Mourad Boudjellal: "French rugby is racist"

Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal has accused sections of the French rugby community of being racist.

The outspoken owner is due to face a disciplinary committee today over allegations of bringing the game into disrepute following remarks made about refereeing.

"Today, if a certain section of the country is not at all interested in rugby, it's because it is very conservative, and reflects a very particular stereotypical Frenchness with which many people do not identify," La Provence quotes Boudjellal as saying.

"French rugby is racist. It reflects a France which is very inward-looking and conservative.

"I've had racist insults hurled at me in stadiums. I regularly receive letters calling me a 'dirty Arab,' telling me I should return to Algeria. No-one can give me lessons on morality, education and politeness, especially in the rugby environment."

Boudjellal faces a 60-day suspension if found guilty.