Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal is refusing to pay an EPCR fine of €75,000 for homophobic comments made during last year’s European Champions Cup.
Boudjellal was responding at the time to the alleged homophobic remarks of Toulon centre Mathieu Bastareaud, which were captured on camera during that match against Benetton. He told reporters: “At no point did Mathieu Bastareaud make a judgement on the sexual orientation of the player in question.
“I am not homophobic but I have already called someone a fagg*t. It’s become customary, it’s the first thing that comes to mind in an altercation.
“I am worried. What I fear is the mormon side of EPCR with the Welsh and the Irish.”
In addition to the €75,000 fine, Boudjellal also received a warning of a further €25,000 fine, and a ban from all EPCR competitions for three years following any similar offence. Toulon would also be subject to a deduction of five match points in their next EPCR competition.
In an EPCR statement referencing Boudjellal’s comments (following his team’s Champions Cup encounter against Benetton last January) it was explained that he had, “made comments that among other things allegedly condoned homophobic conduct, discriminated against and insulted various groups, and brought the game of rugby into disrepute by attacking, disparaging and criticising EPCR”.
The EPCR committee also noted aggravating factors which contributed to their decision, “including poor disciplinary records and poor conduct during the disciplinary process, and that these increased the severity of the sanctions imposed”.
However, Boudjellal was defiant when he spoke to French publication Midi Olympique: “I will not appeal, I will not pay and I will lodge a complaint for defamation.”