Clermont: Two players briefly taken into police custody

Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365: published on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 12:38 pm

Claremont players Régis Montagne and Lucas Tauzin were briefly placed in police custody following a brawl between Friday and Saturday night. The two rugby players claimed to have acted in self-defense.

Last in their Champions Cup pool, Clermont has long been eliminated from the European Cup and therefore had two weekends without a match. But two ASM players made headlines on Friday night. Régis Montagne and Lucas Tauzin were indeed involved in a brawl and were briefly placed in custody according to information from Le Parisien and La Montagne. The newspaper reports that the French international tighthead prop (25 years old, 7 caps) and his wing or center counterpart (27 years old) were leaving a restaurant on Avenue des Etats-Unis, in Clermont, with their partners, when one of the women was slapped by a stranger who had recognized the rugby players. A fight broke out and the man was injured and taken to the hospital, unconscious.

Self-defense demonstrated

According to Le Parisien, the two players (13 games with ASM this season for Montagne, 10 for Tauzin) were immediately taken to the police station, but CCTV footage and on-site testimonies quickly showed that they had acted in self-defense, and they were able to leave free. They should not be prosecuted as a result of this brawl, unless the victim is seriously injured. The evolution of their health has not been specified. Clermont’s club has stated that the two players were not injured in this fight and will not make any further comments.

Clermont currently 6th

It remains to be seen how the two players will recover from this incident. Operated on for a herniated disc in March, Régis Montagne was supposed to be absent for “several weeks” and is therefore approaching a return. ASM is currently 6th in the Top 14 standings, two points ahead of Racing 92, the first non-qualifier for the playoffs. The Auvergne team still have to face Lyon, Toulouse, Perpignan, Pau, Racing 92, and Bordeaux-Bègles to secure their place in the finals.