Paris (AFP)

The Englishman Bill Beaumont, who aims a second mandate at the head of World Rugby, assures in an interview with AFP, wanting to "make rugby more accessible", while being aware of the difficulties which await his sport after the related crisis with coronavirus.

Bill Beaumont, 68, will face his current vice president, Argentinian Agustin Pichot during the vote on Sunday. The results will be made public on May 12.

Q: You have been the president of World Rugby since 2016. What is your assessment of these four years?

A: "I think I can be proud, especially with this incredible World Cup in Japan. I was one of those who pushed for Japan in 2009, it ended with a superb tournament and a beautiful team from Japan in the quarterfinals. So it's a source of immense pride and satisfaction. On the rugby side, we have also worked a lot on player safety, especially around concussions. Rugby has always been at the forefront on this theme, player health and safety is essential to our sport. I also believe that zero tolerance applied to high tackles has helped re-educate players and that this will help reduce the number of injuries. "

Q: If you win, what do you intend to establish that you could not do during your first term?

A: "I would like rugby to no longer be dominated by the physical. It is a sport for all sizes and all shapes. I would like to see more experimentation in the rules to change the game. not always know what a change of rule will create as a problem and the health of the players is paramount, obviously, but I would like, for example, that we think about the number of substitutes. Currently, the replacements start after an hour, especially on the front line and the game becomes a little predictable. And I would like to change that. In your second term, you can be much more efficient than in the first. At the beginning, you try to please everyone in the second, you can be braver, more visionary and make a difference. I want to make rugby more accessible. "

Q: You also talked about a Nations Championship, a project that had been abandoned last year.

A: "It is one of my regrets. I am sure that such a competition will come back, perhaps in another form, which will allow everyone to participate. A variant of the Nations Championship could be played in international windows, with promotions and relegations and thus avoid the same 10-12 teams meeting up. There are other international competitions but there are windows in July or November but if we bring them closer, we could have two full months and have a tournament there. Obviously it would not be annual because there is the World Cup, the British Lions ... But we will think about it. Such a competition would be really exciting! "

Q: You will face Agustin Pichot, who was your vice-president for four years. Were you surprised by his candidacy?

A: "No, I was expecting it. He told me about it in Japan. My manifesto came out in January, when I announced my candidacy. Our programs are similar but it's normal, we worked together. There are differences between us but it is clear that we need to do an audit of our governance, that we think about the structure, which must be more representative, more inclusive. With Agustin, it is civilized. He is passionate, it is not because we are adversaries in an election that we become enemies. It is like a game. We have different ways of doing things but it is a healthy competition. "

Q: How do you see rugby emerging from the crisis?

A: "One of the main problems is that we don't know when we can replay. The reality is that there is a good chance that the test matches in July cannot take place We are trying to see if we can put them in another window in October and then go on with the November tours. If these matches cannot be played, everyone will have to tighten their belts. has put in place a $ 100 million backup plan to help all countries. In the end, luckily, the World Cup was held last year. Otherwise, we would be facing an even bigger crisis. "

Interview by Nicholas Mc ANALLY

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