SNEP

In a letter, the National Union of Physical Education (SNEP), affiliated to the FSU, questioned the UNSS on this suspension. “Suspend” until further notice “, the practice of rugby in all its forms within sports associations as in UNSS meetings is incomprehensible”, writes the union. “You are thus casting doubt on the professional skills of PE teachers and undermining the trust placed in them by heads of establishments, IA-IPR (inspectors), parents and students”, they continue.

Such a decision “risks provoking a reaction which will aim to prevent any so-called “risky” activity or to particular constraints, to ban them from programming both in school sport and in PE. Inevitably, all school rugby (EPS/sports association/sports sections/UNSS) will be banned from January 2023”, adds the SNEP which asks the UNSS to send a new letter to the same recipients “ aiming to rehabilitate rugby at school and not to cast reproach on the teachers who teach it in EPS, animate it at AS or organize UNSS meetings. »

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