STADE FRANCAIS HAVE made tickets for the European Champions Cup clash with Ospreys free of charge as they pay tribute to Nicolas Chauvin, who passed away this week.

The Stade teenager died following a serious injury in an academy match against Bordeaux on Sunday.

The club confirmed on Wednesday that Chauvin had suffered a “cervical trauma that resulted in cardiac arrest and cerebral anoxia”.

And for their next match – against Ospreys on Friday – the Top 14 outfit will welcome supporters to pay their respects to the 19-year-old.

Announcing free entry to the game, a notice on the Stade website read: “We will meet you at the opening of the gates at 1915 to honour the memory of Nicolas and support his family.”

The French Rugby Federation (FFR) has offered its condolences to Chauvin’s family and will see a minute’s applause take place before matches around the country this weekend.

The FFR added that it has requested an “exceptional meeting” with World Rugby in a bid to continue an “evolution of the rules” in order to protect players.

- Omni

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Murray Kinsella, Gavan Casey and Eddie O’Sullivan preview another big weekend of Heineken Cup action and dissect the week’s main talking points.

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