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Rory Grice

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Rory Grice (born 2 April 1990) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a number 8 or flanker for French club Oyonnax.

Grice previously played for Waikato and represented New Zealand at under-20 and sevens level. He moved to France in 2014 and played for Grenoble in the Top 14, and Oyonnax in the Top 14 and Pro D2 from 2017. In 2024, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a gang rape committed in 2017.[1]

Career

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Born in Ōtorohanga, Grice played for Waikato in the National Provincial Championship from 2011. He played for the New Zealand under-20 team in 2010, and the following year he played for the national rugby sevens team. He praised the latter team's coach Gordon Tietjens for his training sessions, and spoke about the difficulty in transitioning between the different styles of play for seven-a-side and fifteen-a-side rugby.[2]

In June 2014, Grice signed for Grenoble of the French Top 14. He started the first three games of the season, and scored his first try in the last of those, a 37–23 home win over Bordeaux-Bègles on 30 August; this earned him a contract extension to last into 2017.[3]

Grice was suspended by the league for four weeks in March 2015 for charging a Montpellier opponent with his shoulder, while the opponent did not have the ball.[4] He scored six tries in each of his first two seasons with the club from Isère, including five in the second half of 2015–16, which earned him a further contract extension into 2019.[5]

In May 2017, Grice transferred on a two-year contract to fellow top-flight club Oyonnax. The deal was controversial as he and Grenoble teammates Denis Coulson and Loick Jammes were awaiting trial for a gang rape in March 2017 after a game in the city of Bordeaux.[6] In February 2018, his contract was extended for two more years.[7] His team were relegated at the end of his first season, returning by winning the Pro D2 title with a playoff final win over Grenoble in May 2023.[8]

On 13 December 2024, Grice was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the 2017 gang rape, as was Jammes, while Coulson received 14 years. Teammates Chris Farrell and Dylan Hayes received suspended sentences for not preventing, and not intervening in, the attack.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "French court sentences three professional rugby players to 12 to 14 years in jail for gang rape". France 24. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  2. ^ Pegden, Evan (12 September 2012). "Waikato's Grice 'anxious to get moving'". Stuff. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  3. ^ Genin, Laurent (17 September 2014). "Efficacité, prolongation express, des racines jamais loin... voici Rory Grice" [Efficiency, quick extension, roots never far away... this is Rory Grice] (in French). Rugbyrama. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  4. ^ Pomiès, Fabien (5 March 2015). "Grenoble: Grice suspendu quatre semaines" [Grenoble: Grice suspended for four weeks] (in French). Rugbyrama. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  5. ^ Genin, Laurent (30 March 2016). "Grice, c'est vraiment la classe !" [Grice, truly classy!] (in French). Rugbyrama. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  6. ^ "Rory Grice rejoint Oyonnax pour deux saisons" [Rory Grice joins Oyonnax for two seasons]. L'Équipe (in French). 30 May 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  7. ^ "Rory Grice prolonge à Oyonnax" [Rory Grice extends at Oyonnax] (in French). Rugbyrama. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  8. ^ Garcin, Thimoté (27 May 2023). "Pro D2 : revivez la défaite frustrante du FC Grenoble dans cette rugueuse finale contre Oyonnax !" [Pro D2: relive FC Grenoble's frustrating defeat in this rough final against Oyonnax!]. Le Dauphiné libéré (in French). Retrieved 14 December 2024.
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