Latest news with #Raisuqe
France 24
17-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
'Emotional' Castres fall short at Bordeaux-Begles in first game since Raisuqe death
Raisuqe, who turned 30 in July, was killed on May 8 after being hit by a train while driving to training and his mother and father were present at Stade Chaban-Delmas to watch the game. Following the match, players from both sides came together for an emotional on-field rendition of the gospel song "We Shall Overcome" -- synonymous with Fijian rugby -- with Raisque's mum in tears. Raisuqe's team-mate and compatriot Leone Nakarawa was also overcome by emotion as the whole stadium rose to applaud the singing. "With all we've experienced, we were going to play a game with a lot of emotion," Castres' winger Remy Baget said. "On top of the pressure of the match, the resultat and everything, tears were expected," he added. "We managed to control the emotions withing the squad because we could broken down," The hosts, who are preparing for next weekend's Champions Cup final against Northampton, stay second in the table with two rounds of the season to play. Castres are fifth and strengthened their claim for a place in the play-offs with a bonus point thanks to Jeremy Fernandez's late penalty. Pre-game, Bordeaux-Begles fans unfurled a banner saying 'Rest in Peace Josaia', illustrating the impact the Olympic silver medallist's death has had on the sport in France. The away side, five-time French champions, started the game the better, racing into a 14-0 lead after 17 minutes which included a superb finish from Uruguay scrum-half Santiago Arata. The half-back celebrated his try by looking up to the sky in reference to the passing of Raisuqe, who had become a popular member of the Castres squad since his arrival in 2021. The home team took control of the fixture before half-time however, scoring five tries to make it 29-14. The pick of them came just before the half-hour mark from fly-half Matthieu Jalibert, who also set-up half-back partner Maxime Lucu seven minutes earlier. Castres came back into the match thanks to two second-half touchdowns but were unable to find the crucial try late on. O'Gara suspension Raisuqe's first club in France, 13th-placed Stade Francais moved a point out of the relegation play-off spot with a 31-30 win over Lyon thanks to a 79th minute penalty from English fly-half Zack Henry. Bottom-side Vannes suffered a 38-32 loss at Bayonne and Perpigan dropped into 13th place with a 31-13 loss away to Clermont. Champions Toulouse entertain Racing 92 in the final game of the day. On Sunday, Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle face Montpellier in the hunt for the play-offs with the former Ireland fly-half in the midst of a five-week suspension. Last week, O'Gara refused to leave the team bus for the start of the win at Vannes in protest against his ban for his behaviour towards a match official in January's loss at Toulon.
France 24
17-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Castres fall short at Bordeaux-Begles in first game since Raisuqe death
Raisuqe, who turned 30 in July, was killed on May 8 after being hit by a train while driving to training and his mother was present at Stade Chaban-Delmas to watch the game. Following the match, players from both sides came together for an emotional on-field rendition of the gospel song "We Shall Overcome" -- synonymous with Fijian rugby -- with Raisque's mum in tears. Raisuqe's team-mate and compatriot Leone Nakarawa was also overcome by emotion as the whole stadium rose to applaud the singing. The hosts, who are preparing for next weekend's Champions Cup final against Northampton, stay second in the table with two rounds of the season to play. Castres are fifth and strengthened their claim for a place in the play-offs with a bonus point thanks to Jeremy Fernandez's late penalty. Pre-game, Bordeaux-Begles fans unfurled a banner saying 'Rest in Peace Josaia', illustrating the impact the Olympic silver medallist's death has had on the sport in France. The away side, five-time French champions, started the game the better, racing into a 14-0 lead after 17 minutes which included a superb finish from Uruguay scrum-half Santiago Arata. The half-back celebrated his try by looking up to the sky in reference to the passing of Raisuqe, who had become a popular member of the Castres squad since his arrival in 2021. The home team took control of the fixture before half-time however, scoring five tries to make it 29-14. The pick of them came just before the half-hour mark from fly-half Matthieu Jalibert, who also set-up half-back partner Maxime Lucu seven minutes earlier. Castres came back into the match thanks to two second-half touchdowns but were unable to find the crucial try late on. Later, Raisuqe's first club in France, 13th-placed Stade Francais, host Lyon in an encounter crucial to the league's three-way relegation scrap. Bottom-side Vannes head to Bayonne and Perpignan, in 12th, are at Clermont. Champions Toulouse entertain Racing 92 in the final game of the day. On Sunday, Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle face Montpellier in the hunt for the play-offs with the former Ireland fly-half in the midst of a five-week suspension. Last week, O'Gara refused to leave the team bus for the start of the win at Vannes in protest against his ban for his behaviour towards a match official in January's loss at Toulon.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Castres fall short at Bordeaux-Begles in first game since Raisuqe death
Castres lost 34-29 at Bordeaux-Begles in the French Top 14 on Saturday as the visitors returned to action following the tragic death of Fijian Josaia Raisuqe. Raisuqe, who turned 30 in July, was killed on May 8 after being hit by a train while driving to training and his mother was present at Stade Chaban-Delmas to watch the game. Following the match, players from both sides came together for an emotional on-field rendition of the gospel song "We Shall Overcome" -- synonymous with Fijian rugby -- with Raisque's mum in tears. Raisuqe's team-mate and compatriot Leone Nakarawa was also overcome by emotion as the whole stadium rose to applaud the singing. The hosts, who are preparing for next weekend's Champions Cup final against Northampton, stay second in the table with two rounds of the season to play. Castres are fifth and strengthened their claim for a place in the play-offs with a bonus point thanks to Jeremy Fernandez's late penalty. Pre-game, Bordeaux-Begles fans unfurled a banner saying 'Rest in Peace Josaia', illustrating the impact the Olympic silver medallist's death has had on the sport in France. The away side, five-time French champions, started the game the better, racing into a 14-0 lead after 17 minutes which included a superb finish from Uruguay scrum-half Santiago Arata. The half-back celebrated his try by looking up to the sky in reference to the passing of Raisuqe, who had become a popular member of the Castres squad since his arrival in 2021. The home team took control of the fixture before half-time however, scoring five tries to make it 29-14. The pick of them came just before the half-hour mark from fly-half Matthieu Jalibert, who also set-up half-back partner Maxime Lucu seven minutes earlier. Castres came back into the match thanks to two second-half touchdowns but were unable to find the crucial try late on. Later, Raisuqe's first club in France, 13th-placed Stade Francais, host Lyon in an encounter crucial to the league's three-way relegation scrap. Bottom-side Vannes head to Bayonne and Perpignan, in 12th, are at Clermont. Champions Toulouse entertain Racing 92 in the final game of the day. On Sunday, Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle face Montpellier in the hunt for the play-offs with the former Ireland fly-half in the midst of a five-week suspension. Last week, O'Gara refused to leave the team bus for the start of the win at Vannes in protest against his ban for his behaviour towards a match official in January's loss at Toulon. iwd/nf
Kuwait Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Toulouse crush Toulon to reach Top 14 semis
PARIS: Toulouse crushed Toulon for the third time this season on Saturday with a 50-16 win to qualify directly for the Top 14 semi-finals as Castres mourned Fijian wing Josaia Raisuqe. Some 2,000 people gathered at the Stade Pierre-Fabre in Castres to pay their respects to Raisuqe after the Fijian Olympic silver medallist died Thursday when his car was hit by a train. A minute's applause will be held at all Top 14 and second-tier matches this weekend. 'We will all remember his spectacular plays, his flashes of genius,' said Castres president Pierre-Yves Revol, speaking fondly of a player who was 'always smiling'. Players, members of the coaching staff and other club officials joined supporters at the entrance to the stadium, with large screens and Fijian flags set up as part of a ceremony in memory of the 30-year-old winger. Raisuqe was on his way to training earlier this week when the train collided with his car on a level crossing. 'Castres will be there in every way possible to make the days to come a little less heavy, a little less painful,' added Revol, after a tearful address from Raisuqe's partner, Ilona. Saturday's game between Castres, who are fifth in the table, and Clermont was postponed and rescheduled for the weekend of May 24-25. Top 14 leaders Toulouse ensured their place in the semi-finals and moved 15 points ahead of Bordeaux-Begles, who play in Montpellier on Sunday, with an emphatic win over Toulon. Toulon, reduced to 14 men throughout the second half, suffered their third defeat in their last four matches in all competitions and remain stuck in third place. Ugo Mola's Toulouse, looking to redeem themselves from their Champions Cup semi-final defeat, took an early lead with a penalty try. Mathis Castro-Ferreira doubled the lead with a 14th minute try before fly-half Romain Ntamack left the pitch with concussion and was replaced by Paul Graou. Santiago Chocobares, Naoto Saito, Paul Costes, Matthis Lebel, Pierre-Louis Barassi and Graou also touched down for Toulouse. Hastoy lifts La Rochelle Earlier, La Rochelle fly-half Antoine Hastoy's late drop goal snatched a precious 30-29 win over Vannes to stay in the race to qualify for the Top 14 final phase. After the postponement of the Castres match, La Rochelle moved into sixth place, the last qualifying spot for the play-offs, thanks to their bonus-point victory. The western port side came close to defeat against bottom outfit Vannes, who had come back from 12-0 down and thought they had a crucial victory for survival when prop Thomas Moukoro's try put his team 29-27 in front after 77 minutes. But they were crushed by Hastoy's masterful drop goal in the 80th minute, scored some 40 metres from the posts to give his team a third consecutive win. Also a contender for the play-offs, Lyon took a risky gamble by resting most of their senior players after winning their Challenge Cup semi-final against Racing. But Karim Ghezal's decision failed to pay off, as his seventh-placed side suffered a narrow 29-27 defeat against a determined Pau who won thanks to Thibault Daubagna's 76th-minute penalty. Pau are ninth, four points behind La Rochelle. Bayonne, meanwhile, consolidated their fourth place with a 24-24 draw against a tough but uninspired Racing 92 team, who are in 11th position. In a close, nerve-racking match, Perpignan defeated Stade Francais 20-18, giving themselves a bit of breathing room in the relegation race by climbing one place to 12th—the spot previously occupied by the capital side. Despite two long-range misses, Tommaso Allan scored the decisive penalty with five minutes remaining. Stade Francais are now in more danger than ever -- 13th and in the relegation zone, just one point ahead of Vannes. – AFP
France 24
11-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Toulouse crush Toulon to reach Top 14 semis as Castres pay tribute to Raisuqe
Some 2,000 people gathered at the Stade Pierre-Fabre in Castres to pay their respects to Raisuqe after the Fijian Olympic silver medallist died Thursday when his car was hit by a train. A minute's applause will be held at all Top 14 and second-tier matches this weekend. "We will all remember his spectacular plays, his flashes of genius," said Castres president Pierre-Yves Revol, speaking fondly of a player who was "always smiling". Players, members of the coaching staff and other club officials joined supporters at the entrance to the stadium, with large screens and Fijian flags set up as part of a ceremony in memory of the 30-year-old winger. Raisuqe was on his way to training earlier this week when the train collided with his car on a level crossing. "Castres will be there in every way possible to make the days to come a little less heavy, a little less painful," added Revol, after a tearful address from Raisuqe's partner, Ilona. Saturday's game between Castres, who are fifth in the table, and Clermont was postponed and rescheduled for the weekend of May 24-25. Top 14 leaders Toulouse ensured their place in the semi-finals and moved 15 points ahead of Bordeaux-Begles, who play in Montpellier on Sunday, with an emphatic win over Toulon. Toulon, reduced to 14 men throughout the second half, suffered their third defeat in their last four matches in all competitions and remain stuck in third place. Ugo Mola's Toulouse, looking to redeem themselves from their Champions Cup semi-final defeat, took an early lead with a penalty try. Mathis Castro-Ferreira doubled the lead with a 14th minute try before fly-half Romain Ntamack left the pitch with concussion and was replaced by Paul Graou. Santiago Chocobares, Naoto Saito, Paul Costes, Matthis Lebel, Pierre-Louis Barassi and Graou also touched down for Toulouse. Hastoy lifts La Rochelle Earlier, La Rochelle fly-half Antoine Hastoy's late drop goal snatched a precious 30-29 win over Vannes to stay in the race to qualify for the Top 14 final phase. After the postponement of the Castres match, La Rochelle moved into sixth place, the last qualifying spot for the play-offs, thanks to their bonus-point victory. The western port side came close to defeat against bottom outfit Vannes, who had come back from 12-0 down and thought they had a crucial victory for survival when prop Thomas Moukoro's try put his team 29-27 in front after 77 minutes. But they were crushed by Hastoy's masterful drop goal in the 80th minute, scored some 40 metres from the posts to give his team a third consecutive win. Also a contender for the play-offs, Lyon took a risky gamble by resting most of their senior players after winning their Challenge Cup semi-final against Racing. But Karim Ghezal's decision failed to pay off, as his seventh-placed side suffered a narrow 29-27 defeat against a determined Pau who won thanks to Thibault Daubagna's 76th-minute penalty. Pau are ninth, four points behind La Rochelle. Bayonne, meanwhile, consolidated their fourth place with a 24-24 draw against a tough but uninspired Racing 92 team, who are in 11th position. In a close, nerve-racking match, Perpignan defeated Stade Francais 20-18, giving themselves a bit of breathing room in the relegation race by climbing one place to 12th -- the spot previously occupied by the capital side. Despite two long-range misses, Tommaso Allan scored the decisive penalty with five minutes remaining. Stade Francais are now in more danger than ever -- 13th and in the relegation zone, just one point ahead of Vannes.
