Mehdi Narjissi, the missing man who haunts French rugby

Twenty-eight of them left. Light-hearted, their minds filled with childhood dreams. Twenty-seven returned. Their eyes reddened with tears and their heads full of nightmares. They were 17 years old. Teenagers with burgeoning talent, convinced that by wearing the France U18 jersey for the first time, a brilliant career would open up before them.

It only took a few minutes for that promise to turn into horror . It was August 7, 2024, in South Africa, around 3:30 p.m., on one of the beaches near Cape Town. A place known for its angry waters and treacherous currents, where two oceans clash under fierce winds and crashing waves: the misnamed Cape of Good Hope.

It was by these violent forces that Mehdi Narjissi was swept away. Like all his teammates, forever wounded in their souls, he saw his future as a professional rugby player. "He was a happy child. When he was little, he was always moving. It was only at the stadium, when he watched his father play, that he remained calm," says Valérie Narjissi, his mother, her voice troubled by grief, her features tired by pain. "Sport was his passion. Mehdi didn't play on the console like other teenagers, he had to move," adds Jalil Narjissi, his father, who is now filled with the sadness of losing the man who was his "balance," as he says.

Their son is now missing. His life was swept away by tidal waves, his dreams swallowed up by cold, turbulent waters. Mehdi Narjissi was taken by the sea a few dozen meters off Dias Beach. Swimming is strongly discouraged on this beach, which overlooks a cliff and is accessible by a wooden staircase. "Warning rip currents. Swimming is dangerous," reads a sign planted above the cove.

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