Fijian international Vinaya Habosi, a winger for Racing 92, was arrested in Hauts-de-Seine and taken into custody on Sunday, September 15, for domestic violence, Agence France-Presse learned on Monday from a police source, confirming information from the Parisian. According to the daily, he was still there on Monday morning, and an investigation for aggravated violence was opened by the Nanterre prosecutor’s office. According to witnesses, the 24-year-old player pushed and then hit his partner in the presence of their baby, which was confirmed at the time by the victim to the police, who intervened at the player’s home.
According to the same police source, Vinaya Habosi presented “several signs of drunkenness” during the events. He was arrested early in the evening and taken into police custody in Clamart (Hauts-de-Seine). “Racing 92 has taken note of the facts alleged against its player Vinaya Habosi. Pending further information from the competent authorities, Racing 92 will refrain from any further comment.”his club said in a short press releaseMonday, midday. The winger should be suspended, according to information from The Team.
On Saturday, the Parisians won against Clermont (33-20) on the second day of the French rugby championship. A success in which Vinaya Habosi had participated on the margins, coming into play at the end of the match to play ten minutes. The Fijian international (11 caps) had joined the Île-de-France in 2023, from the Fijian Drua – the Fijian franchise of Super Rugby, the championship bringing together the best clubs in the southern hemisphere –, a club whose he had been excluded “due to a high-level breach of the club’s code of conduct”.
This arrest comes as rugby has just returned to the Top 14, after a dark summer. During the Bleus’ tour of South America, full-back Melvyn Jaminet first posted a video on Instagram in which he made racist remarks – which earned him an immediate exclusion from the group followed by a thirty-four-week suspension – before Oscar Jégou from La Rochelle and Hugo Auradou from Pau were charged with aggravated rape. The two 21-year-old rugby players returned to France at the beginning of September, but are still being pursued by the Argentinian justice system.