Axel May 10:54 a.m., December 16, 2022
Recognized on Tuesday guilty of corruption and of having favored the Montpellier club, the president of the French rugby federation, who appealed the judgment, sees the requests for resignation multiply, while in less than 10 months the cup will take place of the world organized by France.
Sentenced for "passive corruption", "influence peddling", "illegal taking of interests", "misuse of corporate assets" and "concealment of abuse of corporate assets" by the Paris Criminal Court, Bernard Laporte finds himself in an increasingly uncomfortable situation.
Professional clubs are letting go.
Gathered urgently on Tuesday, the majority of them called for new federal elections to "bring appeasement to French rugby".
Previously, it was the Minister of Sports who had called for a new ballot and even if Amélie Oudéa-Castéra cannot force Bernard Laporte to resign, the political pressure is increasing.
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Laporte retains support
Internationally, he also had to leave the vice-presidency of World Rugby, the body that manages world rugby and that he would have seen himself leading in the medium term.
The Anglo-Saxons are worried about the consequences of his conviction on the image of the oval ball.
Because next year, all eyes will be on France, which will host the World Cup.
The native of Rodez, however, retains support.
The federation is united behind him, recalling that he "remains presumed innocent pending the judgment of the court of appeal".
And some of the amateur clubs are still in favor of him.
Clubs that theoretically have the power to call an extraordinary general meeting and vote on a motion to dissolve.