A major search operation has been launched after a French rugby player went missing while swimming in Cape Town.
Mehdi Narjissi, a France under-18s player, was reportedly swept away by a wave during a bonding session with his teammates at the beach near Cape of Good Hope on Wednesday.
The French Rugby Federation (FFR) says that local emergency services have been deployed to find the missing 17-year-old.
“The FFR has learned with great emotion that Medhi Narjissi, Stade Toulouse player, who travelled to South Africa to compete in the International Series with the French men’s under-18 team, has disappeared,” a spokesperson said.
They added: “This Wednesday, around 4pm, he was swept away by a wave, while he and his teammates were swimming in the sea, at the Cape of Good Hope.
“Narjissi, who is the son of the legendary hooker Djalil Narjissi who played for Agen for 12 years, is now the subject of an intense search effort.
“Pending ongoing research, the French Rugby Federation has approached Medhi's family and is supporting the U18 team and its supervisors on site, where a psychological unit has been set up.”
The French under-18 rugby team is currently in Cape Town for the U18 International Series.
They are set to compete against South Africa, England, and Georgia in matches scheduled across three Western Cape venues: Stellenberg High School, Paarl Gimnasium, and Paarl Boys High School.
Narjissi, who plays in the centre position, began his rugby journey with Agen at the age of five.
In 2022, at 15 years old, he made the move to Toulouse to further his career.
