• Bernard Laporte, president of the French Rugby Federation, was given a two-year suspended prison sentence on December 13 for passive corruption, influence peddling and illegal taking of interests.

    He appealed this decision.

  • While the opposition and the League have called for his resignation and the organization of new elections, the former coach of the XV of France intends to remain in office but has announced his "withdrawal" pending the result of his appeal.

  • Concerned by this situation, the Minister of Sports received Bernard Laporte this Thursday for some clarifications.

Bernard Laporte did not linger, Thursday afternoon, at the end of his appointment at the Ministry of Sports.

The still president of the French Rugby Federation, sentenced on December 13 to two years in prison suspended and 75,000 euros fine, was received by Amélie Oudéa-Castéra to discuss his future.

“Very constructive”, he just dropped to the journalists who came to wait for him on avenue de France, in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.



For the explanations, we had to wait for the press release from the minister, sent at the end of the afternoon.

During the hour and a half that the interview lasted, they discussed the terms of the “withdrawal” announced by Laporte at the start of the week, without resigning.

“A first awareness”, had estimated Oudéa-Castéra in return, while wondering about the real meaning of this announcement and the process of appointing a delegate president for the Federation (with or without the opinion of Laporte ?).

Hence the idea of ​​clearing it up face to face.

The Minister of Sports indicated to the President of the Federation that she accepted this solution "until the final criminal decision", the latter having appealed against his conviction.

In the meantime, it has requested "all the guarantees necessary for its effectiveness".

In other words, evidence that Bernard Laporte no longer interferes at all in the life of the FFR.

The Federal Bureau meets on Friday

As for the choice of the president-delegate called to occupy the function, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra insisted with her interlocutor that it be the subject of "democratic validation by the clubs, according to an irreproachable process and a precise timetable. and fast ".

Because in the texts of the Federation, it is normally the president who should appoint him – an alternative designed only for a one-time vacancy, as recalled by

L'Equipe

in its edition of the day.

According to the press release from the ministry, Bernard Laporte “has shown himself to be receptive to this double requirement”.

The former coach of the XV of France assured that he would meet the Federal Bureau this Friday morning in order to provide the answers requested on these two points.

Depending on the feedback that will be given to her, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra will ratify or not the proposed solution, “at the latest at the beginning of January and after an exchange with the Steering Committee of the Federation”, it is specified.

Time is running out, as the World Cup opens in nine months in France.

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  • Rugby

  • Bernard Laporte

  • Amelie Oudea-Castera

  • Justice

  • Sport