Grenoble rugby club drops plans to hire coach after his domestic violence conviction

By Canadian Press on March 31, 2026.

GRENOBLE, France (AP) — French rugby club Grenoble dropped plans to hire a coach after he was sentenced in a domestic violence case.

Grenoble said in a statement on Tuesday it took note of the conviction of Pierre Caillet by the Béziers Criminal Court. The second-division team wanted to contract Caillet for next season.

“The acts attributed to Mr. Pierre Caillet are not compatible with the values upheld by our club,” Grenoble said.

French media reported that Caillet, a former Béziers coach who worked as a consultant for Grenoble, was issued a suspended sentence of six months in prison on Monday, along with 24 months of probation and a requirement to undergo treatment related to drug use.

According to Ici Isère radio, Caillet’s former partner was also convicted of slapping him in July 2025. She accused Caillet of psychological and physical abuse, and claimed to have been hit several times on the head and to have been strangled twice.

The Associated Press