Tributes paid following the death of former France age-grade international at the age of 21
Tributes have been paid to Franck Lascassies, the former France under-20s development player who reportedly took his own life at the age of 21. The prop, who spent time with Bayonne and Pau, died earlier this week and his funeral took place on Friday.
France Rugby tweeted: “We learned with immense sadness of the death of Franck Lascassies, a former player of our teams of #FranceJeunes at the age of 21. Our condolences to his family and loved ones.”
Bayonne tweeted: “It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Franck Lascassies, 21, who went through the categories at Bayonne before leaving for Pau. The club offers its sincere condolences to the whole family and loved ones of Franck.”
Pau added: “The club learned with immense sadness the death of Franck Lascassies, a training centre player from 2017 to 2019. In this terrible ordeal, the club joins the pain of the family and those close to them.”
World Rugby vice-president Bernard Laporte said: “I’m saddened to learn of the death of Franck Lascassies, a player of the France U20 development team. With his team, he also won the European U18 title. Franck was full of talent. My condolences to his family and loved ones.”
The Pacific Rugby Welfare said: “Sad news from France that a young Pacific Islander has tragically taken his life at age 21.”
Mental health has become a huge talking point in rugby in recent years, ex-Scotland international Graeme Morrison recently telling RugbyPass how damaging it can be. “A lot of players need to understand that being a rugby player doesn’t define who you are as a person. It really doesn’t. We really need to get over that,” he said.
“I was sitting having dinner with my parents, glazed over, not taking in anything that they were saying. I looked out the balcony and thought, I could literally jump off this right now. It was a fleeting thought but it was definitely very powerful. It still feels quite raw now.”
?? Nous avons appris avec une immense tristesse aujourd'hui le décès de Franck Lascassies, ancien joueur de nos équipes de #FranceJeunes à l'âge de 21 ans. Toutes nos condoléances à sa famille et à ses proches. ?? pic.twitter.com/aIAaUXSRVn
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) June 11, 2020
C'est avec une immense tristesse que nous avons appris la mort de Franck Lascassies, 21ans, passé par les catégories de jeunes de l'Aviron Bayonnais avant de partir pour la Section Paloise
Le club présente ses plus sincères condoléances à toute la famille et aux proches de Franck pic.twitter.com/iElxx2ho6Q— Aviron Bayonnais (@avironrugbypro) June 11, 2020
La Section a appris avec une immense tristesse la disparition de Franck Lascassies, joueur du Centre de Formation de 2017 à 2019.
Dans cette terrible épreuve le club s’associe à la douleur de la famille et de ses proches. pic.twitter.com/06TXHID1sG
— SectionPaloise (@SectionPaloise) June 11, 2020
J’apprends avec tristesse le décès de Franck Lascassies, joueur de l’équipe de France U20 développement.
Avec son équipe, il avait aussi décroché le titre de champion d’Europe des U18. Franck était pétri de talent.
Toutes mes condoléances à sa famille et à ses proches.
— Bernard Laporte (@BernardLaporte_) June 11, 2020
Sad news from France that a young Pacific Islander has tragically taken his life at age 21 https://t.co/WGGOqXmEoR
— PacificRugbyWelfare (@pacificwelfare) June 12, 2020
Very sad for his family and friends ???. Please my fellow islanders especially here in Europe, don’t be ashame or shy to talk to someone you’re not alone. It’s ok not to be ok. ??
— Elvis taione216 (@ElvisTaione) June 12, 2020
My Pacific Rugby family, if anyone out there needs help or needs talking please don’t be afraid to talk to someone or ask for help. Or DM me if need. We are here for you. #YouAreNotAlone #rugbyfamily #MentalHealthAwareness https://t.co/jAZNEWq7sJ
— James Johnston (@JayVJohnston) June 12, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments