Jean-Baptiste Sarrazin 10:10 p.m., January 09, 2023

For the past few months, controversies and scandals have been piling up regarding French rugby.

The latest, the hundred tickets awarded to Sébastien Chabal for the 2023 World Cup in France.

Cases that somewhat tarnish the image of the host country of the next World Cup. 

French rugby would have done well without this new affair.

Former French international Sébastien Chabal is suspected of ticket trafficking for the next World Cup in France, which will be held from September 8 to October 28, 2023. The emblematic former player of the XV of France would have acquired a hundred places for different matches in the competition, thereby circumventing the sales rules.

The retired player however defended himself from any irregularity: "Yes, I benefited from privileged access to buy more tickets than it is possible to do by a single person, because of my status as a ambassador of France 2023," he said in a statement.

"I didn't get any freebies or preferential rates. And no, I didn't

>> READ ALSO - Rugby: surprising fifth in the Top 14, how far can Aviron Bayonnais go?

Another defendant

But Sébastien Chabal would not seem to be the only one to have benefited from this advantage.

Another former rugby player, Henri Mioch, project manager for the organization of the World Cup between 2017 and 2020, is accused of having got his hands on 600 tickets.


 But for Mathieu Blin, this problem of places emanates from a lack of clarification from the body in charge of this World Cup: "World Rugby (the organizer of the 2023 World Cup) should have, from the start, said that the together ambassadors of all nations will be thanked with more places than everyone can have.

>> READ ALSO - Rugby: depression, headaches, irritability, when concussions ruin post-career

The organizing committee already targeted

But before this controversy, the World Rugby organizing committee had already been singled out.

The National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) opened an investigation last November for favouritism, influence peddling and corruption following a joint report by the General Inspectorate of Finance and the General Inspectorate of Education.

Claude Atcher, at the head of the committee, had been revoked a few weeks before the opening of this investigation.

Another controversy that taints French rugby, the conviction of Bernard Laporte in December.

The president of the French Rugby Federation and the businessman Mohed Altrad have been sentenced to suspended prison sentences for acts of corruption around in particular the sponsorship of the jersey of the XV of France.

But these cases do not directly concern the Rugby World Cup in France and have no direct relationship with the organization of the event.

"We above all need to focus on the sporting side. On the upcoming tournament", had Manon Fossat's final word in Europe 1 Sport, referring to the Six Nations Tournament, the first day of which will take place over the weekend. end of February 4 and 5.