The FFR steering committee meets in the morning at the Marcoussis National Rugby Center, near Paris, to draw the conclusions of the vote organized over three days among some 1,500 French rugby clubs.

The question put to them after Laporte's withdrawal was simple: "Do you approve of Mr. Bernard Laporte's proposal to appoint Mr. Patrick Buisson as President-Delegate of the FFR?"

The answer was just as good: 51.06% of voters said no, with a turnout close to 91%.

The Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, welcomed "the very strong participation of clubs in this democratic time, which was essential after the conviction in the first instance of Bernard Laporte and his withdrawal".

"I have confidence in the fact that these exchanges will make it possible to find a way to quickly stabilize clear and legitimate governance, while continuing to prepare effectively and serenely, both sportingly and organizationally, for the 2023 World Cup and our country is honored to host," added +AOC+, who will attend Friday morning's meeting.

New elections?

The steering committee, the FFR said in a press release, will "decide on the follow-up to be given" to the clubs' vote.

At this stage, two possibilities co-exist: either Bernard Laporte proposes a new candidate for the post of president-delegate - thus leading to a new referendum - or new federal elections are organised, within six weeks.

This last option is the one favored by the opposition, Florian Grill in the lead.

"It's not a defeat for Patrick Buisson or a victory for Ovale Ensemble (the name of his list, editor's note). It's a message that says the clubs want to turn the page (...) It belongs to the steering committee to be responsible by organizing general elections. This is the request of the clubs. Let's have quick elections, bring rugby together and bring it together to succeed in a major challenge and preserve our French team, "said the president of the Ile-de-France League, which will be a candidate in the event of new elections.

"The steering committee just has to be respectful of the word of the clubs and have a sense of responsibility. We have to preserve the World Cup and not get bogged down in an infinite proposal of candidates which would be dangerous for rugby. “Grill added.

President of the FFR since December 2016, Bernard Laporte was given a two-year suspended prison sentence on December 13 for having entered into a "corruption pact" with the businessman and president of the Montpellier club Mohed Altrad.

- Tournament then World Cup -

Having appealed the decision, his sentence, accompanied by a ban on exercising his activity as president of the FFR, is not immediately enforceable.

The former coach of the Blues refuses as such to resign but agreed, under the joint pressure of the Minister of Sports, the National Rugby League (LNR) and the ethics committee of the FFR, to withdraw behind a delegate president until the appeal trial, which should only take place after the Mondial-2023.

Laporte was placed in police custody for a few hours on Tuesday, the day after the opening of the vote, in a case of laundering aggravated tax evasion but emerged free without prosecution at this stage.

"It is perfectly scandalous that the prosecution chose the date of the election of Mr. Patrick Buisson to fix that of the hearing and that the disclosure of this hearing was made the same day", had then launched one lawyers for Laporte, Me Jean-Pierre Versini-Campinchi, lambasting with AFP "a relentlessness of the PNF".

A new blow for Bernard Laporte, ten days before the start of the Six Nations Tournament and seven months before the World Cup in France, which the Blues approach as big favorites.

© 2023 AFP