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Colomiers

Colomiers statement: Contract terminated after failed doping test

(Photo by Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)

Hooker Youssef Saaidia has been sacked by Colomiers just weeks before the start of the new Pro D2 season in France. The 27-year-old had been suspended by the French Anti-Doping Agency after he was found to have used a prohibited substance in a doping test conducted following the Colomiers playoff win last season over Oyonnax on May 20.

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It was reported by La Depeche on July 30 that the front-rower had not had any contact with the club since the beginning of last month, explaining that the standoff with Colomiers began after it emerged following the drugs test that Saaidia allegedly hadn’t paid attention to the composition of a food supplement.

He was suspended as a precaution ahead of the final decision from the French Anti-Doping Agency within the next six months, but Colomiers have now pre-empted the outcome of that hearing by tearing up the contract Saaidia has with them just over two weeks before their new tier-two campaign commences with an August 26 game at home to Carcassonne.

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A club statement read: “Colomiers Rugby announces that it has put an end to the contractual relationship linking it to its professional player, Youssef Saaidia. This is due to a positive doping control carried out by the French Anti-Doping Agency involving the suspension of the player.

“The club and Youssef terminated the employment contract of the latter by mutual agreement. The club regrets this situation, especially for a player from the Colomiers pathway. It is obvious that Colomiers Rugby and its people in no way endorse this practice, which goes against our values and those of our sport.”

Saaidia had featured in tier-two matches for Colomiers over the past seven seasons and had played 16 times in 2021/22 – eleven as a starter – and scored six tries for Julien Sarraute’s team. He now risks a two-year suspension following the failed doping test.

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Comments on RugbyPass

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Rugby 101 - Ed Pye 33 minutes ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Another solution would be to move the schedule a week later - there’s a month long break before the Rugby Championship so why would the NZRU schedule the first game in conflict with a major club final?


Once you remove the scheduling issue - it becomes purely about player welfare and that’s the French unions issue to deal with. The whole idea of becoming the best team is moot if you cede all your national power to a club competition.

8 Go to comments
R
Rugby 101 - Ed Pye 39 minutes ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

You say that winning isnt about psychology and then cite the NZ teams that lost at world cups because they were fretting about choking. Psychology is absolutely part of a winning strategy - its the ability to know that you can come back from adversity because you have trust in the “weapons” that you talk about. Its the difference between chasing someone down or saying “I’m beaten" - there’s no point”

8 Go to comments
J
J Marc 1 hour ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Some very interesting points in your post.

8 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

Exactly, Moana is entirely a NZ side and it the second Auckland franchise. Its the only side in the world that's been setup for the alleged purpose of developing players for two other ‘countries’ from playing talent from another country.


In reality it's best players are always going to be picked for the Allblacks as they're eligible kiwis. That's never going to change so the best thing to do is stop the pretence and make the team just another NZ super franchise that isn't ethnically based to allow talent equal access to professional contracts regardless of their ethnicity.


Commentaries claiming players from this team need to be ignored by the Allblacks selectors are of course advocating for the ridiculous situation that NZ becomes the only rugby country that overlooks players born and living in that country with that countries citizenship.

19 Go to comments
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RedWarriors 2 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Serin?

8 Go to comments
R
RedWarriors 2 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

I am not really sure how this tour benefits France beyond showing NZ ways to beat them. They already know how to beat NZ.

Ireland won a series there in 2022 which prompted a year long shift in strategy to specifically beat Ireland. This was confirmed recently by Will Jordan.

Winning tight matches isn’t necessarily about psychology. It’s about having weapons to get over the line. For SA that was a scrum to win penalties and a kicker to either kick the penalty over or down the line if a try is needed. See SA v England in 2023 SF.

England used their jacklers to win penalties to get them deep into the 22 a couple of times late against France. Ireland improvised with drop kicks to win versus SA.

NZ spent decades fretting over choking in RWCs. Their strategy was often to develop such an outstanding team that pressure wouldn’t come into it. All they needed to do (France 99, 07) was to use some of their prep to learn how to neuter their opponents.

NZ have learned that lesson well and it should have gotten them a RWC win in ‘23 after knocking Ireland out. They will do the same against France or attempt to.

It doesn’t matter with SA v NZ because those teams are set up to beat/not lose against each other.

I don’t see NZ whipping the French second string and there is no benefit in showing NZ their hand.

I don’t agree with the image of International Rugby or respect comment. International Rugby should put all their focus on expanding the game (Tier 2) which was the supposed purpose of a RWC not as a status symbol for Tier1As.

No offense to Marshall and NZ, but if they demand respect they should give some too. Ireland certainly were not respected after their 22 series win and France won’t be either.

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S
SC 2 hours ago
Super Rugby U20: Crusaders beat Chiefs to win back to back titles

Now the U20s need to go back to playing for their Super Rugby development squads and push hard for selection into their main squads.

2 Go to comments
S
SC 2 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

There are 14 pro teams in France’s top league. So what if the players from the top 2 are unavailable. That is 12 teams to choose 33 players from to tour NZ.


France had over 50 players play test rugby in 2024 so there will be no shortage of capped players to choose from as France has 3 test quality players at every forward position and in the midfield and outside backs.


It is only 9 and 10 where France may lack test quality depth. Antione Dupont, who is the only French player who is clearly the best at his position, is unavailable to tour regardless.

8 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 3 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

So before you even begin to look at the issues behind this, it’s surprising that anyone in NZ was surprised a less than full strength French squad would turn up. The dates alone indicates this was always going to be the case, with the first test to be played a week after the Top14 final.


Galthie would love nothing better than to head south with a full squad at his disposal but the issue here is the French league set up, it’s duration and the contractual power of the club owners, via the LNR. They have the final say on player availability and since they also fund the clubs and player wages, it’s their call to make. Again, this won’t be news to NZR.


So really, if there are questions to be answered here, they need to be pointed as much at NZR as anyone else.

8 Go to comments
J
JPM 3 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Well written and balanced article explaining both arguments and specific constraints.

8 Go to comments
G
Graham VF 4 hours ago
Can 'Tongan Thor' rediscover his strength before the Lions arrive?

The three top teams in the URC are all coached by South Africans and the fourth is a South African team coached by a New Zealander. I don’t think Australia had produced a world class coach since Eddie Jones.

88 Go to comments
M
Mary Jul 4 hours ago
Why Marcus Smith 'suffers from his own success' in England 10 battle

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42 Go to comments
R
Rugby 101 - Ed Pye 5 hours ago
Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

Drafts work perfectly fine all around the world. The final decision ultimately comes down to the player, if they don't want to go somewhere, they figure something else out

19 Go to comments
C
CN 5 hours ago
Hannah Jones' message ahead of England: 'We have nothing to lose, so let’s go for it'

Wales have always played with heart and passion, even in adversity, this 6N sadly has come too soon for Sean Lynn to make a big impact so they should ensure a good summer to target the RWC. We know what their forwards can do, they need to find a way to release their backs and get them more involved. When was the last time Jas Joyce scored a try in the 6N?

2 Go to comments
C
CN 5 hours ago
"The acid test will be this summer. They will be judged solely by winning or losing the World Cup."

If Midds thought so highly of ZA why did he not make her captain after Hunter’s retirement?

2 Go to comments
J
Juanitamunoz 6 hours ago
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My world came crashing down when I lost my entire life savings to a fraudulent investment scam. I had trusted an online platform promising high returns, only to watch my money vanish overnight. The scammers blocked me, and the authorities said recovery was nearly impossible. I felt broken, ashamed, and hopeless. Then, a day, i went on a search on the internet, forums hoping to find a way to recover my lost savings, then i came across a thread narrating how a well reputable firm named  "Alpha Spy Nest", a cybersecurity and digital forensics team specializing in scam recovery helped recover their lost/stolen savings. Desperate, I reached out, praying for a miracle. Their team was professional, understanding, and confident. They explained how they track digital footprints, freeze transactions, and pressure scammers using legal and technical methods.  They ask for the screenshots, trading platform, total amount lost to the scammer and also  wallets address which the transaction was made through. I provided them with the required details and information. Within few hours, they traced the funds to a crypto wallet and identified the scam ring’s operations. Using their connections with financial institutions and law enforcement, they initiated a recovery process. 10 hours later, I received a mail from Alpha Spy Nest that they had recovered 95% of my money. It wasn’t the full amount, but it was a lifeline.  More than the money, they restored my hope. Their dedication proved that justice could prevail. Today, I’m rebuilding, wiser and more cautious. Alpha Spy Nest didn’t just recover my funds they gave me a second chance.  If you’ve been scammed, don’t give up. Alpha Spy Nest fights for victims like us.They turned my despair into triumph, and they can do the same for you.WhatsApp: +15132924878

0 Go to comments
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Juanitamunoz 6 hours ago
Brumbies on high alert: Len Ikitau’s stark warning over ex-boss

My world came crashing down when I lost my entire life savings to a fraudulent investment scam. I had trusted an online platform promising high returns, only to watch my money vanish overnight. The scammers blocked me, and the authorities said recovery was nearly impossible. I felt broken, ashamed, and hopeless. Then, a day, i went on a search on the internet, forums hoping to find a way to recover my lost savings, then i came across a thread narrating how a well reputable firm named  "Alpha Spy Nest", a cybersecurity and digital forensics team specializing in scam recovery helped recover their lost/stolen savings. Desperate, I reached out, praying for a miracle. Their team was professional, understanding, and confident. They explained how they track digital footprints, freeze transactions, and pressure scammers using legal and technical methods.  They ask for the screenshots, trading platform, total amount lost to the scammer and also  wallets address which the transaction was made through. I provided them with the required details and information. Within few hours, they traced the funds to a crypto wallet and identified the scam ring’s operations. Using their connections with financial institutions and law enforcement, they initiated a recovery process. 10 hours later, I received a mail from Alpha Spy Nest that they had recovered 95% of my money. It wasn’t the full amount, but it was a lifeline.  More than the money, they restored my hope. Their dedication proved that justice could prevail. Today, I’m rebuilding, wiser and more cautious. Alpha Spy Nest didn’t just recover my funds they gave me a second chance.  If you’ve been scammed, don’t give up. Alpha Spy Nest fights for victims like us.They turned my despair into triumph, and they can do the same for you.Email: Alphaspynest@mail.com, WhatsApp: +15132924878

0 Go to comments
B
BC 6 hours ago
Hannah Jones' message ahead of England: 'We have nothing to lose, so let’s go for it'

I’m sure the Welsh girls will give it a go with everything they have. They are unlikely though to be able to stem the white tide for 80 minutes. Wales will pick their No 1 side, it remains to be seen what team the Red Roses will field, Mitchell seems determined to experiment

2 Go to comments
B
BC 7 hours ago
Women’s Six Nations: 4 things we learned in round one

France will find it somewhat easier from hereon in until they get to Twickenham. Scotland are much improved but French home advantage, flair and nous should see them victorious. Italy will have their hands full with Ireland and even home advantage may not be enough for them. Ireland will be better in the final third and O’Brien will have her kicking boots on. I would not discount Italy completely as they showed much resilience against England. Wales were flattered by the scoreline against Scotland and will have more than their hands full with probably another experimental Red Roses side. Wales need to find some creativity behind the scrum and whilst their forwards are fierce competitors they are lacking a little in physical presence. England can play poorly by their standards and still win by 30+ points. If they play well you need a calculator against some teams. I would like to see Shekells get a chance at 12 as she, I thought, was the main positive for the RRs amongst the new/newish players. Others performed OK but did not suggest they were of the same standard as the usual incumbents and worthy of being in match day squads for KO matches. Perhaps Robinson will get a start to prove me wrong. I suspect almost everyone in the squad will at least be named in a match day squad after the first two or three matches.

1 Go to comments
A
AA 7 hours ago
Why Marcus Smith 'suffers from his own success' in England 10 battle

You will not have read Stuart Barnes in the Times, you being an obvious Sun reader.

The article read Beware lions talk surrounding Ford .

In the article he points out that Ford came on against a badly beaten and demoralised Welsh side and at the weekend played very well against the worst side in the prem .

He pointed out that it is ages since Ford bossed the team against top opposition and this should be remembered when comparing him with others who start against top tier opposition .

Just what I have been saying .

I know this reply is from your reply some time ago but it’s the only one I could find to reply to and point out to you that those who know are not fooled by sudden good play against poor opposition . Something Ford is good at .

42 Go to comments
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