A prize to keep his memory alive, and associate his name with values of fraternity. This is the objective of the Paris town hall which announced, Wednesday September 9, its desire to pay tribute to the former Argentine rugby player Federico Aramburu, hit by six bullets fired by Loïk Le Priol, former member of the marine commandos and ultra-right activist, and Romain Bouvier, who frequented the radical far-right group GUD during his law studies.
“On March 19, 2022, at the age of 42, Federico Martin Aramburu was shot and killed in Paris, in the Saint-Germain district, following an attack by far-right activists. With the creation of the Federico-Aramburu prize, the City of Paris wishes to keep his memory alive and the values of fraternity with which his name will remain associated,” declares the town hall in a press release, specifying that the first presentation of this prize will take place on March 19, 2027, five years after his death.
The municipality had already had the opportunity to express its support during a commemorative ceremony, organized in 2023, boulevard Saint-Germain, at the place where Federico Aramburu was shot. The city was then led by Anne Hidalgo and her sports deputy, Pierre Rabadan, was responsible for delivering a committed speech.
“The fight against the extreme right is always in our values. Federico Martin Aramburu will be a face of this fight.”, declared this former professional rugby player who had the opportunity to meet Aramburu on and off the field.
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“The mark left by Fede at Biarritz Olympique”
Aramburu wore the colors of Biarritz Olympique, the club with which he won two French championship titles. He came to Paris in March 2022 with his partner and friend Shaun Hegarty. The two men worked together in an agency organizing rugby trips. They came with customers to attend the France-England match as part of the Six Nations Tournament.
The disappearance of this former Biarritz player logically aroused great emotion in the Basque Country. “The mark left by Fede at Biarritz Olympique (BO) goes far beyond the titles won. After his career, Fede chose to stay in Biarritz, extending well beyond the pitch the deep bond that united him to the club and the city. More than four years after his death, his memory remains deeply anchored in the memory of the club,” the club which organizes a tournament bearing the name of Aramburu wrote in a press release this week.
A portrait of Federico Aramburu, killed in March 2022 in Paris, is displayed on September 7, 2026, on a stand at the Aguilera stadium in Biarritz. © Gaizka Iroz, AFP
Current players and BO supporters also wanted to pay tribute this week to the man who wore number 13. In the 13th minute of the second division match played Thursday at home against Colomiers, a round of applause rose from the stands. After the victory, Biarrots coach Boris Bouhraoua explained to the Rugbyrama site how important this match was. “Rugby is a sport of emotions, with feelings, where you cannot cheat. Tonight, there was the tribute to Fede, it was important, for us, to support Maria (widow of Federico), those close to Fede and Shaun.”
Two magazines emptied to the last bullet
The hearings which have been taking place since September 7 at the Paris Assize Court represent a difficult ordeal for those close to “Fede”, in particular his parents who came from Argentina. They certainly heard Le Priol admit to being “the author of the death” of the rugby player. But he refutes having intended to kill him, claiming to have only taken out his weapon to defend himself after “a multitude of blows” delivered by the Argentine rugby player.
This line of defense seems fragile in the face of the facts presented before the court. An investigator recalled that “people who want to kill will often empty their magazine completely”, down to the last bullet. This is exactly what the two main defendants in the trial, great fans of collector’s weapons, did: Romain Bouvier fired four times then Loïk Le Priol six. According to a forensic doctor who came to present her report on Friday, it was two shots in the back that led to Aramburu’s death.
The exact course of this tragic evening was presented on September 10 in the Voltaire room which hosted the trial. The images captured by several neighborhood surveillance videos made it possible to reconstruct the facts, from a futile argument on the terrace of the “Le Mabillon” brasserie to the final fight in front of a neighboring store and the shots fired by the two ultra-right activists. Videos that “Fede’s” parents were not able to see until the end, preferring to leave the room.
Next week they will hear Maria speak about her late husband and their three children. The civil parties will have the floor and several personalities from the world of rugby will take turns at the bar, such as the former French player Thomas Lièvremont or the Argentinian Gonzalo Quesada, current coach of the Italian team. Shaun Hegarty will also be able to give his version in court, facing the two men against whom he fought alongside his late friend. The verdict is expected on September 25. Le Priol (32 years old) and Bouvier (35 years old) face life imprisonment.
