Three days after the allegations made by Luka Keletaona following France v Spain at the U20 World Championship (57-32), World Rugby’s independent disciplinary committee has delivered its verdict: Mateo Aragon is banned for seven matches.
What World Rugby says
The global governing body, which opened proceedings the day after the match, set out its decision in a statement: “Having thoroughly reviewed the match footage and audio recordings, along with all available evidence, including witness statements from several members of the France and Spain teams, the committee found that the player had not shown that the citing should be dismissed.”
In setting the sanction, the committee applied a mid-range entry point, corresponding to a twelve-match ban, before reducing it to seven after taking various factors into account, including the racial dimension of the conduct alleged.
Aragon’s defence
Backed by his federation, the Spanish player disputes the French account. According to La Dépêche du Midi, Mateo Aragon “categorically denies” calling Luka Keletaona “Chinese” and says he was only responding to insults from the French side, including “f***ing Spaniards”. Those explanations did not convince the independent committee.
What happened
On 2 July, after a Spanish try in France v Spain, fly-half Luka Keletaona told a press conference he had heard: “Get lost with your Chinese face and your eyes…”. The Toulon-bound player immediately alerted his captain so the referee could be informed, before the French delegation took the matter to World Rugby.
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