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Top 14: Stade Français in the eye of the storm as Rufus McLean starts against Perpignan

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Rufus McLean, who pleaded guilty in Scotland to domestic violence and received 120 hours of community service, will start Stade Français' first official match of the season against Perpignan.
  • His recruitment prompted the anti-sexism group Her Game Too to suspend its partnership with the club, while Stade Français cited a right to a second chance.
  • McLean will face Perpignan winger Sevu Reece, who also pleaded guilty in a 2018 domestic violence case.

Rufus McLean will start for Stade Français against Perpignan on Saturday, putting the American winger at the center of attention before he has even played his first official match for the Paris club.

Stade Français recruited the 26-year-old during the offseason despite his conviction for domestic violence. McLean had pleaded guilty before a Scottish court over incidents between April 2019 and January 2021. He received a sentence of 120 hours of community service.

McLean played in Major League Rugby from 2024 after Glasgow Warriors ended his contract in January 2023. Last season, he appeared in only five matches, including three for the United States.

I am no longer the same person and I have worked on myself to change and improve.

· Rufus McLeanMcLean defended his transfer to Stade Français in an interview with Midi Olympique.

The transfer also triggered a reaction away from the field. Her Game Too, an organization fighting sexism in football and rugby, suspended its partnership with Stade Français a few days after the club announced McLean's signing. In an interview with Midi Olympique, McLean defended his return by saying, "I am no longer the same person and I have worked on myself to change and improve." Club officials also invoked "the right to a second chance" to explain the decision.

McLean's opponent will be another major offseason signing with a domestic violence case in his past. Sevu Reece, the 29-year-old New Zealand winger with 37 All Blacks caps, pleaded guilty in 2018 after being accused of assaulting his then-partner and received a fine. Connacht later ended his contract before he joined the Irish province. Reece has since become Super Rugby's all-time leading try scorer.

the right to a second chance

· Stade Français officialsClub officials cited this principle to justify recruiting McLean.
About this summary

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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